Michael McDonald

Michael McDonald is the embodiment of a certain California soul vibe: his strong, husky baritone and neatly coiffed hirsute ruggedness are born of the sun-kissed Pacific Coast Highway, roof-down, worldly cares receding gently in the rearview mirror. Ease into gear with "I Keep Forgettin'", a duet with sister Maureen, from his 1982 solo debut album, If That's What It Takes. McDonald slips elegantly into the shoes of Marvin and Smokey, in Next Steps.

After perfecting his unmistakable vocal signature with the Doobie Brothers ("You Belong to Me"), McDonald proceeded to seek out material that would best serve his incredible pipes, some of which he found in writing collaborations with Kenny Loggins (e.g. the title track from 1985's No Lookin' Back). In the 21st century, he would look to the vaults of Motown for a series of tribute albums: his vanilla version of "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" is truly majestic. Warren G takes McDonald to rap-land, in Deep Cuts.

It's no surprise that we find McDonald's compadre Christopher Cross here — check out his stellar backing work on "Ride Like the Wind" — but Warren G? The rapper leans heavily on "I Keep Forgettin'" for his easy-flowing '94 smash "Regulate". Also, we thought you'd appreciate a silky, slower tempo live version of the Doobie Brothers' classic "What a Fool Believes", recorded in Santa Cruz (June 1993) as a duet with songwriting pal Loggins.

Over the course of more than three decades, Michael McDonald has carved himself a niche as one of blue-eyed soul's great renaissance men. In the second half of the '70s, while settling in as a replacement for Doobie Brothers frontman Tommy Johnston (who had fallen ill), he was also laying down vocals for Steely Dan (from '75s Katy Lied to 1980's Gaucho). As a sought-after collaborator, he's turned in sterling harmony work with — among others — Patti Labelle, James Ingram, Kenny Loggins, Donna Summer, and Bonnie Raitt, and in 2000 he cofounded California-based independent label Ramp Records with actor Jeff Bridges. As for his solo work, look no further — we've gathered McDonald's finest tracks right here.