View source for Wah Wah Watson

{{Short description|American guitarist}}
{{Infobox musical artist <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject Musicians -->
| name               =  Wah Wah Watson
| image              = 
| caption            =
| background         = non_vocal_instrumentalist
| birth_name         = Melvin M. Ragin
| birth_date         = {{Birth date|1950|12|8}}
| birth_place        = [[Richmond, Virginia]], U.S.
| death_date         = {{Death date and age|2018|10|24|1950|12|8}}
| death_place        = [[Santa Monica, California]], U.S.
| genre              = [[Rhythm and blues|R&B]], soul, funk
| occupation         = Musician
| instrument         = Guitar
| years_active       = 1968–2018
| associated_acts    = [[Funk Brothers]], [[Michael Jackson]], [[Norman Whitfield]], [[Herbie Hancock]], [[Maxwell (musician)|Maxwell]]
| website            = {{URL|wahwah.com}}
}}

'''Melvin M. Ragin''' (December 8, 1950 – October 24, 2018), known professionally as '''Wah Wah Watson''', was an American guitarist who was a member of the [[Funk Brothers]], the studio band for [[Motown Records]]. He also worked extensively as a [[session musician]] in a variety of genres from [[jazz]] and [[Pop music|pop]] to [[Rhythm and blues|R&B]].

==Career==
Ragin was a native of [[Richmond, Virginia]]. His father, Robert Ragin, was a minister, and his mother, Cora (Brown) Ragin was an evangelist. She bought him his first guitar when he was 15.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Pareles |first=Jon |author-link=Jon Pareles |date=November 1, 2018 |title=Wah Wah Watson, Guitarist Whose Sound Was Everywhere, Dies at 67 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/01/obituaries/wah-wah-watson-dead.html |access-date=February 25, 2024 |work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref> 

He moved to [[Detroit]] in the 1960s<ref name=":0" /> and eventually became a member of the [[Motown Records]] studio band [[the Funk Brothers]], where he recorded with artists like [[The Temptations]] (his guitar work on "[[Papa Was a Rollin' Stone]]" is particularly notable), [[the Jackson 5]], the [[Four Tops]], [[Gladys Knight & the Pips]], and [[the Supremes]].<ref>{{cite web |url={{AllMusic|class=artist|id=wah-wah-watson-mn0000225971 |tab=biography |pure_url=yes}} |title=Wah-Wah Watson Biography |first=Ron |last=Wynn |author-link=Ron Wynn |publisher=[[All Media Network]] |work=[[AllMusic]] |access-date=31 July 2015}}</ref>  He played on numerous sessions in the 1970s and 1980s for many top [[soul music|soul]], [[funk]] and [[disco]] acts, including [[Herbie Hancock]]; he both recorded and composed songs with [[the Pointer Sisters]]. His nickname stemmed from "wonderfully textured sounds"<ref>{{cite web|first=Elias|last=Leight|date=25 October 2018|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/wah-wah-watson-guitarist-dead-746962/|title=Wah Wah Watson, Guitarist for Marvin Gaye and Michael Jackson, Dead at 67|website=RollingStone.com|access-date=2023-12-17}}</ref> he conjured using a [[wah wah pedal|wah-wah pedal]] to alter the sound of his electric guitar; he bought his first pedal after hearing Motown studio guitarist [[Dennis Coffey]] use one.<ref name=":0" />  

From 1974-1980 Melvin Ragin worked extensively with Herbie Hancock, on the Secrets recording, track 1 had Wah Watson on Bass & voice bag with his friend Ray Parker Jr. on Guitar. That 1976 recording was co-produced by Wah Wah Watson.

When Motown relocated to Los Angeles, so did Ragin.<ref name=":0" /> In 1976, Watson released his first solo album, ''Elementary'', on [[Columbia Records]]. The album was co-produced by Watson and [[David Rubinson]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Wah Wah Watson* – Elementary |url=https://www.discogs.com/release/1290888-Wah-Wah-Watson-Elementary |access-date=February 25, 2024 |website=Discogs|date=1976 }}</ref>

In 1994, Watson appeared on the [[Red Hot Organization]]'s compilation album, ''[[Stolen Moments: Red Hot + Cool]]''.  The album, meant to raise awareness and funds in support of the [[AIDS]] epidemic in relation to the African American community, was heralded as "Album of the Year" by ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' magazine.{{Citation needed|date=March 2024}} In the 2000s, Watson appeared on the albums [[Maxwell (musician)|Maxwell's]] ''[[Now (Maxwell album)|Now]]'' (2001), ''[[Black Diamond (Angie Stone album)|Black Diamond]]'' (2000) by [[Angie Stone]], the soundtrack to the film ''[[Shaft (2000 film)|Shaft]]'' (2000), ''[[Damita Jo (album)|Damita Jo]]'' (2004) by [[Janet Jackson]], [[Alicia Keys]]' ''[[Unplugged (Alicia Keys album)|Unplugged]]'' (2005), and ''[[The Element of Freedom]]'' (2009).{{Citation needed|date=March 2024}} In 2010, Wah Wah Watson collaborated with alternative soul artist [[Res (singer)|Res]] to create the song, "For Who You Are" on the [[iarchive:Res-Black.girls.rock|Black Girls Rock album]]. The song is frequently played as a classic [[Chicago stepping|Chicago, Illinois  "stepping" dance song]] with over [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIQqaP7USvM 10 million views on youtube].

==Death==
Watson died on October 24, 2018, at St. John's Hospital in [[Santa Monica, California|Santa Monica]].<ref>{{cite web|title= In Memoriam: Motown guitarist Wah Wah Watson (1950-2018) |website= Digital Journal |date=October 25, 2018 |access-date= October 25, 2018 |url=http://www.digitaljournal.com/entertainment/music/in-memoriam-motown-guitarist-wah-wah-watson-1950-2018/article/535358?noredir=1}}</ref> He was 67. He was survived by two sisters, two brothers, and his wife, Itsuko Aono. In a statement, Aono said, "Wherever he is, he’s groovin’.”<ref name=":0" />

==Discography==
{{No sources|section|date=March 2024}}

===As leader===
* ''Elementary'' (1976)

===As sideman===
'''With [[Herbie Hancock]]'''
* ''[[Death Wish (soundtrack)]]'' (1974)
* ''[[Man-Child]]'' (1975)
* ''[[Secrets (Herbie Hancock album)|Secrets]]'' (1976)
* ''[[VSOP (album)|VSOP]]'' (1977)
* ''[[Feets, Don't Fail Me Now]]'' (1979)
* ''[[Monster (Herbie Hancock album)|Monster]]'' (1980)
* ''[[Mr. Hands (album)|Mr. Hands]]'' (1980)
* ''[[Dis Is Da Drum]]'' (1994)

'''With others'''
* [[The Beach Boys]], ''[[L.A. (Light Album)]]'' (1979)
* [[George Benson]], ''Love Remembers'' (1993)
* [[George Benson]], ''[[Songs and Stories]]'' (2009)
* [[Yung Berg]], ''[[Look What You Made Me]]'' (2008)
* [[Blondie (band)|Blondie]], ''[[Autoamerican]]'' (1980)
* [[Donald Byrd]], ''[[Thank You...For F.U.M.L. (Funking Up My Life)]]'' (Elektra, 1978)
* [[Cher]], ''[[Take Me Home (Cher album)|Take Me Home]]'' (1979)
* [[Four Tops]], ''[[Nature Planned It (album)|Nature Planned It]]'' (1972)
* [[Marvin Gaye]], ''[[Let's Get It On]]'' (1973)
* [[Gloria Gaynor]], "[[I Will Survive]]" (1978)
* [[Dizzy Gillespie]], ''[[Free Ride (album)|Free Ride]]'' (1977)
* [[John Lee Hooker]], ''[[Free Beer and Chicken]]'' (1974)
* [[Thelma Houston]], ''[[Ride to the Rainbow]]'' (1979)
* [[Bobbi Humphrey]], ''[[Satin Doll (album)|Satin Doll]]'' (1974)
* [[Janet Jackson]], ''[[Damita Jo (album)|Damita Jo]]'' (2004)
* [[Michael Jackson]], ''[[Off the Wall]]'' (1979)
* [[Michael Jackson]] ''[[Bad (album)|Bad]]'' (1987)
* [[The Jackson 5]], ''[[ABC (The Jackson 5 album)|ABC]]'' (1970)
* [[Quincy Jones]], ''[[Body Heat (Quincy Jones album)|Body Heat]]'' (1974)
* [[Quincy Jones]]   [[I Heard That!!]]   (1976)
* [[Quincy Jones]], ''[[Q's Jook Joint]]'' (1995)
* [[Illya Kuryaki and the Valderramas]], ''Versus'' (1997)
* [[Labelle]], ''[[Chameleon (Labelle album)|Chameleon]]'' (1976)
* [[Maysa Leak]], ''Out of the Blue'' (2002)
* [[Love Unlimited]], ''[[Under the Influence of... Love Unlimited|Under the Influence of...]]'' (1973)
* [[The Love Unlimited Orchestra]], ''[[Rhapsody in White]]'' (1974)
* [[Maxwell (musician)|Maxwell]], ''[[Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite]]'' (1994)
* [[Maxwell (musician)|Maxwell]], ''[[Now (Maxwell album)|Now]]'' (2001)
* [[Brian McKnight]], ''[[Brian McKnight (album)|Brian McKnight]]'' (1992)
* [[Brian McKnight]], ''[[I Remember You (Brian McKnight album)|I Remember You]]'' (1995)
* [[Meshell Ndegeocello]], ''[[Plantation Lullabies]]'' (1993)
* [[Meshell Ndegeocello]], ''[[Peace Beyond Passion]]'' (1996)
* [[The Supremes]], ''[[High Energy (The Supremes album)|High Energy]]'' (1976)
* [[Pointer Sisters]], ''[[Steppin']]'' (1975)
* [[Martha Reeves]], ''Martha Reeves'' (1974)
* [[Rose Royce]], ''[[Car Wash: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack|Car Wash]]'' (1976)
* [[Boz Scaggs]], ''[[Slow Dancer]]'' (1974)
* [[The Temptations]], ''[[All Directions]]'' (1972)
* [[The Temptations]], ''[[Masterpiece (The Temptations album)|Masterpiece]]'' (1973)
* [[Tyrese Gibson|Tyrese]], ''[[Black Rose (Tyrese album)|Black Rose]]'' (2015)
* [[The Undisputed Truth]], ''[[The Undisputed Truth (The Undisputed Truth album)|The Undisputed Truth]]'' (1971)
* [[Vanessa L. Williams]] ''[[The Comfort Zone (album)|The Comfort Zone]]'' (1991)
* [[Stevie Wonder]], ''[[Conversation Peace]]'' (1995)

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Official website|www.wahwah.com}}
* {{AllMusic | id= wah-wah-watson-mn0000225971 | label= Wah Wah Watson}}
* {{Discogs artist|272819-Melvin-Wah-Wah-Watson}}
{{The Funk Brothers}}{{Authority control}}{{US-guitarist-stub}}{{DEFAULTSORT:Watson, Wah Wah}}
[[Category:1950 births]]
[[Category:2018 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century American guitarists]]
[[Category:20th-century American male musicians]]
[[Category:African-American guitarists]]
[[Category:American funk guitarists]]
[[Category:American male guitarists]]
[[Category:American rhythm and blues guitarists]]
[[Category:American session musicians]]
[[Category:American soul guitarists]]
[[Category:Guitarists from Virginia]]
[[Category:Jazz musicians from Virginia]]
[[Category:Musicians from Richmond, Virginia]]
[[Category:The Funk Brothers members]]
[[Category:The Headhunters members]]
[[Category:20th-century African-American musicians]]
[[Category:21st-century African-American musicians]]
[[Category:The Love Unlimited Orchestra members]]