Legendary singer, songwriter and musician Michael McDonald will perform live for a Birmingham audience Sunday, Feb. 25.
The 7 p.m. performance is presented by the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Alys Stephens Performing Arts Center. Tickets are $85, $72, $59 and $10 for students. UAB faculty may purchase a limited number of $25 tickets. Faculty and staff may receive a 20 percent discount on single tickets. Call 205-975-2787 or visit www.AlysStephens.org.
Two notes is all it takes to recognize McDonald’s distinctive and soulful voice. His ultra-smooth vocal style, along with his formidable songwriting and keyboard skills, has made McDonald a singular musical presence for more than four decades. His career includes five Grammy Awards, numerous chart successes, and personal and professional accolades, as well as collaborations with some of the world’s most prominent artists.
| Two notes is all it takes to recognize McDonald’s distinctive and soulful voice. His ultra-smooth vocal style has made McDonald a singular musical presence for more than four decades. |
McDonald honed his talents as a studio musician in Los Angeles in the early 1970s before becoming an integral part of Steely Dan. He was invited to join the Doobie Brothers as the band redefined their sound, serving as singer, keyboardist and songwriter for Top 40 singles “Takin’ It To The Streets,” “It Keeps You Runnin’,” “Minute By Minute” and “What A Fool Believes.” Throughout the ’80s and ’90s, McDonald’s solo career took off with a string of hits, including “I Keep Forgettin’ (Every Time You’re Near),” “Sweet Freedom,” “On My Own” (with Patti LaBelle) and the Grammy-winning James Ingram duet “Yah Mo B There,” plus Van Halen hit “I’ll Wait,” which he co-wrote.
His latest recording, “Wide Open,” released in 2017, marks McDonald’s first studio album in nine years and his first set of original material in 17 years. He wrote “Wide Open” over several years and recorded the tracks at his Nashville studio with drummer Shannon Forrest (Faith Hill, Blake Shelton, Tim McGraw, Toto) and a crew of the city’s session players. It features collaborations with guitarist-singer Warren Haynes (Allman Brothers Band, Gov’t Mule), guitarist Robben Ford, bassist Marcus Miller and saxophonist Branford Marsalis.
A younger generation of artists has embraced McDonald’s music in recent years, leading a groundswell of unexpected collaborations. Virtuoso bassist Thundercat recruited the singer (and Kenny Loggins) to co-write “Show You the Way,” a track on his 2017 LP, “Drunk,” which they performed together at Coachella Festival. They also performed the 1978 Doobie Brothers hit “What A Fool Believes” at the Hollywood Bowl.