Grammy Winner Michael McDonald's soulful style is set to captivate audiences at the Seminole Hard Rock Live. Born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, Michael McDonald not only grew up on Motown music, he went on to incorporate his vocal passion of the music with his love of rock n' roll into a stellar Grammy winning 30-year career.
McDonald started out in local combos throughout St. Louis, singing Motown tunes in clubs. In 1972, he moved to California and worked with Steely Dan before joining the Doobie Brothers in 1976. With his smooth voice and songwriting style, he helped transform the Doobie Brothers into a more soulful rock ensemble with hit songs like "What a Fool Believes," "Real Love," "You Belong to Me," "It Keeps You Runnin'," and "Little Darling (I Need You)," among countless others.
Quickly becoming one of most distinctive and popular singer-songwriters to emerge from the '70s rock scene, he branched out into a successful multi-platinum solo career after the Doobie Brothers disbanded in 1982. He has since released eight albums with singles that have reached Top 10 on the Billboard R&B and Pop Charts. Additionally, he has penned songs for Kenny Loggins ("This Is It") and Carly Simon ("You Belong to Me") as well as for Patti Austin, Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds, Anita Baker, Paul Carrack, Stanley Clarke and more. He and James Ingram had a Top 10 R&B hit with their duet, "Yah Mo B There," in 1983.
Recently, McDonald sang "Takin' It to the Streets" on the final episode of FOX TV’s American Idol, Season 9. He also released “The Voice of Michael McDonald”, a compilation of Doobie Brothers and his own hits and duets with various artists.
Michael McDonald will be at the Seminole Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, Florida on Sunday March 20, 2011.
