 Michael McDonald was born on February 12, 1952, into an Irish American Catholic family in Ferguson, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis.McDonald attended McCluer High School, where he played in local bands including Mike and the Majestics, Jerry Jay and the Sheratons, the Reeb-Toors/Younger Brothers, and the Guild.He was 'discovered' while playing with a band called Blue, and moved to Los Angeles, California, in 1970 to pursue a career in music.