Michael O'Hara

American singer / songwriter, keyboardist, composer, producer and reverend based in New Orleans, Louisiana O'Hara grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, and started his career performing at his preacher father's Baptist church. At the age of 12, he got into rock, and eventually joined a group called Spoon River Band. After meeting drummer Rob Sanders (3) they went on to form The Sheiks (4) with guitarist Leslie Dunard and bassist Nick Ferber. The band connected with the New Orleans crowd, and the band moved to New Orleans in 1980. After four years of making music with The Sheiks, O'Hara felt the band had plateaued, and in the spring of 1985, he quit the band and moved to Los Angeles. In Los Angeles, O'Hara got a publishing deal with MCA and became a songwriter, specializing in R&B ballads. His credits include Anita Baker's "Just Because" and "It's Been You All the Time", and Jody Watley's "It All Begins With You" and "Commitment of Love". He also wrote songs for Patti LaBelle, Ce Ce Peniston, Donna Summer, and Judy Collins, among others. He has received four Grammy nominations, and spent time writing and producing acts in Europe. He also worked as a Warner Bros./Little Reata staff writer for four years. O'Hara eventually moved to New York, and then back to St. Louis to care for his family, including his preacher father. There he found the calling to become a minister. He wrote and starred in two productions in Branson, Missouri: a gospel-rock opera "Isle of Dreams", and "Michael O'Hara: The Torch Singer", a showcase of classic songs from the Great American Songbook. He was preaching in Fort Worth, Texas, for a while before returning to New Orleans in the summer of 2014.