Grammy Winner Michael McDonald to Make His Walt Disney Concert Hall Debut, 5/3

Five-time Grammy-winning singer/songwriter Michael McDonald will make his Walt Disney Concert Hall debut on Sunday, May 3, at 7:30 PM, as part of the LA Phil's Songbook series. A six-piece band joins McDonald for a program that includes chart-topping hits and fan favorites that span his tremendous four-decade career.

McDonald began to perform and record professionally in the early '70s as a session musician and singer, and was invited to join Steely Dan. Over the course of four acclaimed albums, from Katy Lied to Gaucho, McDonald sang background vocals on such FM staples as "Black Friday" and "Peg," and became an integral part of the group's sound.

Three years after joining Steely Dan, McDonald was invited to collaborate with the Doobie Brothers and helped redefine their funky, R&B style. As a singer, keyboardist and songwriter, he contributed to many of their biggest hits, including "Takin' It To The Streets," "It Keeps You Runnin'," "Minute By Minute," and "What A Fool Believes."

During the '80s and '90s, McDonald embarked on his own successful solo career, writing and recording hits such as "Sweet Freedom," "On My Own" (a duet with Patti LaBelle), and the Grammy-winning duet with James Ingram "Yah Mo B There." McDonald's 2008 acclaimed crossover album Soul Speakhit three different charts simultaneously, and in 2011, he received an honorary doctorate from Berklee School of Music.

Throughout his career, McDonald has collaborated with some of the world's most prominent artists, including Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Elton John, Joni Mitchell and Vince Gill, as well as recent genre-busting guest spots with alternative buzz bands Grizzly Bear and Holy Ghost.

McDonald has long been an active humanitarian and has lent his talents and energies to many causes and benefits, including MusiCares, the National Council of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse, and the 7UP Grammy Signature Schools Program. At Kokua For Japan in 2011, he was part of a star-studded lineup for a concert that raised $1.6 million for tsunami relief.

For more information, please visit:

http://www.laphil.com/tickets/michael-mcdonald/2015-05-03

To purchase tickets, please visit LAPhil.com, the Walt Disney Concert Hall Box Office or any Ticketmaster outlet. To order by phone with credit card, please call the Walt Disney Concert Hall Box Office at 323.850.2000, or Ticketmaster at 800.745.3000. For more information, please call323.850.2000.

The Los Angeles Philharmonic Association, under the vibrant leadership of Music Director & Artistic Director Gustavo Dudamel, presents an inspiring array of music from all genres - orchestral, chamber and Baroque music, organ and celebrity recitals, new music, jazz, world music and pop - at two of L.A.'s iconic venues, Walt Disney Concert Hall (www.laphil.com) and the Hollywood Bowl (www.hollywoodbowl.com). The LA Phil's season at Walt Disney Concert Hall extends from September through May, and throughout the summer at the Hollywood Bowl. With the preeminent Los Angeles Philharmonic at the foundation of its offerings, the LA Phil aims to enrich and transform lives through music, with a robust mix of artistic, education and community programs.

Photo Courtesy of the LA Phil

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