Don Was & Friends

First emerging as one-half of the satiric R&B duo Was (Not Was), Don Was later rose to become one of the most prolific and sought-after producers in contemporary music. Born in Detroit, Was began his musical career as a session bassist before teaming with longtime friend David Weiss to form Was (Not Was), a project originally spotlighting luminaries from the Motor City. Was began his career as a producer in 1979, working on occasional projects over the course of the decade to follow. He first gained wide notice for his work on Bonnie Raitt’s revitalizing 1989 effort Nick of Time. In its wake he became one of the most in-demand producers in the business, working with everyone from Bob Dylan to Paula Abdul to the Rolling Stones to Willie Nelson.