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Michael McDonald - A Doobie Brother and a Whole Lot More!

Michael McDonald was born in St. Louis, Missouri during 1952. He's a platinum-selling singer & songwriter. While McDonald is perhaps best known for his work as a member of the Doobie Brothers there's a lot more to say about his long and accomplished career.

McDonald married Amy Holland, also a singer, in 1983 and they remain together with their two children. As a kid, McDonald attended McCluer High School in Ferguson, Missouri. He was discovered in 1970 performing local gigs with a band called "Blue" and moved to Los Angeles later that same year.

McDonald first received widespread recognition as a supporting member of Steely Dan. He started out playing keyboards and singing as part of the original Steely Dan band that briefly toured at the start of the seventies. He later sang back-up vocals on Katy Lied in 1975 and again on Steely Dan's 1976 release The Royal Scam before Peg and I Got the News on the 1977 album Aja. McDonald continued performing background vocals and occasional keyboard sessions for Steely Dan right up to 1980 when Gaucho was released.



While he continued his association with Steely Dan until 1980, McDonald joined The Doobie Brothers in the Spring of 1975 as cover for founder member and lead singer Tom Johnston who was ill and too exhausted to maintain the bands hectic touring schedule.

As a Doobie Borther McDonald recorded some of his most loved and successful songs. Classics like Takin' It to the Streets, Little Darling, It Keeps You Runnin' (later used in the sountrack of Forest Gump), and Minute by Minute from the hugely successful album of the same name secured McDonald's place as a leading member of the Doobies. The song What a Fool Believes, also from Minute by Minute, reached #1 in the US and won McDonald the Grammy Award for Song of the Year 1978.

Despite his heavy workload with the Doobies and continuing association with Steely Dan, McDonald still worked as a session singer and keyboard player for many other performers including Bonnie Raitt, Christopher Cross, Jack Jones, Toto and Kenny Loggins.

During the eighties, following the first Doobie Brothers farewell tour, McDonald began his solo career by releasing a selection his early work on an album titled That Was Then: The Early Years in 1982. , That year he also released the album If That's What It Takes which featured I Keep Forgettin' a duet with Maureen, his siter, and I Gotta Try co-written with Kenny Loggins.

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McDonald won another Grammy in 1985, this time for the song Yah Mo B There, a duet recorded with James Ingram, which was judged the best R&B performance by a vocal Duo or Group. That success was followed by the release of another duet, this time with Patti Labelle, scoring a US #1 hit with the song On My Own in 1986.

It was 1990 before a new McDonald album appeared titled Take It To Heart. The title song on the album enjoyed minor chart success.

McDonald turned back the clock in 1991 by teaming up with Steely Dan's Donald Fagen again and joined the New York Rock and Soul Revue. That year he also released Ever Changing Times, a duet with Aretha Franklin with modest success.

In 2003 McDonald released a tribute featuring covers of classic Motown songs and earned a further two Grammy nominations in the process. That was also the year a star was awarded to McDonald on the St. Louis Walk of Fame.

Since 1980 McDonald has appeared several more times with the Doobie Brothers as they overcame problems and got back together.He also performed again for Steely Dan during their 2006 tour, both as a support act and part of the band.

Now in his 57th year, McDonald is still working. Perhaps we will see him on stage with the Doobies again but, whether we do or don't, I hope this article has shown that there's a whole lot more to Michael McDonald for fans to explore.

20.07.2010. 15:20