BEHIND THE MUSIC
Eddie N Watkins Jr
Born & raised in Detroit MI. Home of the Motown Sound.
Eddie started his music career playing piano for a bingo game at 10 years old.
His grandmother “Big Mama” bought him a piano at age 7 and his parents forced him to take
piano lessons against his will Eddie says.
As it turned out they were right cause by the age of 13 Eddie had switched to bass guitar joined
the Musicians Union and got hired by the Jonny Trafton big band performing with seasoned local Motown musicians.
While still in Junior High Eddie’s music teacher Ernie Rodgers (baritone sax player in the
Motown Band) took Eddie and a few students to a Motown review where he saw these iconic artist perform from backstage.
Gladys and the Pips, Little Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye & Tammy Terrell, The Four Tops,
Smokey and the Miracles, TheTemptations, Willy Tyler and Lester, The Monitors, The Originals,
Junior Walker and the All Stars and more. This was the point at which Eddie knew he would live
a life of music somehow.
While in high school Eddie was invited to play upright bass with the Wayne State Honors
Orchestra in Detroit furthering his classical studies and sight reading skills. During this time the
pull of Jimmy Hendricks, BTO, Grand Funk, Sly and The Family Stone and the new Motown
sound Norman Whitfield was creating resulted in Eddie giving up the upright bass and perusing
bass guitar as his career instrument.
At age 17 still in high school Eddie was noticed by legendary Motown producer Norman Whitfield
at a Undisputed Truth band rehearsal. A few day later he got the call from Motown to play for
Norman Whitfield’s new Temptation album Masterpiece. Luckily the year Eddie started playing
bass for Motown is the year they started putting the musicians names on the albums.
The Masterpiece album led to many more Motown sessions for Holland Dozier Holland (of Four
Tops, Diana Ross and the Supreams fame) Marvin Gaye, The Dramatics and many more local
Detroit groups.
When Motown packed up and moved from Detroit to Hollywood Eddie decided to follow in hopes
of being part of the Motown L.A. sound. To Eddie’s surprise there were hundreds of sessions a
week going on in L.A. and Eddie very quickly became one of the premier session bass player in
town playing bass for everyone from James Brown to Barbara Streisand.
Along with this new found fame came money, success opulence and in Eddie’s case substance
abuse.
While in recovery Eddie had an awakening which led him on a spiritual search for more clarity
about the true meaning of his life. While living in Las Vegas Eddie was introduced to New
Thought / Ancient Wisdom principles which changed his life forever. He released his former idea
of himself to allow the divine to create a new passion for love, life and music.
In 2007 Eddie realized that he was here to serve and to spread this message of New Thought /
Ancient Wisdom principles to the world through his special brand of music.
Eddie served 3 years as music director at Center For Spiritual Living Greater Las Vegas under
Rev. Doug Foglesong and 3 years as choir director and director of music ministries at The
Center For Spiritual Living Seattle under Rev. Kathianne Lewis.
In 2012 Eddie heard the call and left Seattle to travel North America with his music and
message.
in 2015 Eddie released the “Across America” CD. and in 2017 released his latest CD Heartsongs. In 2021 Eddie released his 7th inspirational CD A Better Yesterday.
Eddie served 2 years as music director at Unity
Church For Creative Living and is currently serving as Music Director at
The Center For Spiritual Living St Augustine FL. but still traveling occasionally for special events.