Biography

The iconic band lead by world-renowned guitarist Randy Jacobs of Was (Not Was). The Boneshakers and members have performed and recorded with Bonnie Raitt, BB King, Buddy Guy, Seal, Keb Mo, Aretha Franklin, Elton John, Mindi Abair, Bootsy Collins, Tears 4 Fears, Bob Dylan, Stevie Wonder, Iggy Pop...just to name a few.
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The powerful band celebrates their 25th Anniversary with the new album 𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝗙𝗼𝗼𝘁 𝗜𝗻 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝗼𝘃𝗲 featuring no-holds-barred funk, blues, and rock that marries the sounds and spirits of Detroit Rock City, Memphis, and Muscle Shoals.
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STORIED CAREER
Flashback to 1980 — During his maiden session for Don and David Was, Randy Jacobs meets Sweetpea Atkinson on a cold night in the Motor City at Sound Suite Studio, the recording home of the band Was (Not Was). Their combined talents would help the band become a successful act during the 80’s and into the early 90’s cumulating with the worldwide hit “Walk The Dinosaur” co-written by Jacobs.
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After their European tour with Dire Straits in 1992, the Was Band went on hiatus and Randy started playing and recording with the likes of Bonnie Raitt, BB King, Seal, Paula Abdul, Kris Kristofferson, Ofra Haza, Tears For Fears, Warren Hill and others while Sweetpea was singing for artists like Neil Diamond, Bonnie Raitt, Keb Mo, and Bob Segar.

Randy had been working with various singers looking for the right voice for his new band when Atkinson called to say that he wanted to be part of Randy’s brand new thing-- and so the journey began.
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It was Bonnie Raitt who inadvertently gave them their name “Boneshakers” while they were working on her “Longing In Our Hearts” CD.

In 1996, The Boneshakers were signed to Pointblank (Virgin Records) and produced two CDs for the label: “Book Of Spells” (1997) which included Randy’s blues rock arrangement of James Brown’s “Cold Sweat” and the powerful “Shake The Planet” (1998).
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When Sweetpea stepped away to tour with Lyle Lovett, The Boneshakers released "Pouring Gasoline" (2001) on Bad Monkey Recordings label featuring Austin, Texas singer Malford Milligan (Storyville, Double Trouble) and the live in concert “Put Some Booty On It, Vol 1” (2002).

Sweetpea later returned to the Boneshakers to release “Put Some Booty On It , Vol 2″(2006).

In 2017, the band joined forces with Grammy nominated sax queen Mindi Abair and released Live in Seattle on Concord Records. A total of four albums were credited to Mindi Abair and the Boneshakers, with the band winning awards and touring the world together.
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THE LEGACY CONTINUES
In 2022, The Boneshakers celebrated the 25th anniversary of their first release with a new album, new excitement, and new chapter.

Producer John Wooler, who originally signed The Boneshakers in 1997, introduced Randy and the incredible Jenny Langer- a powerhouse singer who was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame (NYC and VA) at the age of 28 and won the 2020 Int’l Blues Challenge for Best Self-Produced Album. What started as a few tracks for her project quickly morphed in a new album with The Boneshakers.

The blues world has quickly become enamored with the new sound, landing them at #1 on UK Blues Charts and #1 on US Soul Blues Charts.