The Doobie Brothers and Special Guests Bring Audience to Their Feet with Memorable Performance on CMA Awards

The Doobies Score the Week's Top New Country Album with Southbound

Nashville, TN - Four-time GRAMMY®-winning band The Doobie Brothers with Michael McDonald brought the spirit of their new album, Southbound, to The 48th Annual CMA Awards last week with an all-star two-song performance. The Doobies had the audience on its feet opening with "Listen to the Music," which included Lady Antebellum's Hillary Scott, Hunter Hayes, and Jennifer Nettles, with CMA co-host Brad Paisley jumping in on guitar for their show-closing second song, "Takin' It to the Streets."

For their part, the Doobies were truly taken aback by the experience, with Tom Johnston saying, "It was quite a rush to play for that crowd and to see everyone get up and groove with us!! That's the payoff for a musician/performer. It's the connection with the crowd, and that was one hell of a crowd!!"

Doobie John McFee added, "It was amazing, overwhelming, and wonderful. I was honestly quite nervous as we took the stage," McFee admitted, but with the enthusiasm from the audience, he says, "my nervousness became excitement, and as we started playing, the music and the crowd's energy transformed us all into one big happy family."

The Doobies were right at home on the CMA stage, having just last week releasedSouthbound, their new album of country collaborations featuring some of country's top stars performing with the band on all-new versions of some of the Doobies' classic hits. This week, Southbound vaults onto Billboard's Top Country Albums sales chart at #7, earning top honors as the chart's highest debuting new album.

Reflecting on the Southbound album, Doobie Patrick Simmons shared, "This whole project, from conception to completion, has been one of the most enjoyable experiences of my life. I've done other musical projects in Nashville, and I'm always inspired by the musicians and the creative influences that are everywhere you turn. The warmth and inclusion that I've always found here keep me coming back again, and again. The performances by the artists on Southbound have made all these songs new again, and surpass my greatest expectations. I'm so proud to be a part of the album, and I want to give a special thanks to our amazing producer David Huff, who was the guiding force behind the effort."

The album is currently available here: http://smarturl.it/southbound.

The track listing with guest artists joining The Doobie Brothers on Southbound is as follows:

"Black Water" (with Zac Brown Band)

"Listen to the Music" (with Blake Shelton and Hunter Hayes on guitar)

"What a Fool Believes" (with Sara Evans)

"Long Train Runnin'" (with Toby Keith and Huey Lewis on harmonica)

"China Grove" (with Chris Young)

"Takin' It to the Streets" (with Love and Theft)

"Jesus Is Just Alright" (with Casey James)

"Rockin' Down the Highway" (with Brad Paisley)

"Take Me in Your Arms (Rock Me)" (with Tyler Farr)

"South City Midnight Lady" (with Jerrod Niemann)

"You Belong to Me" (with Amanda Sudano Ramirez of the band Johnnyswim and Vince Gill on guitar)

"Nobody" (with Charlie Worsham)

Released on Arista Nashville, Southbound finds Michael McDonald returning to the band for this project, while The Doobie Brothers' most recent studio lineup harkens back to their earliest days. Fellow singer/songwriter/guitarist/lead vocalists Patrick Simmons and Tom Johnston continue to front the group, while multi-instrumentalist (and Southern Pacific co-founder) John McFee's history with the Brothers dates back to 1978.

Formed in 1969 by Simmons and Johnston, the Doobies made their mark with a run of punchy, melodic hits on Warner Bros. Records, attaining radio and chart ubiquity in the early '70s. The group's expanded line-up was later augmented by Michael McDonald, whose soaring lead vocals pushed the band to new commercial and critical heights.

Their #1 singles "Black Water" and "What a Fool Believes," both gold, lead a catalog of indelible songs that includes "Listen to the Music," "Jesus Is Just Alright," "Rockin' Down the Highway," "Long Train Runnin'," "China Grove," "Take Me in Your Arms," "Takin' It to the Streets," "Minute by Minute," "You Belong to Me," "The Doctor," and more. In all, the Doobies have tallied five top 10 singles and 16 top 40 hits.

Through their career, the Doobies have rung up a glittering track record that would be the envy of any band. Beginning with their multi-million-selling sophomore collection Toulouse Street, the Doobies have 3 multi-platinum, 7 platinum and 14 gold albums. Their Best of the Doobies has sold more than 11 million copies - a rare "diamond record." To date, the band's propulsive, roots-based, harmony-laden, guitar-driven style has sold more than 40 million albums.

Photo information - Pictured performing on The 48th Annual CMA Awards (l-r): Michael McDonald, Brad Paisley, The Doobie Brothers' Patrick Simmons, Jennifer Nettles, Doobie Tom Johnston, Lady Antebellum's Hillary Scott, Hunter Hayes, and Doobie John McFee. Credit - CMA

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Posted on Friday, November 14, 2014 | Comments (0) | Permalink