Did you know about this prolific songwriter and producer from Kalamazoo?. Narada Michael Walden has worked with the biggest artists on the planet. Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, Stevie Wonder, Sting, and Aretha Franklin just to name a few. Walden’s Southwest Michigan connection started in 1952 when he was born in Plainwell, Michigan. Michael graduated from Plainwell High School. He then attended Western Michigan University from 1970-72 according to his biography at MusicGuide.com.