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Their union in the Boneshakers was fairly short-lived, but together guitarist/songwriter Randy Jacobs and vocalist Sweet Pea Atkinson put together two powerful, rockin' funk and soul albums and entertained some lucky audiences who became Boneshakers themselves on dance floors across the U.S. Atkinson was born in Oberlin, OH.
After working 14 years as a Chrysler assembly line worker, he left his job to pursue a music career, singing for such Detroit R&B groups as the Exquisites and Energy. While with Energy, he worked with Detroit producer Don Was (then unknown). He has also sung with industry heavyweights Elton John, Lyle Lovett, Bonnie Raitt, Neil Diamond, and Brian Wilson. Detroit native Randy Jacobs played his first guitar session at age 13. He later hooked up with Michael Henderson, co-writing the Top five R&B hit "Wide Receiver." Jacobs has been enlisted to help on projects by artists as diverse as Tina Turner, Snoop Doggy Dog, Bonnie Raitt, Coolio, Willie Nelson, Bruce Hornsby, Seal, and many others. Despite their success in session work, Atkinson and Jacobs both wanted to get their own band together and went into the home recording studio of Don Was in late 1994. Book of Spells was released in 1997; Shake the Planet followed two years later. Shortly afterwards, the duo went their separate ways. Atkinson suffered a mild stroke but recovered quickly. They played together over the next decade and a half, albeit sporadically, especially at festivals. They played together again in collaboration on Mindi Abair & The Boneshakers, Live In Seattle. ~ Ann Wickstrom