b. 12 February 1952, St. Louis, Missouri, USA. McDonald has one of the most effortless and powerful voices in modern soul and rock. For a period in the 80s he also became a major, although not always completely consistent, hit songwriter.
McDonald recorded an abortive solo session for Bell Records in the early 70s, but found greater fame as a guest vocalist with Steely Dan and as a member of the Doobie Brothers. He was instrumental in steering the latter’s sound towards highly commercial soul-based rock. Following his departure from the Doobie Brothers in 1982, McDonald embarked on a popular solo career. He had already won a Grammy for the Doobie Brothers hit, co-written with Kenny Loggins, ‘What A Fool Believes’, but during the 80s he had his compositions recorded by numerous artists, including Aretha Franklin, Millie Jackson and Carly Simon. He almost made the top of the US charts in 1982 with the soulful ‘I Keep Forgettin’ (Every Time You’re Near)’. His ‘Yah Mo B There’, recorded with James Ingram in 1984, is a modern soul classic - it is not often that a white singer is able to write and sing in a predominantly black music genre with such conviction and integrity. The 1985 album No Lookin’ Back was a dance favourite, and was followed the next year by his epic US number 1 duet with Patti LaBelle, ‘On My Own’. During that year, he enjoyed an international hit with the theme from the movie Running Scared, the graceful ‘Sweet Freedom’.
McDonald’s commercial profile declined in the 90s and with Reprise Records losing interest he worked with former Steely Dan associate Donald Fagen and joined the re-formed Doobie Brothers. In 1999, McDonald inaugurated the Ramp Records label with the support of actor Jeff Bridges and Chris Pelonis. The following February he released Blue Obsession, an album originally scheduled for release on his old label. He enjoyed a commercial renaissance with 2003’s Motown, a self-explanatory tribute to Berry Gordy’s pioneering record label which restored the artist to the upper regions of the US charts and went on to sell over a million copies. A second volume was released the following October.
