Michael McDonald's 'Half Truth' Premieres at Billboard; New Album 'Wide Open' Out Today
By: BWW
News Desk Sep. 15, 2017
"Half Truth," the new single from five-time Grammy Award winning vocalist and acclaimed singer/songwriter Michael McDonald, is premiering via Billboard. Stream/share the track at http://bit.ly/2uKxUMD, and watch Michael discuss the track in further detail athttps://youtu.be/Wbq5irbtymE.
The song appears on Wide Open, McDonald's first album of new music in nearly a decade, outSeptember 15 via BMG. The record features special guests including Warren Haynes, Robben Ford, Marcus Miller and Branford Marsalis. View the album trailer athttps://youtu.be/KOlnGSsD4jk.
Most recently, NPR Music's "Songs We Love" premiered the album's first single, "Find It In Your Heart," raving that "within seconds of the opening 'oohs' and warm, groovy vibes of McDonald's new song, 'Find It In Your Heart,' your heart will be overjoyed. The opening notes call up immediate memories of some of his much-beloved Doobie Brothers classics, like 'What A Fool Believes' and 'Takin' It To The Streets,' as well as some of of his incredible harmony singing with Steely Dan on 'Peg' and 'Bad Sneakers.'" Stream/share the track athttp://n.pr/2uEaM6m.
McDonald also recently celebrated the release of Wide Open with a performance for PBS' "Soundstage," scheduled to air this fall, and is slated to tour extensively throughout the summer and fall including dates at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium, ACL Live in Austin and the closing set at the Treftles Stage at the Kaaboo Festival. See below for a complete list of tour dates.
Wide Open follows a trio of albums of R&B and soul covers McDonald recorded for the fabled Motown label, the most recent being 2008's Soul Speak. Wide Open is McDonald's first album of original material in 17 years, comprised largely of material written over a number of years in-between projects and recorded in McDonald's Nashville studio with drummer Shannon Forrest(Faith Hill, Blake Shelton, Tim McGraw, Toto) and an extensive cast of Nashville session musicians.
McDonald also recently collaborated with bassist Thundercat and Kenny Loggins on the hit single "Show You The Way" which the trio performed on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon." Watch/share the performance of the track from Thundercat's critically acclaimed new album Drunk at https://youtu.be/x8AgdI4eyFc. McDonald joined Thunrdercat during a surprise guest appearance at this year's Coachella, as well; the Los Angeles Times hailed McDonald's surprise appearance as one of the "10 best performances" at the festival, praising "McDonald's silky keys over Thundercat's undulating bass," while The Guardian called it "a perfect moment in a set that contained slick highs" and Billboard noted, "Who thought that in 2017 65-year old Doobie Brothers singer Michael McDonald would bring down the house at Coachella?" Watch/share the performance via Pitchfork at http://bit.ly/2pt2ito.
With a career that encompasses five Grammys, numerous chart successes and personal and professional accolades, as well as collaborations with some of the world's most prominent artists, Michael McDonald remains an enduring force in popular music. Hailing from St. Louis, McDonald arrived in Los Angeles in the early 1970s, honing his talents as a studio musician before becoming an integral part of Steely Dan. In the mid-'70s McDonald was invited to join the Doobie Brothers as the band redefined their sound with McDonald serving as singer, keyboardist and songwriter on such Top 40 singles as "Takin' It To The Streets," "It Keeps You Runnin'," "Minute By Minute" and "What A Fool Believes." Throughout the '80s and '90s McDonald's solo career took off with a string of hits including "I Keep Forgettin' (Every Time You're Near)," "Sweet Freedom," "On My Own" (with Patti LaBelle) and the Grammy-winning James Ingram duet "Yah Mo B There," plus he co-wrote the Van Halen hit "I'll Wait." McDonald has performed with a who's-who of critically acclaimed artists across a number of genres, including Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Elton John, Joni Mitchell, Vince Gill and Grizzly Bear.
MICHAEL MCDONALD LIVE
| August 10 |
Woodinville, WA
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Chateau Ste Michelle Winery
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| August 11 |
Spokane, WA
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Northern Quest Resort & Casino
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| August 12 |
Goldendale, WA
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Maryhill Winery Amphitheater
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| August 15 |
Livermore, CA
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Wente Vineyards
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| August 16 |
Paso Robles, CA
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Vina Robles Amphitheatre
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| August 18 |
Reno, NV
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Carson Valley Inn Casino-TJ's Corrall
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| August 19 |
West Wendover, NV
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Peppermill Concert Hall
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| August 20 |
Steamboat Springs, CO
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Strings Music Festival
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| September 15 |
Del Mar, CA
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Kaaboo
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| October 12 |
Carmel, IN
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The Palladium
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| October 13 |
Northfield, OH
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Hard Rock Live
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| October 15 |
New London, CT
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Garde Arts Center
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| October 17 |
Portland, ME
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State Theatre
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| October 19 |
New York, NY
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Carnegie Hall
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| October 21 |
Clearwater, FL
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Clearwater Jazz Holiday at Coachman Park
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| October 22 |
Atlanta, GA
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Atlanta Symphony Hall
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| October 24 |
Durham, NC
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Durham Performing Arts Center
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| October 26 |
Lynn, MA
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Lynn Veteran's Memorial Auditorium
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| October 27 |
Philadelphia, PA
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Merriam Theatre
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| October 28 |
Washington, DC
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Warner Theatre
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| October 30 |
Nashville, TN
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Ryman Auditorium
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| November 2 |
Minneapolis, MN
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State Theatre
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| November 3 |
St. Louis, MO
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Peabody Opera House
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| November 4 |
Memphis, TN
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Orpheum Theatre
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| November 6 |
Austin, TX
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ACL Live at the Moody Theater
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| November 7 |
Fort Worth, TX
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Bass Performance Hall
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| November 16 |
Oakland, CA
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Fox Theater
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| November 17 |
Los Angeles, CA
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Orpheum Theatre
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| November 18 |
Rancho Cucamonga, CA
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Lewis Family Playhouse
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