Don Was

Don Was has a talent for helping artists make breakthrough records. He did it with The B-52’s when he produced their monster hit, “Love Shack.” He did it with Iggy Pop when he produced “Brick By Brick,” which turned out to be Iggy’s first gold album in the U.S. And he did it with Bonnie Raitt when he produced her 5x platinum album, “Nick of Time,” which won three Grammys, including Album of the Year in 1990.

Don’s work is so highly regarded that he’s been asked by some of the most influential artists of the past several decades to make records for them:               

Over his career, Don’s productions have sold 120 million albums worldwide. He’s taken home numerous awards, including a Grammy for Producer of the Year in 1995.

Don continues to enjoy working with a wide variety of artists. His most recent work includes records for Stone Temple Pilots, Ziggy Marley, Lucinda Williams, Michael Grimm and Scotty McCreery.

Read what other artists have to say about working with Don here.

Some highlights from his career include:

› Ziggy Marley – Wild and Free (P)
        #1 debut on Billboard's Reggae Albums chart
        Grammy nominee "Best Reggae Album"

› Lucinda Williams – Blessed (CP)
        #1 Billboard Tastemaker Album
        #4 Top Rock Album
        #15 debut on The Billboard 200
        "Album of the Year" nominee - Americana Music Association (2011)
        Grammy nominee "Best Americana Album" (2011)

› The Rolling Stones – A Bigger Bang (P-PD)
        #1 on The Billboard 200
        #1 album in Europe, Italy, Germany, Canada
        #2 Album of the Year - Rolling Stone Magazine
        Platinum in the US, Germany, Canada
        Gold in UK, France

› The Rolling Stones – Voodoo Lounge (P)
       #2 debut on The Billboard 200
        #1 debut in UK
        2x Platinum in US
        Platinum in Germany
        Grammy Winner "Best Rock Album" (1994)

› The Rolling Stones – Bridges To Babylon (P-PD)
        #2 on The Billboard 200
        #3 Top Canadian Album
        Platinum in the US, Germany, Canada
        Gold in UK
        2x Gold in France

› Iggy Pop – Brick By Brick (P)
        Gold in US - Iggy's first RIAA certified album
     including the single ‘Home"
        #2 on Billboard's Modern Rock Chart

› Bonnie Raitt – Nick Of Time (P-PD)
        #1 on The Billboard 200
        Grammy Winner “Album of the Year," "Best Female Pop Vocal Performance"
        3x Platinum in Canada
        5x Platinum in US

› Bonnie Raitt – Luck Of The Draw (P)
        #2 on The Billboard 200
        Voted "Greatest Album of the 1990's" - Rolling Stone Magazine
        Winner of 3 Grammys, including "Best Female Rock Vocal Performance"
        Over 2 million copies sold in France and Italy
        Raitt's highest-selling album to date
        4x Platinum in Canada
        13x Platinum in US

› The B-52's – four tracks from Cosmic Thing (P)
        #4 on The Billboard 200
        #1 on ARIA Albums Chart
        4x Platinum in US
     including the single ‘Love Shack'
        #3 on Billboard's Top 40 - the band's first placement on this chart.
        Platinum in US
        #1 in Australia, #2 in UK
        "One of the 365 Songs of the Century" - RIAA (2001)
        Best Single of 1989, and One of the 500 Greatest Songs Of All Time - Rolling Stone Magazine

› American Idol – Season 10 (P)
        produced tracks for Casey Abrams, Jacob Lusk, James Durbin,
        Lauren Alaina, Naima Adedapo, Paul McDonald and Scotty McCreery

Selected PRODUCTION Credits:

- Jon Bon Jovi - 2 tracks from ‘New Year’s Eve’ Original Motion Picture (Watertower) (P-E)
- John Mayer - currently in production (P)
- The Rolling Stones - bonus tracks from Some Girls [re-issue] (UME) (CP)
- Ziggy Marley - Wild and Free (Tuff Gong) (P)
- Scotty McCreery - 6 songs from American Idol Season 10: Scotty McCreery (19 Rec) (P)
     #2 iTunes album
     #2 iTunes album
     #12 debut on The Billboard 200
- Saul Hernandez - Remando (EMI Latin) (P)
- Michael Grimm - Michael Grimm (Syco Music) (P)
     #13 debut on The Billboard 200
- Lauren Alaina - "Any Man Of Mine" from American Idol Season 10: Lauren Alaina (19 Rec) (P)
- Lucinda Williams - Blessed (Lost Highway) (CP)
- Kurt Elling - The Gate (Concord) (P)
- Zucchero - Chocabeck (Universal) (P)
     #1 debut in Italy
     Platinum in Italy
- Stone Temple Pilots - Stone Temple Pilots (Atlantic) (Add'l P)
     #2 debut on The Billboard 200
     #2 on Canadian albums chart
     Grammy Nominee "Best Hard Rock Performance" (2010)
- The Rolling Stones - bonus tracks from Exile On Main Street [re-issue] (UME) (CP)
     #1 on UK albums chart
     #2 on The Billboard 200
- Elizabeth Cook - Welder (Thirty One Tigers) (P)
     Nominated for 3 Americana Music Association awards (2011)
     including "Album of the Year" and "Single of the Year"
- Ringo Starr - Y Not (Ringo Starr) (P-PD)
- K.D. Lang - Recollection (Nonesuch) (P)
     #1 on Australian albums chart
     Platinum in Canada and Australia
- Pieta Brown - Shimmer (Red House) (P-PD)
- Willie Nelson - Music of Willie Nelson (Sony) (P)
- Ziggy Marley - Family Time (Tuff Gong) (P)
     #1 debut on Billboard's Reggae Albums chart
     Grammy Winner "Best Musical Album for Children" (2010)
- Todd Snider - Excitement Plan (Continental Song City) (P-PD)
- Maia Sharp - Echo (Crooked Crown/Blix Street) (P-PD)
- Kris Kristofferson - Closer to the Bone (Blue Rose) (P-PD)
- Jill Sobule - California Years (Pinko) (P-PD)
- Delbert McClinton & Dick50 - Acquired Taste (New West) (P)
- Old Crow Medicine Show - Tennessee Pusher (RCA) (P)
- Roy Orbison - Soul of Rock and Roll (Sony BMG) (P-PD)
- Willie Nelson - One Hell of a Ride (Columbia) (P)
- Zucchero - Live in Italy (Mercury) (P)
- Amos Lee - Last Days at the Lodge (Blue Note) (P-PD)
- Delbert McClinton - I'm With You / Never Been Rocked Enough (Curb Reissue) (P)
- Poison - Poison'd! (Capitol/EMI) (P)
- James Murphy & Pat Mahoney - Fabricilive.36 (Fabric) (P-RM)
- Kris Kristofferson - This Old Road (New West) (P-PD)
- Jessi Colter - Out of the Ashes (Shout! Factory) (P-PD)
- Waylon Jennings - Nashville Rebel (RCA) (P)
- Zucchero - Fly (Universal) (P)
- Solomon Burke - Make Do with What You Got (Shout! Factory) (P)
- Better Than Ezra - Greatest Hits (Electra) (P)
- Willie Nelson - Countryman (Lost Highway) (P)
- The Rolling Stones - Bigger Bang (Virgin) (P-PD)
- Khaled - Ya-Rayi (Wrasse) (P-PD)
- Rob Wasserman - Trilogy (Rounder) (P)
- The Rolling Stones - Live Licks (EMI) (P)
- Amanda Marshall - Intermission (Sony) (P)
- Jonathan Elias - American River (Decca) (P-E)
- Ladytron - Softcore Jukebox (Emperor Norton) (P)
- Lyle Lovett - Smile (MCA) (P)
- Dwight Yoakam - In Others' Words (Reprise) (P)
- Hootie & the Blowfish - Hootie & the Blowfish (Atlantic) (P-PD)
- Vue - Babies Are for Petting (RCA) (P)
- The Chieftains - Wide World Over: A 40 Years Celebration (RCA) (P-M-PD)
- Edie Brickell - Ultimate Collection (Hip-O) (P)
- Travis Tritt - Lovin' Side (Rhino) (P)
- Johnny Clegg & Savuka - In My African Dream (EMI) (P)
- Carly Simon - Christmas Is Almost Here (Rhino) (P-E-M)
- Disney - several track from Celebrate America! (Disney) (P)
- Marianne Faithfull - Broken English / Faithfull (Universal) (P)
- The Black Crowes - Soul Singing (V2) (P)
- The Black Crowes - Lions (V2) (P-M-PD)
- Barenaked Ladies - Maroon (Reprise) (P)
     #1 debut in Canada
     Platinum in US
- Bette Midler - Bette (Warner Bros.) (P)
- Amanda Marshall - Tuesday's Child (Sony) (P)
     3x Platinum in Canada
- Paul Westerberg - Suicaine Gratifaction (Capitol) (E-M)
- Ziggy Marley & The Melody Makers - Spirit of Music (Elektra) (P-PD)
- Clint Black - "Something That We Do" from Sounds of Wood & Steel, Vol. 2 (Windham Hill) (P-PD)
- DJ Tonka - Peak Time (WEA) (P)
- Dave McMurray - Peace of Mind (Hip Bop Essence) (P-PD)
- Garth Brooks - In the Life of Chris Gaines (Capitol) (P)
- Iggy Pop - Avenue B (Virgin) (P-M-PD)
- Travis Tritt - "More Than You'll Ever Know" from Wedding Day Music (Warner Bros.) (P)
- Richie Sambora - Undiscovered Soul (Mercury) (P-PD)
- Stevie Nicks - Enchanted: The Works of Stevie Nicks (EMI) (P)
- Andrew Gold - "Final Frontier" theme to the TV show 'Mad About You' (P-CW)
- Chaser - Record Player (Will Records) (P)
- The Mommyheads - Mommyheads (Geffen) (P)
- The Rolling Stones - Bridges to Babylon (Phantom) (CP-PD)
- Lari White - Best of Lari White (RCA) (P)
- Khaled - Sahra (Island) (P)
- Travis Tritt - Restless Kind (Warner Bros.) (P)
- Joe Cocker - Organic (Sony) (P)
- Neil Diamond - In My Lifetime (Columbia) (P)
     Gold in US
- Jaguares - Equilibrio de Los Jaguares (RCA) (P)
- The Rolling Stones - Stripped (Virgin) (P-PD)
- Bonnie Raitt - Road Tested (Capitol) (P)
- The Highwaymen - Road Goes on Forever (Capitol) (P-RM)
- Randy Newman - Randy Newman's Faust (Reprise) (P)
- Bob Dylan - MTV Unplugged (Columbia) (M)
- Kris Kristofferson - Moment of Forever (Buddha) (P-PD)
- Brian Wilson - I Just Wasn't Made for These Times (MCA) (P)
- Delbert McClinton - Great Songs: Come Together (Curb) (P)
- Waylon Jennings - Waymore's Blues, Part 2 (RCA) (P-PD)
- The Rolling Stones - Voodoo Lounge (Virgin) (P)
- Rob Wasserman - Trios (MCA) (P)
- Bonnie Raitt - Longing in Their Hearts (Capitol) (P-PD)
- Felix Cavaliere - Dreams in Motion (MCA) (P)
- David Crosby - 3 songs from Thousand Roads (Atlantic) (P)
- Khaled - N'ssi N'ssi (Cohiba) (P-PD)
- Kelly Willis - Kelly Willis (MCA) (P-PD)
- Jackson Browne - I'm Alive (Elektra) (P)
- The B-52's - Hot Pants Explosion (Reprise) (P)
- Johnny Clegg & Savuka - Heat, Dust and Dreams (Capitol) (P)
- Elton John - Duets (MCA) (P)
- Delbert McClinton - Delbert McClinton (Curb) (P)
- Paul Young - Crossing (Phantom) (P-PD)
- Willie Nelson - Across the Borderline (Columbia) (P-PD)
- Ringo Starr - Time Takes Time (Private Music) (P)
- Glenn Frey - Strange Weather (MCA) (P)
- The B-52's - Revolution Earth (Reprise) (P)
- Thousand Points of Night - Read My Lips (Polydor) (P)
- Vonda Shepard - Radical Light (VRA) (P)
- Delbert McClinton - Never Been Rocked Enough (Curb) (P)
- Roy Orbison - Love Songs (EMI) (P)
- Ofra Haza - Kirya (EastWest) (P-PD)
- B.B. King - King of the Blues (Box) (P)
- Roy Orbison - King of Hearts (Virgin) (P-PD)
- The B-52's - Is That You Mo-Dean? (Reprise) (P)
- The B-52's - Good Stuff (Reprise) (P-PD)
- Iggy Pop - Undefeated (Virgin) (P)
- Paula Abdul - Spellbound (Capitol) (P)
- The Knack - Serious Fun (Charisma) (P)
- Bonnie Raitt - Luck of the Draw (Capitol) (P)
- Neil Diamond - Lovescape (Caolumbia) (P)
- Khaled -Khaled (Cohiba) (P-PD)
- Voice Of The Beehive - Honey Lingers (London) (P)
- Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band - Fire Inside (Capitol) (P-E-PD)
     #7 on The Billboard 200
- Wayne Kramer - Death Tongue (Progressive) (P)
- Michelle Shocked - Arkansas Traveler (Mercury) (P)
- Bob Dylan - Under the Red Sky (Columbia) (P-PD)
- Elton John - To Be Continued... (MCA) (P)
- Michael McDonald - two songs from Take It To Heart (Reprise) (P-PD)
- Colin James - Sudden Stop (EMI) (E)
- Iggy Pop - Livin' on the Edge of the Night (Atlantic) (P)
- Iggy Pop - Brick by Brick (Virgin) (P)
- Michael Shrieve - Stiletto (Jive/Novus) (P)
- Bonnie Raitt - Nick of Time (Capitol) (P-PD)
- The B-52's - four tracks from Cosmic Thing (Reprise) (P)
     including the hit single "Love Shack"
- Carly Simon - Spoiled Girl (Sony) (P)
- Cristina - Sleep It Off [Bonus Tracks] (ZE) (P-E-M-PD)
- David Lasley - Raindance (EMI) (P)
- George Jones - My Very Special Guests (Epic) (P)
- Lenore Paxton - Lenore Paxton (P-PD)
- The Rolling Stones - Exile on Main Street (Hip-O) (P)

WAS (NOT WAS) discography

- 2009  Pick of the Litter 1980-2010 (Micro Werks)
- 2008  Boo! (Rykodisc)
- 1992  Hello Dad... I'm in Jail (Polygram)
- 1990  Are You Okay? (Chrysalis)
- 1988  What Up, Dog? (Chrysalis)
- 1984  (The Woodwork) Squeaks (ZE Records)
- 1983  Born to Laugh at Tornadoes (P-Vine)
- 1981  Was (Not Was) (Island)

P=produced / CP=co-produced / E=engineered / M=mixed / PD=musician