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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 Dr. Kathianne Lewis.

 

In 2012 Eddie heard the call and left Seattle to travel North America with his music and

message.

in 2015 while still on tour Eddie released the “Across America” CD. in 2017 released the Heartsongs CD and in 2022 his latest work "A Better Yesterday". but still traveling occasionally for special events.

in 2017 Eddie settled in Florida and served as music director at the Center For Creative Living in St Johns Fl and

is currently serving as Music director at the Center For Spiritual Living St Augustine Fl alongside

the Rev Dr Ken Wilcox.

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