Michael McDonald

Michael Hanley McDonald (born February 12, 1952) is an American singer, keyboardist, and songwriter. Known for his distinctive, soulful voice, he was a backing vocalist for Steely Dan from 1973 to 1980 and rose to fame as a lead vocalist of the Doobie Brothers as well as its keyboardist across various stints (1975–1982, 1987, 2019–present). McDonald wrote and sang several hit singles with the Doobie Brothers, including "What a Fool Believes", "Minute by Minute", "Takin' It to the Streets", "Real Love" and "It Keeps You Runnin'". McDonald has also performed as a prominent backing vocalist on numerous recordings by artists including Toto, Steely Dan, Christopher Cross, and Kenny Loggins.

McDonald's solo career consists of nine studio albums and a number of singles, including the 1982 hit "I Keep Forgettin' (Every Time You're Near)". During his career, McDonald has collaborated with a number of other artists, including James Ingram, David Cassidy, Van Halen, Carly Simon, Patti LaBelle, Twinkie Clark, Lee Ritenour, the Winans, Aretha Franklin, Grizzly Bear, Joni Mitchell, and Thundercat. He has also recorded for television and film soundtracks. McDonald is the recipient of five Grammy Awards, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Doobie Brothers in 2020. McDonald was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2025.

Michael Hanley McDonald was born on February 12, 1952, in the St. Louis suburb of Ferguson, Missouri. He is of Irish Catholic ancestry. McDonald attended McCluer High School, where he played in local bands, including Mike and the Majestics, Jerry Jay and the Sheratons, the Reeb-Toors/Younger Brothers and the Guild. In 1970, while playing with a band called Blue, he was discovered in an Illinois night club by RCA staff producer Rick Jarrard, who offered him a record contract and brought him to Los Angeles.

McDonald became a member of Steely Dan's touring band in 1974, performing Wurlitzer electric piano and vocals; he took the lead vocals on "Show Biz Kids" and the final verse of "Pretzel Logic", and shared the lead with the band's other two lead vocalists on "Bodhisattva". He recalled in a 2016 interview:

At the end of McDonald's first tour with them, Steely Dan was retired as a live act. McDonald then became one of the many in-studio adjunct members of the band, providing backing vocals on tracks for 1975's Katy Lied. Steely Dan biographer Anthony Robustelli assessed that for most people, the entrance of McDonald's backing vocal on "Bad Sneakers" (which occurs on the lyric "going insane") is the most memorable part of the song. He appeared on subsequent Steely Dan recordings, including 1976's The Royal Scam, 1977's Aja, and 1980's Gaucho.

Biography summary from English Wikipedia, photograph via Wikimedia Commons.