The Doobie Brothers are an American rock band formed in San Jose, California, in 1970. Known for their versatility across multiple genres and their vocal harmonies, the band has been active for over five decades, achieving its greatest commercial success in the 1970s. The current lineup includes founding members Tom Johnston (guitars, keyboards, harmonica, vocals) and Patrick Simmons (guitars, banjo, recorder, vocals), along with Michael McDonald (keyboards, synthesizers, mandolin, vocals) and John McFee (guitars, pedal steel guitar, mandolin, banjo, violin, cello, harmonica, vocals). Touring members include John Cowan (bass, vocals), Marc Russo (saxophones), Ed Toth (drums), and Marc Quiñones (percussion, backing vocals). Long-serving former members include guitarist Jeff "Skunk" Baxter, bassist Tiran Porter, and drummers John Hartman, Michael Hossack, and Keith Knudsen. Tom Johnston provided lead vocals from 1970 to 1975, during which the band’s sound combined mainstream rock with elements of folk, country, and R&B. Michael McDonald joined in 1975 as a keyboardist and additional lead vocalist, introducing a soul-influenced style. Johnston, Simmons, Porter, and McDonald all performed lead vocals on the album "Takin’ It to the Streets" before Johnston departed in 1977. Frequent lineup changes followed through the late 1970s, and the band disbanded in 1982, with Simmons as the only member to appear on all albums. The Doobie Brothers reformed in 1987 with Johnston, and McDonald returned full-time in 2019 after making guest appearances. The band has released sixteen studio albums, including six that reached the top ten on the Billboard 200 chart. The 1978 album "Minute by Minute" reached number one for five weeks and won a Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group. Its single "What a Fool Believes", written by McDonald and Kenny Loggins, won Grammys for Song of the Year and Record of the Year. The Doobie Brothers have had 16 top-40 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, including "Listen to the Music", "Jesus Is Just Alright", "Long Train Runnin’", "China Grove", "Black Water" (#1 in 1974), "Takin’ It to the Streets", "What a Fool Believes" (#1 in 1979), and "The Doctor". The band has also released six live albums and multiple greatest hits compilations, including "Best of the Doobies" (1976), certified diamond by the RIAA for ten million copies sold. The Doobie Brothers were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2004 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2020. They have sold over 40 million records worldwide. Studio albums The Doobie Brothers (1971) Toulouse Street (1972) The Captain and Me (1973) What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits (1974) Stampede (1975) Takin' It to the Streets (1976) Livin' on the Fault Line (1977) Minute by Minute (1978) One Step Closer (1980) Cycles (1989) Brotherhood (1991) Sibling Rivalry (2000) World Gone Crazy (2010) Southbound (2014) Liberté (2021) Walk This Road (2025)