Michael McDonald Was EVERYWHERE In The 70s and 80s 

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I had the privilege to play bass with Michael for a number of private shows in Hawaii in the early 2000's. It was an absolute thrill for me having grown up with his music. He is such a kind and humble person despite his huge success and otherworldly musical abilities. We played most of his hits and a few Motown covers and it was something I'll never forget! I recall having about a week to learn the set prior to the first gig and it was a challenge. Most of his songs are quite complex even though they flow right into the ears without this being obvious. Testament to his musical genius I suppose. I also sang backup vocals and to harmonize with THAT voice was unreal. Most amazing musician I have ever played with. He's the real deal!

My wife and I say that Michael McDonald is the glue that held 70's and 80's music together.

The older I get.. the more I appreciate growing up in the 70’s….the music is Timeless…💛

Michael's voice is unmistakeable! What an amazing talent!

It’s about time this man gets his credit. One of the most underrated singers the last 50 years but one of the greatest. There’s a reason so many top artists recorded with him.

I would consider Michael McDonald a national treasure. He was a man of the times, and I think he gave us all something we all needed. He was there even when you didn’t even know it. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

My ALL time favorite male vocalist...I'm 73 and still crank up his records on my stereo almost every weekend! ❤ you Michael!

I love Steely Dan and Michael. Their sound is one of a kind❤

One of the GREATEST blue-eyed soul singers EVER!!!!!

I love, love, love Michael McDonald’s voice. It is so distinctive and extremely soulful.

I took my father to see the Doobie Brothers in 1980. (Michael was still touring with them.) In the 90 days prior, I was blessed to see Fleetwood Mac( for the 2nd time), Van Halen (third row center stage) and Elton John. Only after I reached 50 years old did I really appreciate what I witnessed in 1980 as far as getting to experience Michael...

The music of the 70’s will remain unmatched.

I'm not sure how anyone could hear Michael McDonald's voice and NOT know it was him. Trust me, we were aware of his pervasiveness, and never got tired of it. #80sTeen

Two people are immediately recognizable, Karen Carpenter and Michael McDonald. Ah music, the soundtrack of our lives!!

I can’t give this man enough credit. What a legend!

Michael's "No Lookin Back" solo album was unbelievable.

I was working backstage at a show about 15 years ago that featured The Doobies and Kenny Loggins. They'd both flown in at different times, so didn't perform together, but as I was hanging around, Loggins drove up in a golf cart in one direction, McDonald in the other - they saw each other, stopped, Loggins said, "Hey, old man!" and they got out and hugged and then drove off again. Highlight of the night.

I love “What a Fool Believes” so much. Those changes and those harmonies are just ethereal. I remember reading Steve Lukather’s biography about how Michael McDonald nearly joined Toto, but ended up in the Doobie Brothers instead. Interesting to think about what might have been. Thanks for the video.

Without question, THE SINGLE BEST backing vocalist of ALL TIME! NOBODY is in his category, NOBODY!

I always said one of the best duets EVER written was a song called "On My Own " with Patti Labelle and Michael McDonald. Beautiful lyrics... Now I know what loving you cost....now we're up to talking divorce...and we weren't even married........and what perfect voices they had together

Aimee, I hope Michael sees this video. You’ve done a beautiful job of giving him his props. He’s one of the best to ever do it. Thank you.

Oh, I knew it. Having grown up during the 70's and 80's Michael is deeply ingrained in my musical vocabulary, absolutely love him! BTW, Kenny Loggins is also a tremendous musician that turns up more than you may realize.

Who else is on here after the Michael McDonald/ Jeff Beato interview?? I remember being 14 backstage at the Doobie Brothers reunion concert at the Irvine Meadows. I was 10’ away from McDonald as he played. One of the greatest nights of my life.

Michael McDonald is really an unsung hero in many ways. Great video!

Thank you, thank you for being so honorable to Michael. I was there when they recorded the original tracks at Capitol Records in Detroit, MI. My uncle, Jerome Jones, was the session musician on drums. He has played with Michael Henderson, Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes and The Doobies. I was 12 years old, then, and I met Michael walking down the session hall. I remember because his hair was brown and I told my uncle, "who's that singer?He can really sing!" He said , "And he's a white guy!" I didnt belive him until I saw him. Later, I wrote him when his hair turned Paltinum and we connected some 6 years later and he has become my favorite vocalist. My first kiss came after I sang Taking it to the Streets! So I love him.

1:57 The fact that he survived having a Pinto lets us know that the destiny wanted us to enjoy Michael's voice for many years to come

I just love Michael's music, his style, his voice. Just really great music. He is one of the very exceptional musicians for me. Thanks for this video!

I love your channel. Being a Radio DJ in the 1970’s, I was VERY aware of McDonald’s presence on so many recordings. His pitch accuracy is phenomenal! No matter the song, his distinctive voice always rides on top of the rest of the backup vocals, even when mixed WAY back!

As a professional vocal coach I can honestly say whole heatedly that Michal McDonald is PHENOMIAL.

He has such a distinctive voice. There is no way you could miss it whether he was singing as the lead or doing back. I could always hear his voice on the songs he did back up on.

I feel like we're talking a whole lot about Michael McDonald's voice without ever mentioning Aimee's amazingly smooth, built for late night radio, voice. Is it just me?

His voice is amazing.

I’m happy to hear Michael is still at it. Have always liked his voice, but didn’t realize just how much of an influencer he has been. Thanks for the video.

Saw the Doobie Bros at an outdoor concert in the early '80's. It was a perfect day and I was in the 3rd row, right in front of MM. I thought I'd died and went to heaven. 😂 Beautiful man with a beautiful voice. Ahhh, memories ❤

I have always loved Michael McDonald’s voice, keyboard playing, and his humble grateful spirit. This was a great video! Thanks!

Yacht rock! Priceless. What a privilege it has been to be graced with his voice and his beautiful touch on keyboard all these years. Thank you for your wonderful wealth of knowledge.

What A Fool Believes is just a magical song, a real work of art.

Michael has been my favourite singer for over 40 years.

What a fantastic voice. So smooth and perfectly pitched. “It Keeps Your Running” is such a fantastic vehicle for his talent.

His vocals on Peg blew my mind. He sounded like a keyboard sample before there were samples. Amazing.

His voice makes my heart skip a beat and gives me goose bumps. One of those rare artist who sounds as good live, as he does on the recording.

Michael McDonald is one of my favorite vocalists. His tone adds such character to anything he sings on.

My favorite is his backing vocals on Hey 19. "The Cuervo Gold" "The fine Colombian" "Make tonight a wonderful thing" It's the best part of this song for me. It's so cool. Can't get it out of my head. Never want it to end just go on and on 😍

I grew up with Michael’s sound as an 80s kid. Love the Doobies and Toto but until you put his sound in this kind of light, I never realized that yes indeed Michael was everywhere back then. Thanks for the new perspective. Jeff Porcaro is one of my favorite drummers and Michael McDonald’s I Keep Forgettin’ is my favorite Porcaeo drum groove.

I've heard 'Peg' in concert 3 times: 2003, 2012, 2022, and of course on their live albums. It has never, EVER sounded the same live without McDonald.

Why was he everywhere..,excellent unique voice, like no other. He never overshadowed the artist he was working with. Sound engineers said he was so easy to work with. He worked with a different variety of artist. HE SOUND GREAT

“You just didn’t know it” … unless you actually listened to the music. We did listen, you know. And we said, “Hey, that’s Michael McDonald.” Yep, that’s how it was.

I was born in 1970 so yeah, Michael McDonald seemed like he was everywhere from Steely Dan to The Doobie Brothers, backing vocals with Christopher Cross on "Ride Like the Wind", and his solo work in the late 70's to the early 80's.

As much as I'm a fan of his work with the Doobies and Steely Dan, I'll always love his contributions to Christopher Cross' monster first album, with McDonald's unmistakable vocals on hit after hit.

I just love Michael McDonald. His sound is so powerful. I could just listen to him for hours. Thank you for this review of Michael. 💞

Thank you, Ms. Aimee, for putting this brilliant piece together. I love how you give MM the critical attention he deserves.

I am so happy I got to witness Michael McDonald at the height of his success. He was/is amazing

His power is that when he sings one note, it sounds like a chord. So many overtones.

This is an outstanding analysis of Michael McDonald's impact on music. A few years ago I saw some clips where his vocals seemed to be slipping but in recent years his voice is still amazing. He is also an outstanding keyboard player. Hs is truly one of a kind with a huge soul sound in his voice. He is a unique amazing talent. As a quick story I followed Bruce Hornsby in Virginia before he became famous in 1978 and in 1980 or so the Doobies were on an HBO special and Michael wore a Bruce Hornsby Band t-shirt long before Bruce was known. Michael seems so down to earth and humble and helps deserving musicians.

oh, yes I did ! And I use to drive everybody crazy with it when I was in the 7th grade, lol. Love me some Mike McD❤💯

Michael’s vocals on “Ride like the win” is very little, but brings so much life! Imagine the song without his backing vocals, wouldn’t be the same song. “You belong to me” is a great song!

Ms. Nolte - huge props to you for presenting such a comprehensive overview of the stellar career of Michael McDonald! I've listened to those steely dan and doobie brothers songs literally thousands of times, and I agree with your analysis 100%. Mike has a totally unique tone, and a unique style, that any fan can pick out immediately. Absolutely a fan!

Michael Mcdonald still Rocks us in 2022..!! Thank you Michael for your Golden Voice..!!

I think anyone who was alive and listening to music at the time knew what MM was doing. His voice is unmistakable

I am always so immensely thrilled when I hear people who know music, in all its complexities and nuances, covering the one-of-a-kind voice of Michael McDonald! That voice is loaded with so much range from rich barritones to smooth falsettos that seem effortless! I have to confess, at the older age of 55, watching his performances from the late 70s and into the 80s makes my heart skip a little beat! He was such a gloriously beautiful man! Perfect hair, steele-blue eyes, and the voice that is still to this day unmatched. Thank you for such a well-done video on him! By far, the best one I've seen so far.

Mike McD is of few in their later career who still has it. Great nod to his keyboard chops. Brutally underreported

his voice was flipping flawless. Aja was perfection.

Perfect pitch - soulful unique baritone vocal ! Steely Dan - Doobie Bros - Incredible fantastic songs in 70's -80's Bravo Michael 👏 "What a fool believes " - Masterpiece ! 😃🏆🙋‍♂️🎷

You are an excellent presenter with a lovely voice and you are very thorough. I love how you insert a short clip of each song you are referencing so the viewer can go "Ahhh, yes, I remember that great song!". All theses artists are what I grew up listening to and love to this day. Liked and subbed!

Michael McDonald's is my all time favourite male voice in pop or rock, very closely followed by James Ingram, two giants in the Music Industry. Thank you for that.

Him along with James Ingram and David Pack on "I Just Can't Let Go" is about as crazy a set of talented vocalists on one record that you'll ever find...all BIG voices that found a way to work together.

cool to see people learning just how prolific michael mcdonald is...truly one of the greats!

Around a month ago, I was listening to 'This is It' on Spotify and thought to myself how many times Michael McDonald had been credited with his voice in so many songs in the past. Growing up in the late 70's and early 80's, I was familiar with his music from my mom's record player. So here I am on RU-vid scrolling for vids and the algorithm miraculously pulls up this vid! PERFECT TIMING AND PERFECT VIDEO for a crash course for everything that MM has touched in his life. Your research was on the money, and your description of his voice and talent was kind and insightful. A really wonderful dive into his work but you made it shine on this history lesson that was really thought-out!. Great work!

I thought I knew just about everything about Michael McDonald. I'm from his hometown (still live here), graduated from the same high school and started listening to him in the 70s as a kid. He is my fave solo American artist and I'm one lucky girl to have such a cool local connection to him. My family is obsessed and still play his music along with The Doobie Bros every week. My brother is attending their 50th anniversary show in Tampa this month!!! Michael is a legend and one of a kind...never get tired of listening to him.

Michael M's voice was like a musical instrument.. like a Rhodes keyboard totally unique. That unforgettable sound, hear it once and you're hooked.

Thank you so much for putting this wonderful story together. I have loved Michael's music all my adult life and continue to enjoy him daily. I wish I could thank Michael for putting a smile on my face every day with his voice and his music.

Michael Mac Donald always my favorite. Truly a genius!

Michael’s heart-rending breakup ballad “I Can Let Go Now” from his first solo album kills me every time. From the simple, repeated piano motif to the gorgeous string arrangement, and the way he sings “I was tossed high by love, almost never came down…” makes me weep inside.

You’ve done it again, Aimee. Michael McDonald is a voice in the THE VOICE pantheon! I’ve loved everything he’s sung on, even discovering him singing gospel on Darwin Hobbs’ Everyday! His vocals have made so many songs positively timeless. Thank you for giving him flowers.

Just perfection! No one even comes close to that velvet multi octave voice and unique keyboard playing. Love him forever!

His voice is unlike any other. Very distinctive voice. This is why many want him to collaborate with them. ❤

I don't know if you've read Ted Templeman's book, but in it he talked a lot about Michael McDonald saying that when he got the call from the Doobie Brothers that he was living in a garage because he'd been kicked out of apartments because he was ALWAYS practicing and playing his Fender Rhodes at full volume. A great book about an amazing producer with a lot of insights. I remember hearing an interview with MM many years back in which he said that much of the late 70s and 80s were a blur because he was in such high demand for background vocals. He claimed that at least half the time he didn't even know which city he was in. Great video, Aimee!! Thank you!

Hearing him say he was good friends with Jeff Porcaro (Toto) and got him connected with Steely Dan was interesting and very cool. Jeff is another one that you heard on many people's hit records except it was drumming and not singing. Boz Scagg's Lowdown, Steely Dan's FM and Michael McDonald's I Keep Forgettin' are just a few of the many tracks Jeff Played on outside of Toto. Lost way too soon.

I was a fan of the Tom Johnston Doobie Brothers from the beginning and their first hit ‘Listen to the Music”. When Michael McDonald joined the band for ‘Takin it to the Streets’, I thought “hmmm🤔…this is pretty good”. Upon the release of ‘Minute by Minute’, which literally took over the FM airwaves, I knew they had become something very special. Joining forces with Steely Dan, Kenny Loggins, Patti Labelle, Nicolette Larson, Toto, Little Feat, James Ingram, Elton John (the list goes on…) over the years, Michael McDonald’s contribution to the soundtrack of that era is unmatched!

Very good study of his impact in the 70's - early 2000's. What a singular voice.

You could usually tell when MM was backing an artist! I recall hearing What A Fool Believes in 1979 and could not get enough of that song. I saw The Doobies with and without Michael. Fabulous band...

Just got done running spot for the Doobie Brothers in West Palm Beach, FL. The place was packed and they put on a wonderful show. Everyone played a great show. My spot was on Tommy who was awesome. It was so great to finally hear the great Michael McDonald in person. What a golden voice! Thanks for this spot on video!

10-12 years ago myself and a couple of buddies went to see Steely Dan in Dallas. As we were walking into the venue, I was surprised to look up and see Michael walking into the venue with us and everyone else. He saw me do a double take and probably expected to be “beaten down” by us wanting selfies or autographs and the like. I just smiled and gave him the head nod and he nodded back with a smile of relief. I’ll never know why he was entering with the crowd, most didn’t even notice him, but it was a cool moment. Then to see him with Steely Dan on stage just made for a cool moment.

What a discovery I've made! Finally a presenter who is passionate, knowledgeable, and engaging without the usual RU-vid and social media gimmicks. Well done, Aimee!

This is so wonderfully comprehensive, Aimee. You even included the hilarious snippet of SCTV's Rick Moranis as Michael racing to every recording studio in the city to add his backing vocals. The first time my wife and I heard McDonald's voice is our favorite concert memory. On Sunday April 21, 1974, we're standing in line outside of the sports arena at the U. of Toledo, waiting for the doors to open to our first Steely Dan concert. It was so unusually warm that all the arena windows were open to cool the place down, which allowed those of us outside to hear the band's soundcheck performance of the title track from their latest album "Pretzel Logic." When they got to the song's bridge and the line "Well I stepped up on the platform / and the man gave me the news..." we heard a voice that we knew was no longer Donald Fagen's. Two hours later when they played the song again to a live audience, we could put Michael McDonald's face with that incredible voice we had heard earlier. He mentions Jeff Porcaro who, oddly enough, was the one performer onstage that we had seen before -- drumming for Sonny & Cher at a March 19, 1972 concert in Fort Wayne, Indiana, when he was still just 17 years old. He took way less money than he was making with S & C, for the opportunity to tour with his favorite band at the time, Steely Dan. Becker & Fagen rewarded him by making him the session drummer on their next album, "Katy Lied." That got Jeff the gig as session and touring drummer in late 1975 on Boz Scagg's Grammy-winning album "Silk Degrees" -- and all of this before he turned 22. When Steely Dan stopped touring after July 1974, we followed guitarist Jeff "Skunk" Baxter and McDonald over to The Doobie Brothers to get our live music fix for the rest of the decade. And, sadly, by the time Becker & Fagen resumed touring in Aug. 1993, both drummers from their '74 tour (Jim Hodder and Jeff Porcaro) had passed on way too soon.

Aimee it cracks me up in a good way to see a person from the younger generation really get Michael McDonald and the music of the 70’s and 80’s. There will never be a time like that again, but maybe, if enough people of this generation begin listening to that era, who knows what may be. I really enjoyed your video. 🙂

Awesome job on this Aimee. A long overdue tribute to an amazing artist. Michael McDonald is truly a gifted and unique part of the music fabric from the 70's to the present.

What a great video. I was blessed to be bringing up the rear of the Baby Boomers and I loved hearing Michael everywhere and anywhere. He was definitely given a gift and it's wonderful to see that he's still using it and healthy enough to keep right on rolling. God bless him and all the old timers who are still out there, rocking and rolling. You've made our lives so much better. I wouldn't have wanted to live in any other time, musically speaking.

This is an insanely well done video.

Michael McDonald is a awesome songwriter and singer. He's a real down to earth person and you can hear it in his songs. Just love him.💝

Aimee, I love you. This is my initial experience listening to you and your cool cadences describing the talents of one of my favorites, Michael McDonald. Just hearing his voice sends me back in time to the 80s on a nostalgic trip to a happier, simpler period in my life. I really appreciate how you break down the music and your nuanced approach to breaking down his journey playing with and influencing many top groups of the 70s and 80s. So happy I found your channel!

I told my husband this!!! I heard him a few times on 40 Year Old Virgin and I got an ear for his voice. Now I can pick him out of any song. Heard him in Ride Like the Wind and had to confirm but damn did I get it right! Thanks for the video. I feel so validated!

My wife and I have a running joke that Michael just hung out in studios back then and barged into sessions to try to get on the record. Patty LaBelle in there singing "On my own..." Michael barges in and says "Oh, no you're not, I'm going to be on this record too".

I love this man. I just saw him with the Doobie Brothers last month! Awesome show!

He has always been the best of the best in my book!

I love this video. Lately, I just heard Christopher Cross’ Ride like the Wind, I knew it was McDonald’s voice in the background on some parts. Good job on this video. Keep up the good work.

He and Patti La Belle( whom I met selling perfume at Macy’s in Brooklyn,) blow my mind every time

I worked for Hall & Oates when they did a summer tour with him in 2003 or 4? Amaaaazing shows. He is truly the nicest man. No ego. I just love him to death. 🥰

I was so glad that I saw Michel finally, for the fist time, with my wife and my son (he was 11 at the time) in Amsterdam. In the covid period he did these home concerts, we all got up at 03:00 in the morning to watch him perform. Never forget it!