The Doobie Brothers’ ‘Minute by Minute,’ released on Dec. 1, 1978, features most people’s favorite Michael McDonald-era song. But mine’s not “What a Fool Believes.”

Michael McDonald can come off as a guilty pleasure, principally because his voice was so often caught in a web of too-slick production. Not here.

When Tom Johnston’s health faltered, producer Ted Templeman initially approached Patrick Simmons about fronting the Doobie Brothers. Simmons had another idea.

Most fans of the Doobie Brothers seem to have allegiances to particular periods in the band’s 45-year history — with the most common divide being Tom Johnston vs. Michael McDonald. You May Also Like: Why You Shouldn’t Overlook the Doobie Brothers’ ‘What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits’ Doobie Brothers’Read More

Donald Fagen, Michael McDonald and Boz Scaggs brought a tractor-trailer’s worth of hits — both as solo artists and with Steely Dan and the Doobie Brothers, respectively — to this setlist. More important, however, was their simpatico sense of musical camaraderie. You May Also Like: Michael McDonald, “Find It InRead More

Let the Music Play is subtitled “The Story of the Doobie Brothers,” and in keeping traces their oft-told journey from boogie-rock band to sleek soul-popsters and back. Most interesting of all, however, might be this DVD’s 48 minutes of rare live performances. You May Also Like: Why You Shouldn’t OverlookRead More

Tom Johnston, longtime frontman of the Doobie Brothers, traces his inspirations past other 1970s rock titans — all the way back to Little Richard, blues legends like Albert, Freddie and B.B. King and, especially, James Brown. You May Also Like: Doobie Brothers, Aug. 9, 2025: Shows I’ll Never Forget WhyRead More

Adrian Belew’s reflections on touring again with a pair of King Crimson bandmates led to some interesting comments on the future of that long-standing Robert Fripp-led amalgam — and a No. 1 vote from you in our monthly poll. March 2012 also saw a swarm of reader interest in jazzRead More

We were all set to continue our celebration of the upcoming Doobie Brothers tour alongside Chicago, when disaster struck the group — as cancer-stricken long-time drummer Michael Hossack died. You May Also Like: Why You Shouldn’t Overlook the Doobie Brothers’ ‘What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits’ Doobie Brothers’ “AngelsRead More

Founding member and trumpet player Lee Loughnane says Chicago has begun creating new music again — something fans have to be hoping leads one of the band’s increasingly rare studio projects. You May Also Like: Chicago, “Get On This” (unreleased, 1994): Saturdays in the Park Chicago, “It Better End Soon”Read More