The Doobie Brothers 3

The Doobie Brothers performed at the South Mountain Music Fair in West Orange, NJ on July 9, 1981.

Michael McDonald was recruited by The Doobie Brothers in April 1975, initially as a temporary replacement for their lead vocalist Tom Johnston but McDonald's work with the band proved so successful that they decided to retain him as a full-time member.

As a member of the Doobie Brothers, McDonald sang lead vocals on some of the band's best-known songs, such as "Real Love", "Takin' It to the Streets", "Little Darling (I Need You)", "It Keeps You Runnin'", "Minute by Minute", and "What a Fool Believes" (which became a number-one single in the U.S. and earned him a 1980 Grammy Award for Song of the Year along with co-writer Kenny Loggins).