82: Narada Michael Walden: From Mahavishnu Orchestra Drummer to Aretha Franklin’s Hitmaker | Part 1

Jul 26, 2025

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Episode 82: Narada Michael Walden.

He went from being the drummer of Mahavishnu Orchestra and landing the cover of Modern Drummer Magazine, to producing Whitney Houston’s biggest hits and winning the GRAMMY for Producer of the Year. This interview is the epic journey of Narada Michael Walden.

I loved this conversation so much. Narada’s positive, creative energy jumps out at you immediately.

We go deep into his drumming career, how he got the gig with his favorite band, Mahavishnu Orchestra, following the great Billy Cobham. How he landed a record deal as a solo artist, almost got dropped, then shifted his focus to disco and scored a hit that saved his career.

Then came the call from Clive Davis that launched his producing career and brought him Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, and so many more.

His story is incredibly inspiring. From super drummer, to successful solo artist to hit producer. We went so deep on Mahavishnu in this convo that we had to do this interview in two parts!

I’m happy now to bring you Part 1 with the brilliant and fun Narada Michael Walden.

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