With a career that encompasses 5 Grammy Awards, numerous chart successes and personal and professional accolades, as well as collaborations with some of the world’s most prominent artists, Michael McDonald remains an enduring force in popular music.
Hailing from St. Louis, McDonald arrived in Los Angeles in the early 1970s, honing his talents as a studio musician before becoming an integral part of Steely Dan. In the mid-70s, McDonald was invited to join the Doobie Brothers as the band redefined their sound with McDonald serving as singer, keyboardist and songwriter on such Top 40 singles as “Takin’ It To The Streets,” “It Keeps You Runnin’,” “Minute By Minute” and “What A Fool Believes.” Throughout the 80s and 90s, McDonald’s solo career took off with a string of hits including “I Keep Forgettin’ (Every Time You’re Near),” “Sweet Freedom,” “On My Own” (with Patti LaBelle) and the Grammy-winning James Ingram duet “Yah Mo B There,” plus he co-wrote the Van Halen hit “I’ll Wait.”
In 2020, McDonald was elected to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Doobie Brothers. In celebration of the group’s 50th anniversary, McDonald is touring with the band for the first time in nearly 25 years on an extensive run of U.S. dates running throughout 2021 and 2022.
McDonald’s recent collaborations include his work on the critically acclaimed track “Show You The Way” with multi-genre bassist, singer and producer Thundercat and Kenny Loggins. McDonald’s first full length record of all new music in nearly a decade came out in 2017 and received extensive critical acclaim. McDonald continues to tour extensively as a solo artist as well, completing a U.S. tour with R&B legend Chaka Khan last summer.