Michael McDonald, born February 12, 1952, in St. Louis, Missouri, is an American R&B and soul singer known for his distinctive husky baritone voice, often described as "blue-eyed soul." During his early years, he played in several local bands while attending McCluer High School in Ferguson, Missouri. After performing with the group Blue, he moved to Los Angeles in 1970. He gained recognition as a backing vocalist and keyboardist for Steely Dan, contributing to their albums until the 1980 release of Gaucho. In April 1975, McDonald joined The Doobie Brothers when lead singer Tom Johnston became ill during a tour. As a member of the band, he recorded several notable songs, including "Takin' It To The Streets," "Little Darling," "Minute By Minute," and "What A Fool Believes," the latter of which won the 1980 Grammy Award for Song of the Year. Following The Doobie Brothers' initial farewell tour, McDonald pursued a successful solo career with hits such as "I Keep Forgettin'," a duet with his sister Maureen later sampled by Warren G, "Sweet Freedom," the theme song for the 1986 film Running Scared, "Take It To Heart," "Yah Mo B There," a duet with James Ingram that won a 1985 Grammy for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals, and "On My Own," a 1986 duet with Patti LaBelle that reached number one on the US charts. McDonald has produced and contributed to albums by various artists, including his wife Amy Holland and Christopher Cross. He is also a co-founder of the independent record label Ramp Records, alongside studio designer Chris Pelonis and actor Jeff Bridges. His album "Soul Speak" was released in 2008. --- There is also an American songwriter named Michael McDonald based in Helsinki, Finland, who has performed with local bands Montevideo and Treeball and planned to release his first solo album in 2007.