 With his husky, soulful baritone, Michael McDonald became one
of the most distinctive and popular vocalists to emerge from the laid-back
California pop/rock scene of the late '70s. Michael McDonald found the middle
ground between blue-eyed soul and smooth soft rock, a sound that made him a
star. He initially essayed his signature style with the Doobie Brothers,
ushering in the group's most popular period with hits like "What a Fool
Believes" and "Taking It to the Streets." Michael McDonald disbanded the group
in 1982 to pursue a solo career, which was initially quite successful, but by
the end of the decade his popularity had faded away, since he was reluctant to
work regularly and hesitant to update his sound to suit shifting popular tastes.
After singing backup on several Steely Dan albums in the
mid-'70s, Michael McDonald joined the Doobie Brothers in 1977. He was largely
responsible for moving the group away from boogie rock and toward polished,
jazzy blue-eyed soul. Prior to the Doobies' farewell tour in 1982, he sang
harmony on several hit singles, including tracks by Donna Summer, Toto, Kenny
Loggins, and Christopher Cross. As it turned out, Michael McDonald's solo work
was a cross between the Doobie Brothers' white-bread soul and Cross' adult
contemporary ballads.
Michael McDonald released his solo debut, If That's What It
Takes, in 1982. The record climbed to number six on the strength of the number
four single "I Keep Forgettin' (Every Time You're Near)," which also crossed
over into the R&B Top Ten. In 1983, he had another Top 20 pop hit (and a Top Ten
R&B hit) with his duet with James Ingram, "Yah Mo B There." Michael McDonald
didn't deliver his second solo album, No Lookin' Back, until 1985. The record
wasn't as successful as its predecessor, producing only one moderate hit in its
title track. He bounced back the following year, when his duet with Patti
LaBelle, "On My Own," shot to number one and "Sweet Freedom," his theme for the
Billy Crystal/Gregory Hines comedy Running Scared, climbed into the Top Ten.
Instead of capitalizing on his revitalized success, Michael
McDonald didn't release another album until 1990. The resulting Take It to Heart
was a bomb, peaking at number 110. Two years later, his fortunes were revived
somewhat when he sang on Aretha Franklin's minor hit "Ever Changing Times" and
toured with Donald Fagen's New York Rock and Soul Revue. The following year, he
released Blink of an Eye, which was ignored. In 1994, "I Keep Forgettin' (Every
Time You're Near)" was sampled heavily in Warren G's smash hit "Regulate." By
1996, Michael McDonald had returned to the Doobie Brothers, touring the oldies
circuit with the reunited group. The following year, Michael McDonald released
Blue Obsession, his first album of new material in three years. He released a
Christmas album (In the Spirit: A Christmas Album) in 2001, and began a series
of recordings devoted to the Motown catalog with 2003's Motown. ~ Stephen Thomas
Erlewine, All Music Guide
Contact Grabow for more information or to book Michael
McDonald for your next corporate or private event.
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