What Is Michael McDonald's Net Worth?
Michael McDonald is an American singer and songwriter who has a net worth of $50 million. Michael McDonald is an American singer, songwriter, and keyboardist known for his distinctive baritone voice and contributions to rock and soul music. He rose to fame in the mid-1970s as a member of The Doobie Brothers, helping to reshape their sound with hits like "What a Fool Believes" and "Takin' It to the Streets." McDonald's career spans over five decades, earning him five Grammy Awards and induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of The Doobie Brothers.
Before joining The Doobie Brothers, McDonald was a backing vocalist for Steely Dan. After leaving the Doobie Brothers in 1982, he launched a successful solo career with hits such as "I Keep Forgettin' (Every Time You're Near)" and "Sweet Freedom."
Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, McDonald collaborated with numerous artists, including James Ingram, Patti LaBelle, and Kenny Loggins. He's known for his duets, particularly "On My Own" with Patti LaBelle. In the 2000s, McDonald experienced a career resurgence with his Motown covers albums. He has continued to tour, collaborate, and release original music, including the 2017 album "Wide Open."
Early Life
Michael McDonald was born on February 12, 1952, in Ferguson, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis. He attended McCluer High School, where he played in local bands such as Mike and the Majestics, Jerry Jay and the Sheratons, and The Guild. He was discovered while playing in a band called Blue, and in 1970, he moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in music.
Steely Dan
In 1974, McDonald became a member of Steely Dan's touring band, singing lead and backing vocals. He became one of many in-studio adjunct members of the band and provided backing vocals on tracks for the Steely Dan album "Katy Lied," released in 1975. He appeared on two subsequent albums, 1976's "The Royal Scam" and 1977's "Aja", and played keyboards on some tracks. He continued to be a backup vocalist for the band through their 1980 release "Gaucho." In 2006, Michael joined Steely Dan on their summer tour both as an opener and as part of the band.
The Doobie Brothers
In 1975, McDonald was recruited by rock band The Doobie Brothers. He was initially hired as a temporary replacement for their lead vocalist, Tom Johnston, after he had become ill on tour, but McDonald's work was so successful that they kept him on as a full-time member. Michael sang the lead vocals for many of the band's best-known songs, such as the hits "Takin' It to the Streets," "Real Love," "Little Darling," "It Keeps You Runnin'," "Minute by Minute," and "What a Fool Believes," which became a #1 single in the U.S. At the same time, he appeared as a session vocalist and keyboardist for many artists who were popular at the time including Kenny Loggins, Toto, and Bonnie Raitt. McDonald co-wrote the song "You Belong to Me" with Carly Simon around this time.
After The Doobie Brothers first broke up in 1982, Michael reunited as a guest performer with the band several times after they reconciled. In 2010, McDonald appeared on the band's 13th studio album, 2010's "World Gone Crazy." In March 2014, he appeared with them on a new album featuring the greatest hits of the Doobies' 40-year career. The album was called "SouthBound" and was released in November 2014, marking the band's 14th studio album.
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Solo Career
After the Doobie Brothers' first farewell tour concluded, McDonald embarked on a solo career in the early '80s with his first album, "If That's What It Takes." The album featured the hit singles "I Keep Forgettin' (Every Time You're Near)" and "I Gotta Try." He continued to collaborate with other artists during this period, co-writing Van Halen's top-20 hit "I'll Wait" in 1984. In 1985, he released his second studio album, "No Lookin' Back." For the first time in his solo career, he had co-produced and either co-written or written all the tracks. The title track was a minor hit, co-written by Kenny Loggins. By 1986, the album "No Lookin' Back" had seen little success, but McDonald had a huge hit with the release of the single "Sweet Freedom." The song appeared on the soundtrack to the film "Running Scared" and was his last top-10 hit on the "Billboard" Hot 100 chart. He re-released "No Lookin' Back" with some songs re-mixed and the new hit single "On My Own," a duet with Patti Labelle, which reached #1 on the U.S. charts in 1986. Later that year, Michael performed as a backing vocalist on Toto's album "Fahrenheit," appearing on the hit single "I'll Be Over You." In 1990, McDonald released his third studio album, "Take It to Heart." In 1991, he released a duet with Aretha Franklin, "Ever Changing Times," as a single.
In 1999, McDonald recorded the song "Eyes of a Child," a comedic ballad written by Trey Parker for the ending credits of "South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut." He has also appeared on "30 Rock" and "The Young and the Restless." In 2003, Michael earned two Grammy nods for his album "Motown," a tribute to Motown music. In 2004, "Motown 2" was released. In 2008, he released another album of covers, "Soul Speak." In 2013, McDonald settled a breach-of-contract suit out of court with Warner Music over underpayment of royalties of online sales. The next year, Michael co-headlined a U.S. tour with the rock band Toto. In 2017, he teamed up again with Kenny Loggins on Thundercat's single "Show You the Way" from the album "Drunk." Later that year, McDonald released his 10th studio album, "Wide Open." In 2018, he appeared as a guest vocalist on Barbra Streisand's cover of "What the World Needs Now."
He is the recipient of five Grammys, including Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal for "Yah Mo B There" in 1984, Song of the Year for "What a Fool Believes" and Record of the Year for "What a Fool Believes". Throughout his career, he has worked with artists such as Jack Jones, Van Halen, Patti LaBelle, Carly Simon, and Bonnie Raitt.
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Regulate
In 1994 Warren G used a prominent sample portion of Michael's song "I Keep Forgettin' (Every Time You're Near)" as the basis for what became the smash hit "Regulate." The song reached #2 on the "Billboard" Hot 100 and #8 on the R&B/Hip-Hop chart.
Personal Life & Real Estate
Michael McDonald has been married to wife Amy Holland since 1983. They have two children together, Dylan (b. 1987) and Scarlett (b. 1991). McDonald and Holland live in Franklin, Tennessee.
In 2014, Michael and Amy paid $2.215 million for a home in Santa Barbara, California. They listed this home for sale in July 2024 for $4.6 million. They have previously owned several homes in the Maui town of Lahaina. They sold one Lahaina property in 2017 for $1 million. They sold another in 2022 for $2.9 million. Their primary property is a 13-acre estate in Franklin, Tennessee.
