Five-time Grammy® winner Michael McDonald will perform This Christmas, An Evening of Holiday and Hits at DPAC, Durham Performing Arts Center, on December 1, 2013. Michael McDonald will sing his hits from his vast catalog, plus classic ho...
Five-time Grammy® winner Michael McDonald will perform This Christmas, An Evening of Holiday and Hits at DPAC, Durham Performing Arts Center, on December 1, 2013. Michael McDonald will sing his hits from his vast catalog, plus classic holiday tunes.
“Several times a year there is a cheer that goes up around the office when we receive confirmation of a new booking,” said Bob Klaus, GM of DPAC. “That was the case when we heard Michael McDonald was coming to DPAC. We’ve known forever that we’re the perfect venue for his show and many on staff are big fans. This night will provide Triangle music fans with a rare chance to see one of rock’s best voices, up close and with the near perfect acoustics that have helped make DPAC concerts famous.”
Two notes. That’s all it takes to recognize the voice of Michael McDonald. Distinctive and soulful, it is one of the most yearningly emotive instruments of our times. To this add formidable songwriting and keyboard skills, and you have an artist who has been a singular musical presence for four decades. From ‘70s-era Doobie Brothers classics such as “What A Fool Believes” and solo hits like “I Keep Forgettin’” through two highly-acclaimed Motown covers albums and recent genre-busting guest spots with alternative buzz bands Grizzly Bear and Holy Ghost, the five-time Grammy®-winning McDonald is that rare thing in contemporary pop – an artist whose work is both timeless and ever-evolving.
Along with his musical contributions, McDonald has long been an active humanitarian. Over the years, he 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. Most recently, in April 2011, he was part of a star-studded lineup at Kokua For Japan, a concert that raised $1.6 million for tsunami relief.
Continuing to explore new vistas, in 2003 and 2004, McDonald released his Grammy®-nominated, platinum-selling pair of Motown albums. Then 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 (which hit three different charts simultaneously) and multiple appearances on PBS’s Soundstage, McDonald continues to tour the world, from Europe to Asia to Australia, while moonlighting alongside cohorts 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 School of Music.
With a career that encompasses five Grammy® Awards, numerous chart successes, personal and professional accolades, as well as collaborations with some of the world’s most prominent artists, Michael McDonald remains an enduring force in popular music.
