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A prominent part in the soundtrack to our times, Michael McDonald, as an artist and songwriter, has been awarded an impressive five Grammys. However, by maintaining a low-key profile, the contrast of Michael McDonald as a person and as a musician is astounding. Though comfortable onstage, he has never been a flashy entertainer, nor has he been distracted by passing trends. Instead, McDonald has triumphed through music alone, with a remarkable voice and a body of well-crafted songs. Few have made such an impact with so much substance and so little hoopla.
Born in St. Louis on February 12, 1952, singing was central to his life from the beginning. McDonald's father, a bus driver and gifted amateur tenor who, while in the Marine Corps during WWII, once performed with Bob Crosby and the Bobcats and often sang for friends in local haunts around St. Louis. At four years old, he first sang in public, warbling "Love Is a Many Splendored Thing" for his dad and a roomful of delighted friends. His first instrument was the banjo, but he traded it in for a guitar in order to join his first band.
When McDonald next attempted piano, one could say he found his musical “voice.” His comfort level increased and, unexpectedly, he felt inspired to start writing songs. Having solid chords within easy reach on the keyboard helped define McDonald's harmony-rich style as a composer.
Restless in St. Louis and determined to pursue music full-time, in the early 1970’s McDonald moved out to Los Angeles and began looking for work. Through an early association with Rick Jarrard, whose production credits included José Feliciano, Harry Nilsson, and Jefferson Airplane, he started picking up session work as a singer and building a body of original material. Word spread quickly of the soft-spoken Midwesterner and his husky, passionate vocals.
In 1975 McDonald began a long association with Steely Dan. Beginning with Katy Lied and continuing through Royal Scam, Aja, and Gaucho, the unique McDonald timbre added substance to the difficult parts written by Donald Fagen and Walter Becker. Songs like "Peg" and "Time Out of Mind" benefited greatly from his harmonies, adding distinctly memorable vocals. In addition to being featured on classic Steely Dan tracks, McDonald toured with the band, singing backup as well as playing keyboards onstage.
One year after the release of Katy Lied, Jeff Baxter, formerly the guitarist for Steely Dan who had since joined the Doobie Brothers, called McDonald to substitute on their upcoming tour for the Doobies’ ailing guitarist Tom Johnston. After two days of rehearsal, the 24-year-old studio veteran made his debut with the Doobies before 18,000 fans at Louisiana State University. Something about their combination of styles felt right, and in 1977 McDonald was welcomed into the group as a full member.
In the years that followed, McDonald and the Doobie Brothers enjoyed tremendous commercial and creative success. Their sound evolved from guitar-driven rock to a sultry, tight R&B feel, with McDonald writing and singing lead on "Takin' It to the Streets," "What a Fool Believes," "Minute by Minute," and other signature songs. Somewhat to his own surprise, he also became a media fixture, lauded in the pages of People as a "new sex-symbol star."
McDonald won four Grammy Awards in 1979 alone: Song of the Year for “What a Fool Believes,” Best Arrangement, Accompanying Vocals for “What a Fool Believes,” Best Pop Vocal Performance By A Duo, Group or Chorus for “Minute by Minute” and Record of the Year for “What a Fool Believes.”
While keeping active as a session singer and continuing to work with Steely Dan and the Doobies, McDonald found time to build his own career. And since the 1982 release of If That's What It Takes, he has completed a series of solo projects, each distinguished by its high production value, well-crafted songs and sultry, full-throated vocals. Without publicizing himself, he found tremendous success with singles. "Yah Mo B There," with James Ingram, won a Grammy Award in 1984 (Best R&B Performance By A Duo or Group with Vocal). "Sweet Freedom" was used as the theme for the Billy Crystal/Gregory Hines film Running Scared. "On My Own," with Patti LaBelle, reached #1 on the Pop and R&B charts and #3 on the AC charts in March of 1986. And "I Keep Forgettin' (Every Time You're Near)” reached the top 5 on the Pop charts and the top 10 on both the R&B and AC charts. These and many of Michael’s other songs continue to hold recurrent spots on radio stations’ playlists.
In 2000 McDonald ventured into the record label business when he joined actor Jeff Bridges and producer/songwriter Chris Pelonis to found Ramp Records. Motivated to inspire other performers by taking greater control of his career, he released Blue Obsession on Ramp and has maintained artistic integrity while also maintaining a business and touring schedule. He followed Blue Obsession with his tribute to the music that inspired him so early on -- Motown classics – by releasing Motown in 2003, which went on to earn a platinum sales certification, as well as two Grammy nominations. He then released Motown 2 in 2004, which debuted at #9 on the Billboard Top Ten and #8 on Billboard’s Hip-hop and R&B chart.
Known equally for his benevolence, as his musical prowess and successes, Michael McDonald has lent his talents and energies to a long, varied list of charitable causes throughout the first three decades of his career and he has contributed an overwhelming amount to numerous benevolent events and enterprises. Michael’s recent appearances have included a tsunami relief concert sponsored by The Wave in Los Angeles; TJ Martell’s Stevie Wonder tribute, NARAS/MusiCares’ tribute to Brian Wilson; Morehouse College’s tribute to Ray Charles, a fundraiser for Stax Museum and shows for The Little Sisters of the Poor in San Pedro, CA, and the Sisters of Mercy, in Oakland, CA, among others. Michael also participated in the 7UP Grammy Signature Schools Program and painted a Gibson Les Paul guitar for a NARAS/MusiCares auction. McDonald was recently honored at the WHY-Chapin awards dinner with the prestigious ASCAP Harry Chapin Humanitarian Award for both his musical career and his vast charitable endeavors.
Michael’s matchless and prolific consistency through more than 25 years of recording and performing was celebrated in August 2005 by Warner Brothers, who released Michael McDonald: The Ultimate Collection, highlighting the wide breadth of his career from his days with The Doobie Brothers to his solo hits, to his version of the Motown favorite “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.”
Michael recently recorded a 2005 holiday CD, Through the Many Winters, A Christmas Album, that was recorded specifically for Hallmark Cards and sold exclusively through Hallmark Gold Crown stores. This collection of traditional and original holiday songs was certified gold within two weeks of the album’s release.
With a career that has seen innumerable chart successes and sales feats and as an artist who has maintained consistent popularity and earned numerous accolades in both personal and professional arenas, McDonald remains the artist's artist and an enduring presence in popular music.
