In 1950, future Rock and Roll Hall of Famer John McFee was born on Sept. 9. Now, the longtime member of The Doobie Brothers is celebrating his 76th birthday after a career that has taken him from some of rock’s most notable recordings to an unexpected second act as a country hitmaker.
McFee joined The Doobie Brothers in early 1979, replacing guitarist Jeff “Skunk” Baxter. His first studio album with the group was 1980’s One Step Closer, which was certified platinum. McFee also co-wrote the album’s title track with Keith Knudsen and Carlene Carter and co-wrote the Grammy-nominated instrumental “South Bay Strut.”
His association with the Doobies would ultimately span decades. After the band initially broke up in 1982 and later reunited, McFee returned in 1993. He contributed to the 2000 album Sibling Rivalry, including singing lead on “Angels of Madness,” and remains part of the band’s touring lineup today.
In 2020, McFee was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of The Doobie Brothers.
But The Doobie Brothers tell only part of McFee’s unusually varied story.
Before joining the Doobies, McFee had already assembled an impressive list of credits. He played pedal steel guitar on Van Morrison’s Tupelo Honey and Saint Dominic’s Preview and worked with artists including Steve Miller, the Grateful Dead, Boz Scaggs and Emmylou Harris.
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He was also a member of Clover alongside Huey Lewis and played extensively on Elvis Costello’s acclaimed 1977 debut My Aim Is True. McFee handled the album’s lead and pedal steel guitar work, including lead guitar on “Alison.” He later played pedal steel on Huey Lewis and the News’ blockbuster 1983 album Sports.
Following The Doobie Brothers’ 1982 breakup, McFee and fellow Doobie Keith Knudsen headed in a different musical direction, forming the country-rock band Southern Pacific.
The group’s lineup eventually included former Creedence Clearwater Revival bassist Stu Cook, and Southern Pacific became a regular presence on the country charts during the 1980s. Its hits included “Thing About You,” featuring Emmylou Harris, “New Shade of Blue,” “Honey I Dare You” and “Any Way the Wind Blows.”
McFee wasn’t merely the guitarist in the group. He co-wrote “New Shade of Blue” and “Honey I Dare You,” while “Any Way the Wind Blows” and “Reno Bound,” both of which he also co-wrote, appeared in the 1989 Clint Eastwood movie Pink Cadillac. McFee sang lead on both songs in the film.
After Southern Pacific disbanded, McFee eventually came home to The Doobie Brothers, where his arsenal of instruments extends far beyond guitar. The band’s current touring lineup credits him with guitar, pedal steel, Dobro, fiddle, violin, harmonica and vocals.
More than four decades after first joining the group, McFee remains part of The Doobie Brothers’ ongoing story at 76.
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