“Whenever I sing blues from the '50s or the kind of blues that you might have heard Eric Clapton or Duane Allman emulate, I often feel the similarity of some of the ragtime stuff I sang early on. A lot of the phrasing and the harmonization is the same.”

American singer, keyboardist, and songwriter

Michael McDonald is an American singer, keyboardist, and songwriter. He is known for his distinctive, soulful voice and for his work with Steely Dan and the Doobie Brothers. He sang backing vocals for Steely Dan from 1973 to 1980, then became a lead vocalist and keyboardist for the Doobie Brothers across several periods. With the band, he wrote and sang hits including "What a Fool Believes," "Minute by Minute," "Takin' It to the Streets," "Real Love," and "It Keeps You Runnin'." He has also been a sought-after backing vocalist for artists such as Toto, Christopher Cross, and Kenny Loggins.