• Feb 12, 1952
• Michael McDonald is a talented piano player and guitarist, but he's best known as a singer. In addition to his own songs and those he sang with the Doobie Brothers, he's been a backup vocalist on hundreds of songs. Here are a few:
  
  "Ride Like The Wind" by Christopher Cross
  "This Is It" by Kenny Loggins
  "I'll Be Over You" by Toto
• His voice is both distinctive and ubiquitous - you probably know a guy who does an impression of him. The TV series Family Guy had some fun with this in the 2019 episode "Yacht Rocky" where Peter hires him to sing back everything he says, which is cool at first but gets annoying. That's not McDonald's voice in the episode but one of the many people who try to imitate him.
• McDonald married the singer Amy Holland, who had a minor hit in 1980 with "How Do I Survive," in 1983. He produced her first two albums, which were released in 1980 and 1983. Their marriage stood the test of time and resulted in two children, Dylan and Scarlett.
• His big break came in 1974 when he got a gig touring with Steely Dan, which happened to be his favorite band at the time, as a backup singer and keyboard player. He sang backup on their albums Katy Lied (1975) and The Royal Scam (1976) as well as the 1977 track "Peg."
  
  McDonald got the gig through Jeff Porcaro, who did some drumming for Steely Dan and later joined Toto.
• McDonald joined The Doobie Brothers in 1975 when their original lead singer, Tom Johnston, fell ill in 1975. McDonald was with the band until their breakup in 1982. With Johnston they were more of a pure rock band; McDonald moved them in more of a mellow soul direction with songs like "Takin' It To the Streets" and "What A Fool Believes."
  
  McDonald returned to the band for various reunions and joined them when they were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2020.
• McDonald battled alcohol and drug addiction (mostly cocaine) for much of his life, starting in the early '70s. In the mid-'80s he claimed to be recovered, but in his 2024 memoir What A Fool Believes, he admitted that he didn't get sober for good until the late '90s.
• He grew up in Ferguson, Missouri, near St. Louis. When he was little, McDonald's father used to take him to bars with pianos. Michael would sit on the piano and sing while his dad played, giving him his start in music. He played in various bands as a teenager before moving to Los Angeles, where he took lots of musical odd jobs before hooking on with Steely Dan.
• As a kid, he played banjo and trombone in addition to guitar and piano.

Comments

More Songfacts:

I SwearAll-4-One

"I Swear" was a #1 country hit for John Michael Montgomery before All-4-One made it a #1 pop hit.

I Won't Back DownTom Petty

"I Won't Back Down" is a very personal song for Tom Petty. "I thought it wasn't that good because it was so naked," he said.

MargaritavilleJimmy Buffett

"Margaritaville" is a state of mind, but it's most associated with Key West, Florida, where Jimmy Buffett moved when he was 24.

Don't Let The Sun Go Down On MeElton John

Recording "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me," Elton John was frustrated and sang the line "don't discard me" with an exaggerated American accent, which is why is sounds strange.

Cult of PersonalityLiving Colour

"Cult of Personality" by Living Colour incorporates speeches by John F. Kennedy, Malcolm X and Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Street HassleLou Reed

Lou Reed's 11-minute "Street Hassle" features a spoken part by Bruce Springsteen.

Editor's Picks

Stephen Christian of AnberlinSongwriter Interviews

The lead singer/lyricist for Anberlin breaks down "Impossible" and covers some tracks from their 2012 album Vital.

Emilio Castillo from Tower of PowerSongwriter Interviews

Emilio talks about what it's like to write and perform with the Tower of Power horns, and why every struggling band should have a friend like Huey Lewis.

Art Alexakis of EverclearSongwriter Interviews

The lead singer of Everclear, Art is also their primary songwriter.

Graham Bonnet (Alcatrazz, Rainbow)Songwriter Interviews

Yngwie Malmsteen and Steve Vai were two of Graham's co-writers for some '80s rock classics.

They Might Be GiantsSongwriter Interviews

Who writes a song about a name they found in a phone book? That's just one of the everyday things these guys find to sing about. Anything in their field of vision or general scope of knowledge is fair game. If you cross paths with them, so are you.

Who's Johnny, And Why Does He Show Up In So Many SongsSong Writing

For songwriters, Johnny represents the American man. He has been angry, cool, magic, a rebel and, of course, marching home.