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Michael McDonald was born on 2 December 1952 in St. Louis, Missouri USA;
he began playing music in the mid-'60s in various local band and in 1972
joined Steely Dan as a guest vocalist; four years later McDonald became
a regular member of The Doobie Brothers, singing and playing keyboards;
in 1978 he wrote with Kenny Loggins "What A Fool Believes",
a single which was awarded two Grammys; the Doobies disbanded in 1981
and McDonald, signing a deal with Warner Bros, launched his solo career.
He released his first solo album on August 1982, "If That's What
It Takes" shot to #6 on the U.S. Top 200 LPs & Tapes chart and
went platinum; it included the lead single "I Keep Forgettin' (Every
Time You're Near)" which rose to #4 on the Pop chart plus a minot
hit, "I Gotta Try"; Michael McDonald's soulful and distinctive
voice helped his album reach the top 10 on The Black Albums chart.
The next year he co-wrote and recorded with James Ingram the U.S. top
20 hit "Yah Mo B There"; in early 1984 this single won them
a Grammy for Best R&B Performance.
The following year, McDonald returned with his second solo album, "No
Lookin' Back", it reached the #45 on The Billboard Top 200 chart
spawning "No Lookin' Back", which hit #4 on The Mainstream Rock
Tracks chart and entered The Billboard Hot 100 at #34, its follow-up single
cut, "Bad Times", also cracked the top 40 of The Mainstream
Rock list.
During 1986 he enjoyed two massive smashes: the duet with Patti LaBelle,
"On My Own", which topped The Billboard Hot 100 and "Sweet
Freedom", a single from the movie "Running Scared" with
Billy Crystal and Gregory Hines, which rose to the #7 on The Billboard
Hot 100 and peaked at #4 on American Adult Contemporary chart.
In May 1990 Michael McDonald released his first album in five years, "Take
It To Heart" but the record failed to enter the top 100 on The Billboard
200 chart; the title-track peaked at #4 on Adult Contemporary chart and
"Tear It Up" made top 30 in the same chart.
Another three full years passed before the artist returned with a new
studio album, "Blink Of An Eye" generated only one single, "I
Stand For You", which reached the #21 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary
chart.
In 1995 Michael McDonald rejoined The Doobie Brothers for a 10-week U.S.
tour co-headlining with Steve Miller.
During 1997 McDonald recorded his fifth solo album, "Blue Obsession",
which was later released on his new label Ramp Records; he continued to
work on various projects and in spring 2001 released the retrospective
compilation "The Very Best Of Michael McDonald".
The blue-eyed-soul veteran enjoyed a commercial renaissance two years
later with "Motown", a tribute album which reached the #14 slot
on The Billboard Top 200 chart spawning the Adult Contemporary radio hit
"I Heard It Through The Grapevine".
Michael McDonald followed up with a second equally crafted tribute album,
logically titled "Motown Two", in October 2004, the set rose
to #9 in U.S. Top 200 Albums chart.
Michael McDonald biography is an exclusive of 100xr.com
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