HOLLYWOOD, Fla. (Aug. 11, 2015) – Five-time Grammy Award winner Michael McDonald brings “Michael McDonald: This Christmas – An Evening of Holiday & Hits” to Hard Rock Live at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino on Thursday, Dec. 17, at 8 p.m. Tickets go on sale Friday, Aug. 14, at 10 a.m. Fans will have access to presale tickets beginning Thursday, Aug. 13, at 10 a.m. through Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood’s Facebook and Twitter pages.
Think of Michael McDonald and the first thing that comes to mind is that voice. Distinctive and soulful, it is one of the most yearningly emotive instruments of our time. To this add formidable songwriting and keyboard skills, and you have an artist who has been a singular musical presence for four decades.
Born in St. Louis on Feb. 12, 1952, McDonald started singing when he was 4 years old. By age 12, he was playing piano, writing songs, and gigging out with his first bands. Determined to pursue music full-time, he moved to Los Angeles in the early ‘70s, where he honed his skills as a session musician and singer.
This soon led to an invitation to join Steely Dan. Over the course of four classic albums, from “Katy Lied” to “Gaucho,” McDonald became an integral part of the group’s sound, singing background vocals on FM staples like “Black Friday” and “Peg.”
In the mid-’70s, McDonald joined The Doobie Brothers, helping the band redefine their funky R&B sound as a singer, keyboardist and songwriter on such classic singles as “Takin’ It To The Streets,” “Minute By Minute” and “What A Fool Believes.”
McDonald’s distinct vocal style also made him one of the world’s most sought-after session singers. Over the years, he has guested on records by many artists, including Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin and Elton John. Meanwhile, in the ‘80s and ‘90s, his solo career zoomed from success to success on the wings of evergreen hits like “I Keep Forgettin’” and the Grammy Award-winning duet with James Ingram “Yah Mo B There.”
In 2003 and 2004, McDonald released his Grammy-nominated, platinum-selling “Motown” and “Motown Two” albums. And in 2005, he partnered with Hallmark for a special Christmas album, “Through the Many Winters,” which sold 500,000 copies in its first two weeks.
On the heels of 2008’s acclaimed crossover album “Soul Speak,” McDonald continues to tour the world, while moonlighting alongside co-horts Donald Fagen and Boz Scaggs with The Dukes Of September, an 11-piece soul supergroup. And as one more feather in his cap, in May 2011, McDonald received an honorary doctorate from Berklee College of Music.
With a career that encompasses five Grammy Awards, numerous chart successes, ongoing humanitarian work, as well as collaborations with some of the world’s most prominent artists, Michael McDonald remains an enduring force in popular music.
Tickets cost $49, $39 & $29.* All seats are reserved and available at all Ticketmaster outlets online at www.myhrl.com, http://www.ticketmaster.com/ or charge by phone: 1-800-745-3000. Doors open one-hour prior to show start time. *Additional fees may apply.
