Michael McDonald (musician)

== 2000–present ==
[[File:Michael McDonald (singer).jpg|thumb|McDonald performing in 2011]]
In 2003, McDonald earned two Grammy nominations for his sixth studio album ''[[Motown (album)|Motown]],'' a tribute to the [[Motown]] sound. A year later, ''[[Motown Two]]'' was released. Music critic [[Stephen Thomas Erlewine]] stated, "The album follows the same blueprint as the first record, offering highly polished, professionally produced, expertly performed interpretations of gems from the Motown vaults."<ref>{{cite web|title=Motown Two – Michael McDonald |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/motown-two-mw0000142327|website=AllMusic}}</ref>

In 2000, McDonald, along with partners Chris Pelonis and actor [[Jeff Bridges]], founded the independent recording label Ramp.  On  May 11, 2003, McDonald was inducted into the [[St. Louis Walk of Fame]].<ref>[https://stlouiswalkoffame.org/inductee/michael-mcdonald/ St. Louis Walk of Fame – Michael McDonald]</ref> McDonald recorded a duet with [[Ray Charles]] on Charles' final studio album ''[[Genius Loves Company]]'' (2004). In 2007, McDonald helped judge the sixth annual Independent Music Awards.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.independentmusicawards.com/ima_new/imajudges2007.asp|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091005194007/http://www.independentmusicawards.com/ima_new/imajudges2007.asp|url-status=dead|title=Independent Music Awards – 6th Annual Judges|archive-date=October 5, 2009}}</ref> In 2006, McDonald sang as a guest singer in the jazz quartet ''[[Fourplay]]'' from the studio album ''[[X (Fourplay album)|X]]'', in a cover of [[Steve Winwood]]'s song "My Love's Leavin'".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/x-mw0000572007|title=X - Fourplay - Songs, Reviews, Credits - AllMusic|website=AllMusic|access-date=September 16, 2017}}</ref>

In 2008, McDonald released his studio album ''[[Soul Speak]]'', which includes three new songs penned by McDonald, and covers of songs originally made famous by [[Dionne Warwick]] ("[[Walk On By (song)|Walk On By]]"), [[Stevie Wonder]] ("[[Living for the City]]"), [[Van Morrison]] ("[[Into the Mystic]]"), [[Tyrone Davis]] ("Baby Can I Change My Mind"), and others.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bluesandsoul.com/feature/262/michael_mcdonald_speaks_from_the_soul/ |title=Michael McDonald interview by Pete Lewis, ''Blues & Soul'', April 2008 |publisher=Bluesandsoul.com |access-date=October 22, 2011}}</ref> In 2009, McDonald along with the [[West Angeles Church of God in Christ|West Angeles COGIC]] Mass Choir, released the song "Storm Before the Calm" on the compilation album ''[[Oh Happy Day: An All-Star Music Celebration|Oh Happy Day]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/musicNews/idUSTRE52Q6WQ20090327|title=Jon Bon Jovi, Queen Latifah go gospel for "Day"|date=March 27, 2009|publisher=Reuters}}</ref> McDonald also contributed an alternate lead vocal track for the 7-inch single "[[While You Wait for the Others]]", by the [[indie rock]] band [[Grizzly Bear (band)|Grizzly Bear]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pitchfork.com/news/35952-michael-mcdonald-sings-on-new-grizzly-bear-single |title=Michael McDonald Sings on New Grizzly Bear Single |date=August 31, 2009 |publisher=Pitchfork |access-date=April 12, 2010}}</ref>

In December 2009, McDonald donated his performance to Keep the Beat in [[Santa Barbara, California]], where he played to a capacity crowd at the newly renovated Granada Theater. Harry Rabin, producer and head of Keep the Beat, an initiative of the Santa Barbara Education Foundation, produced the show, including two video productions, and worked with student choral groups from primary and secondary schools as well as a brass section so they could perform in the show with McDonald and his band.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://sbefoundation.org/mcdonald/tickets.html/ |title=Santa Barbara Education Foundation |publisher=Sbefoundation.org |access-date=April 12, 2010 }}{{dead link|date=December 2016 |fix-attempted=yes}}</ref>

In 2009, McDonald appeared on the satirical television sitcom ''[[30 Rock]]'' as one of the benefit singers in the season finale episode "[[Kidney Now!]]".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://newsroom.mtv.com/2009/05/15/30-rock-kidney-now-song-inspires-we-are-the-world-nostalgia/ |archive-url=https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20091029004959/http://newsroom.mtv.com/2009/05/15/30-rock-kidney-now-song-inspires-we-are-the-world-nostalgia/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 29, 2009 |title='30 Rock' 'Kidney Now!' Song Inspires 'We Are The World' Nostalgia |publisher=MTV |date=May 15, 2009 |access-date=April 12, 2010  }}</ref> McDonald performed the national anthem before the [[2010 Fiesta Bowl|Tostitos Fiesta Bowl]] between the [[2009 Boise State Broncos football team|Boise State Broncos]] and [[2009 TCU Horned Frogs football team|TCU Horned Frogs]] at the [[State Farm Stadium|University of Phoenix Stadium]] on January 4, 2010, in [[Glendale, Arizona]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.zimbio.com/pictures/ucyLzMGBmpX/Tostitos+Fiesta+Bowl+TCU+v+Boise+State|title=Michael McDonald in Tostitos Fiesta Bowl - TCU v Boise State|website=Zimbio}}</ref> McDonald sang "Takin' It to the Streets" on the ''[[American Idol]]'' [[American Idol (season 9)#Group songs|season nine finale]], in 2010.<ref>{{cite web|title='American Idol' Crowns A Winner: The Live Blog|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/2578686/american-idol-winner-live-blog/|website=MTV News}}</ref>

In 2010, McDonald teamed up again with Donald Fagen and Boz Scaggs, to form [[the Dukes of September]]. In June 2012, the [[supergroup (music)|supergroup]] performed on ''[[Late Night with Jimmy Fallon]]'' to promote their tour. The group also played at [[Lincoln Center]], a performance which was then broadcast as a [[PBS]] special and later released on DVD.

In 2013, McDonald settled a $500,000 breach-of-contract suit (out of court) with Warner Music over underpayment of royalties of online sales.<ref name="usatoday">{{cite web|author=Bobby Allyn |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/07/15/doobie-brothers-royalty-deal/2517475/ |title=Singer Michael McDonald reaches online music deal |work=USA Today |date=July 15, 2013 |access-date=January 27, 2014}}</ref> In the summer of 2014, he co-headlined a U.S. tour with the rock band [[Toto (band)|Toto]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.michaelmcdonald.com/michaelMcDonaldTourPage.html|title=Tour Page|access-date=March 19, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140327234253/http://www.michaelmcdonald.com/michaelMcDonaldTourPage.html|archive-date=March 27, 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2017, McDonald was featured together with [[Kenny Loggins]] on [[Thundercat (musician)|Thundercat]]'s single "Show You the Way", included on the latter's album ''[[Drunk (album)|Drunk]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/tracks/18710-thundercat-show-you-the-way-ft-michael-mcdonald-kenny-loggins/|title=Listen to "Show You the Way" [ft. Michael McDonald & Kenny Loggins] by Thundercat|website=Pitchfork.com}}</ref> In June 2017, McDonald, Loggins and Thundercat performed the song together on ''[[The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/hip-hop/7824496/tonigh-show-thundercat-show-you-the-way-kenny-loggins-michael-mcdonald|title=Thundercat Performs 'Show You The Way' with With Kenny Loggins, Michael McDonald on 'Tonight Show': Watch|website=Billboard.com|date=June 6, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210917092219/https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/hip-hop/7824496/tonigh-show-thundercat-show-you-the-way-kenny-loggins-michael-mcdonald|archive-date=September 17, 2021}}</ref>

In 2018, he appeared as a guest vocalist on the song "What the World Needs Now" on [[Barbra Streisand]]'s thirty-sixth studio album ''[[Walls (Barbra Streisand album)|Walls]]''.{{citation needed|date=August 2020}} In 2021, McDonald was featured on "The Best of Me", from [[Toad the Wet Sprocket]]'s seventh studio album, ''Starting Now''.<ref>{{Cite web|date=September 14, 2021|title=Toad the Wet Sprocket Are One Again, 'Starting Now'|url=https://americansongwriter.com/toad-the-wet-sprocket-are-one-again-starting-now/|access-date=September 27, 2021|website=American Songwriter|language=en-US}}</ref>