With a new album, tour and impending induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, the Doobie Brothers are takin’ it to the streets like it’s 1976.
The quartet of Patrick Simmons, Tom Johnston, John McFee and Michael McDonald will hit the road Aug. 4 partially to jam through their 50-plus years of hits such as “Listen to the Music,” “Black Water,” “What a Fool Believes” and “China Grove,” but also to support their 16th studio album, “Walk This Road,” out June 6.
The album, which features Mavis Staples and Mick Fleetwood, also marks their first with McDonald in the studio in more than 40 years.
A bit of nostalgia also colors their upcoming live shows, as the six-week tour will spotlight openers The Coral Reefer Band, the beloved touring and recording outfit of Jimmy Buffett, who died in 2023.
Recently, Simmons – from Maui, his home of 30 years – and McDonald – from his 100-year-old hacienda in Santa Barbara, California – talked about the inherent positivity in the new album, the Doobies’ history with the Coral Reefer Band and why Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones might end up directing their documentary.
