Michael McDonald Set To Release A New Album in March 2008
December 20, 2007 - Star vocalist Michael McDonald is set to release a new album "Soul Speak" on March 11 th, 2008. It will feature mostly covers and three new songs. Unlike to his two previous bestselling cover albums focusing on Motown songs, "Soul Speak" will consist of a wider collection of songs, that have appealed to the former Steely Dan and Dobbie Brothers lead singer. The tracklisting for this new album is not known yet.

McDonald is currently ranked 20th on the Radio and Records Smooth Jazz Chart with the song "You Belong To Me", a beautiful duet with widely acclaimed vocalist Chaka Khan on her latest CD "Funk This!". - by Akbar Nour



Dave Koz and Rendezvous Deliver 'Golden Slumbers 2 - A Father's Love' with Michael McDonald
May 3, 2005 - Rendezvous records has not been around that long but in a few years the label has produced some of the biggest hits in Smooth Jazz including Praful's 'Sigh,' 'Marc Antoine's successful 'Mediterraneo' album and Michael Lington's bouncy 'Show Me.' Now the inspiration that started the company 3 years ago, the original "Golden Slumber - A Father's Lullaby" is going a bit further with 'Golden Slumbers 2 - A Father's Love.' More




Doobie Brothers Drummer Keith Knudsen Dies
1978
1997
February 9, 2005 - The band known for consistently having two drummers has just lost one of their favourites. Keith Knudsen died of pneumonia on Tuesday. He was 56. Knudsen who joined the Doobie Brothers in 1974 had been hospitalized for more than a month, according to the band's longtime manager Bruce Cohn. "I just saw him Sunday, just before the Super Bowl," Cohn said. "He was in good spirits. He was weak, but he was OK." He was also with the band during their biggest period when Michael McDonald was lead singer. More



Dave Koz & Michael McDonald Design Pop Cans for Charity
November 3, 2004 - I wonder if Dave Koz is studying his Campbell's soup cans? The saxophonist may not be the next Warhol but he may design your next can of 7-Up. Koz along with Michael McDonald, Brian McKnight and Randy Travis are just a few of the artists set to design the pop cans for charity via the Grammy Foundation. It is designed to Raise Awareness and Funds for GRAMMY Signature School Programs which promotes music education in public schools, ten thousand dollars will be donated in each artist's name. The pop cans will be available through December 31, 2004.




Michael McDonald's Motown Volume Two Set for October 26th
August 31, 2004 - He's doing it again. Michael McDonald, one of the most recognizable voices on the planet will release his second Motown album October 26. Like the first, Motown 2 will feature Simon Climie as producer. The first single 'Reach Out' was released to radio yesterday. The album will feature a duet with Toni Braxton on 'Stop, Look, Listen,' Stevie Wonder plays harmonica on 'I Was Made To Love Her' and Billy Preston will also be on the album via the Hammond B-3 organ. Universal music will also re-release McDonald's Christmas album 'In The Spirit' as part of their 20th Century Masters Collection. It should be out September 21.


Hall & Oates / Michael McDonald Rock & Soul Tour
March 23, 2004 - First there was news on Sting and Annie Lennox coupling for a tour and now two other Smooth Jazz vocal acts are joining forces - Hall and Oates with Michael McDonald. The tour dubbed the "Rock 'n Soul 2004 Revue" will also feature another act commonly played on Smooth Jazz radio, The Average White Band. McDonald has had a great year with the success of his platinum album "Motown." Hall and Oats are currently working on an album for fall release, their last was "Do It for Love" and Daryl Hall is currently charting on Smooth Jazz radio with his solo album "Can't Stop Dreaming." The tour is expected to add new dates running from mid-August through mid-September.

Hall & Oates / Michael McDonald Tour Dates
June 2004
23 - Tampa, FL - USF Sun Dome
25 - Kissimmee, FL - Silver Spurs Arena
26 - Boca Raton, FL - Mizner Park Amphitheatre
28 - Atlanta, GA - Chastain Park Amphitheatre
29 - Charlotte, NC - Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
30 - Raleigh, NC - Alltel Pavilion at Walnut Creek

July 2004
2 - Bristow, VA - Nissan Pavilion
3 - Virginia Beach, VA - Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
4 - Baltimore, MD - Pier Six Concert Pavilion
6 - Rama, Ontario - Rama Casino
7 - Darien Lake, NY - P.A.C.
9 - Holmdel, NJ - PNC Bank Arts Center
10 - Wantagh, NY - Jones Beach
11 - Hershey, PA - Hershey Park Pavilion
13 - Wallingford, CT - Oakdale Theatre
14 - Albany, NY - Pepsi Arena
16 - Camden, NJ - Tweeter Center at the Waterfront
17 - Boston, MA - FleetBoston Pavilion
18 - Manchester, NH - Verizon Wireless Arena


Former Doobie Brother Cornelius Bumpus Dead
February 5, 2004 - Cornelius Bumpus who spent time in both the
Doobie Brothers and Steely Dan has died. The saxophonist suffered a heart attack Tuesday (February 3) on a commercial flight from New York City to California. He was 58. His wife Linda said on his official website www.corneliusbumpus.com "Cornelius was a man of great modesty and simplicity. His life was music, family, and church. He never liked giving talks or speeches." As for her husbands heart attack on the plane she said, "Not one to want to call attention to himself, he would probably be appalled to know that the plane made an unscheduled stop in Sioux City to try and get help for him." Bumpus joined the Doobie Brothers in the early eighties but joined Steely Dan in 1993. Bumpus was also a member of Moby Grape in the seventies and had recorded two solo albums.

Michael McDonald Excited About Grammy Nominations
December 10, 2003 - Former Doobie Brother Michael McDonald felt like a little kid on Christmas eve just before the Grammy nominations were announced. McDonald says he tried very hard not to think about it but the singer heard a rumor last Wednesday that his "Motown" album might be nominated. McDonald watched the nominations on television on Thursday and hear him name twice - nominations for male pop vocal performance and pop vocal album. Mcdonald says if he doesn't win he'll do what everyone does put on his "best face for the cameras." McDonald already has five Grammys with the Doobie Brothers and as a solo act. The singer says he keeps his trophies in his office in Tennessee and strokes them when no one is looking. The Grammys will be handed out February 8th in Los Angeles.


Michael McDonald - Artist Of The Month For September - 2003
Sept 1, 2003 - Former Doobie Brother Michael McDonald is back on the charts with the hit solo album "
Motown," featuring updated interpretations of some of the motor cities most memorable tunes. His current charting single "Heard It Through the Grapevine" is a hit on both A.C. and Smooth Jazz radio. McDonald, an honorary member of the Doobies says he has an open invitation to come back to the band at any time. Whether as a songwriter, keyboardist or vocalist your CD collection is bound to include at least a few contributions from Michael McDonald. He has worked in the studio with Steely Dan, Carly Simon, Kenny Loggins, Christopher Cross, Patti Labelle, Joni Mitchell and countless others. Mcdonald is Smooth Jazz Now's "Artist of the Month" for September. Breeze 103.1 morning man Cliff Dumas spoke to McDonald via phone in August 2003.  Read

Review - Michael McDonald - MOTOWN
August 8, 2003 - What happens when you combine fourteen of the finest R&B songs every written with one the best voices to ever bless a song? You get Motown, the latest album from Michael McDonald. What a superb collection this is! From his gravely groove on Marvin Gaye's Heard It Through The Grapevine to his melancholy take of You Are Everything, McDonald puts his unique stamp on every track. He positively wails on Signed, Sealed, Delivered sounds all smoky on Stevie Wonder's All Is Fair In Love and totally breaks my heart with his raspy whisper on Since I lost My Baby. If you're a fan of Motown classics and great singers, I can't recommend this album enough! Read more reviews by Vickie Van Dyke

Michael McDonald Improving With Age
July 29, 2003 - Michael McDonald believes practice makes perfect. The former member of the Doobie Brothers feels musicians who tour a lot are bound to get better from the endless playing. The singer says in the seventies though he wasn't so sure that it would be appropriate for him to be playing rock and roll in his fifties (he's 51). McDonald now looks around and see's he's in good company with so many older bands like
the Eagles, Fleetwood Mac and his buddies the Doobie Brothers on the road. McDonald is still a huge fan of the Doobie's and he occasionally plays with them. He says they're a perfect example of technically superb musicians from so many years of playing. Expect to see Doobie Brother's current members Tom Johnston and Patrick Simmons joining McDonald on his T.V. special now running on P-B-S stations.

Michael McDonald Travels to Motown
May 16, 2003 - Former Doobie Brothers vocalist Michael McDonald says it was a question of being in the right place at the right time concerning his new album "Motown." The CD which features McDonald covering some classic Motown hits was a pet project for Universal records and he was lucky enough to be the singer asked to do it. Though the album is available in Europe on Universal (it debuted at # 29 In the UK last week) it will only be released in North America on June 24 on Motown records. "Motown" produced by Simon Climie who has also worked with Eric Clapton is a dream come true for McDonald. He recently told Billboard Magazine "For so many years, I'd had people encourage me to do something like this, an old R&B kind of thing," McDonalds North American tour will kick off June 28th in Hampton Virginia.



 





 
 
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