Hugh McDonald (musician)
Encyclopedia
Hugh "Huge" McDonald (born December 28, 1950) is a well known session musician
and bassist
. Before joining Bon Jovi
he was the bass player for the David Bromberg Band, touring extensively worldwide and playing on many Bromberg albums. He has played with many artists, both live
and in the studio
, and has recorded with Willie Nelson
, Richie Sambora
, Steve Goodman
, Ringo Starr
, Bon Jovi
, Lita Ford
, Michael Bolton
, Cher
, Alice Cooper
, Jon Bon Jovi
, Ricky Martin
, and others.
He has worked with Bon Jovi in the studio since its inception and has been their live bassist since Alec John Such
's departure after Cross Road
was released in 1994, but is still regarded as an 'unofficial' member of Bon Jovi. Although he records with the band in studio and performs live on stage and during publicity performances, McDonald is left out of publicity shoots and album covers. He appears in some song videos but not others. Band members say they agreed never to replace former bass player Alec John Such
officially.
McDonald was one of the studio musicians that recorded Bon Jovi's original first demo for the song "Runaway
". When the song became a local hit, Jon Bon Jovi assembled his current band without McDonald. He has also appeared on Jon Bon Jovi
's solo album Destination Anywhere
and was part of Jon backing group, The Big Dogs
In 2004 he married Kelli, a horse trainer and jewelry designer. They reside near Park City, Utah
.
Compilation albums
Compilation albums
Live albums
Box sets
Session musician
Session musicians are instrumental and vocal performers, musicians, who are available to work with others at live performances or recording sessions. Usually such musicians are not permanent members of a musical ensemble and often do not achieve fame in their own right as soloists or bandleaders...
and bassist
Bassist
A bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
. Before joining Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi is an American rock band from Sayreville, New Jersey. Formed in 1983, Bon Jovi consists of lead singer and namesake Jon Bon Jovi , guitarist Richie Sambora, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, as well as current bassist Hugh McDonald...
he was the bass player for the David Bromberg Band, touring extensively worldwide and playing on many Bromberg albums. He has played with many artists, both live
Concert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
and in the studio
Studio
A studio is an artist's or worker's workroom, or the catchall term for an artist and his or her employees who work within that studio. This can be for the purpose of architecture, painting, pottery , sculpture, scrapbooking, photography, graphic design, filmmaking, animation, radio or television...
, and has recorded with Willie Nelson
Willie Nelson
Willie Hugh Nelson is an American country music singer-songwriter, as well as an author, poet, actor, and activist. The critical success of the album Shotgun Willie , combined with the critical and commercial success of Red Headed Stranger and Stardust , made Nelson one of the most recognized...
, Richie Sambora
Richie Sambora
Richard Stephen "Richie" Sambora is an American rock guitarist, producer, musician, singer, and songwriter who is the longtime lead guitarist of the rock band, Bon Jovi. He and frontman Jon Bon Jovi form the primary songwriting unit of the band...
, Steve Goodman
Steve Goodman
Steve Goodman was an American folk music singer-songwriter from Chicago, Illinois. The writer of "City of New Orleans", made popular by Arlo Guthrie, Goodman won two Grammy Awards.-Personal life:...
, Ringo Starr
Ringo Starr
Richard Starkey, MBE better known by his stage name Ringo Starr, is an English musician and actor who gained worldwide fame as the drummer for The Beatles. When the band formed in 1960, Starr was a member of another Liverpool band, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. He became The Beatles' drummer in...
, Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi is an American rock band from Sayreville, New Jersey. Formed in 1983, Bon Jovi consists of lead singer and namesake Jon Bon Jovi , guitarist Richie Sambora, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, as well as current bassist Hugh McDonald...
, Lita Ford
Lita Ford
Lita Ford is a British-born, American rock musician and singer who was the lead guitarist for The Runaways and achieved popularity for her solo career between the 1980s and late 2000s.-Early life:...
, Michael Bolton
Michael Bolton
Michael Bolton is an American singer and songwriter. Bolton originally performed in the hard rock and heavy metal genres from the mid 1970s to the mid 1980s, both on his early solo albums and those recorded as the frontman of the band Blackjack...
, Cher
Cher
Cher is an American recording artist, television personality, actress, director, record producer and philanthropist. Referred to as the Goddess of Pop, she has won an Academy Award, a Grammy Award, an Emmy Award, three Golden Globes and a Cannes Film Festival Award among others for her work in...
, Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper is an American rock singer, songwriter and musician whose career spans more than four decades...
, Jon Bon Jovi
Jon Bon Jovi
Jon Bon Jovi is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and actor, best known as the founder, occasional rhythm guitarist, and lead singer of rock band Bon Jovi, which was named after him...
, Ricky Martin
Ricky Martin
Enrique "Ricky" Martín Morales , better known as Ricky Martin, is a Puerto Rican and Spanish pop singer and actor who achieved prominence, first as a member of the Latin boy band Menudo, then as a solo artist since 1991.During his career he has sold more than 60 million album copies worldwide...
, and others.
He has worked with Bon Jovi in the studio since its inception and has been their live bassist since Alec John Such
Alec John Such
Alec John Such is an American musician, and the former bassist for the band Bon Jovi. He left the band in 1994, and has not been officially replaced. As well as playing bass guitar, Such sang backing vocals and occasionally took the lead for part of 'Blood on Blood' at live shows...
's departure after Cross Road
Cross Road
Cross Road is a greatest hits compilation released by the American band Bon Jovi in 1994. The album contains hits from between Bon Jovi and Keep The Faith and two new tracks: the hit singles "Always" and "Someday I'll Be Saturday Night", as well as a new, updated rendition of "Livin' on a Prayer"...
was released in 1994, but is still regarded as an 'unofficial' member of Bon Jovi. Although he records with the band in studio and performs live on stage and during publicity performances, McDonald is left out of publicity shoots and album covers. He appears in some song videos but not others. Band members say they agreed never to replace former bass player Alec John Such
Alec John Such
Alec John Such is an American musician, and the former bassist for the band Bon Jovi. He left the band in 1994, and has not been officially replaced. As well as playing bass guitar, Such sang backing vocals and occasionally took the lead for part of 'Blood on Blood' at live shows...
officially.
McDonald was one of the studio musicians that recorded Bon Jovi's original first demo for the song "Runaway
Runaway (Bon Jovi song)
"Runaway" is a Bon Jovi song, written in 1980 and originally recorded in 1981 for the so called "Power Station Demos". The recordings were primarily done by an ensemble simply known as Jon Bongiovi & The Rest. Lead guitar on the original 1980's track was Bon Jovi's neighbour, Dave Sabo , who would...
". When the song became a local hit, Jon Bon Jovi assembled his current band without McDonald. He has also appeared on Jon Bon Jovi
Jon Bon Jovi
Jon Bon Jovi is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and actor, best known as the founder, occasional rhythm guitarist, and lead singer of rock band Bon Jovi, which was named after him...
's solo album Destination Anywhere
Destination Anywhere
-Limited Edition:* Tracks 1-8 recorded live at The Forum, London, England, on June 12, 1997.* Track 9 recorded live at MTV, London, England on August 13, 1997.-Personnel:* Jon Bon Jovi – vocals, acoustic & electric guitar, harmonica, piano...
and was part of Jon backing group, The Big Dogs
In 2004 he married Kelli, a horse trainer and jewelry designer. They reside near Park City, Utah
Park City, Utah
Park City is a town in Summit and Wasatch counties in the U.S. state of Utah. It is considered to be part of the Wasatch Back. The city is southeast of downtown Salt Lake City and from Salt Lake City's east edge of Sugar House along Interstate 80. The population was 7,558 at the 2010 census...
.
With Alice Cooper
Studio albums- Trash (1989)
- Hey StoopidHey StoopidHey Stoopid is the 19th studio album by heavy metal singer and shock rock-legend Alice Cooper. It was released on July 2, 1991 with guest appearances from Slash , Ozzy Osbourne, Vinnie Moore, Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Nikki Sixx and Mick Mars .After Cooper's smash 1989 hit album Trash, Cooper...
(1991)
Compilation albums
- Classicks (1995)
With Bon Jovi
Studio albums- Bon JoviBon Jovi (album)Bon Jovi is the debut album from American rock band Bon Jovi, released January 21, 1984. Produced by Tony Bongiovi and Lance Quinn, the album is significant for being the only Bon Jovi album on which a song appears that was not written or co-written by members of the band...
(1984) - These DaysThese Days (Bon Jovi album)These Days is Bon Jovi's sixth studio album, released on June 27, 1995. This was the first album Bon Jovi released after the departure of bassist Alec John Such. Hugh McDonald unofficially replaced Such as bassist...
(1995) - Crush (2000)
- BounceBounce (Bon Jovi album)- Promo Album Sampler :# "Everyday" – 3:00# "All About Lovin' You" – 3:46# "Bounce" – 3:11...
(2002) - Have a Nice DayHave a Nice Day (Bon Jovi album)Have a Nice Day has mostly received mixed or unfavorable reviews by music critics. It was commonly commented that Jon Bon Jovi was "streching" his lyrical abilities, while the best rating the album has gotten is an 8 out of 10...
(2005) - Lost Highway (2007)
- The CircleThe Circle (Bon Jovi album)The Circle is the eleventh studio album by rock band Bon Jovi. Produced by John Shanks, the album was released November 10, 2009, with the new single "We Weren't Born to Follow" premiering on radio August 17...
(2009)
Compilation albums
- Cross RoadCross RoadCross Road is a greatest hits compilation released by the American band Bon Jovi in 1994. The album contains hits from between Bon Jovi and Keep The Faith and two new tracks: the hit singles "Always" and "Someday I'll Be Saturday Night", as well as a new, updated rendition of "Livin' on a Prayer"...
(1994) - Tokyo Road: Best of Bon JoviTokyo Road: Best Of Bon JoviTokyo Road: Best of Bon Jovi, subtitled "Rock Tracks", is the 2nd Greatest hits compilation album by American band Bon Jovi exclusively released in Japan in 2001, where it charted at #5. The album has sold more than 400,000 copies in Japan, and being certified platinum status by RIAJ...
(2001) - This Left Feels RightThis Left Feels RightUK Bonus TracksJapan Bonus TracksBrazil Bonus Tracks-New songs:Two new songs, "Last Man Standing" and "Thief of Hearts", were written and recorded for inclusion of the album. "Last Man Standing" was a song revealing lead singer Jon Bon Jovi's anger toward the state of the music industry...
(2003) - Greatest HitsGreatest Hits (Bon Jovi album)-International edition:While the standard edition released in North America will have 28 tracks, the Australian and Japanese editions are set to have 30 and 31 tracks respectively. There are a few differences between the North American tracklist and the international tracklist. The main difference...
(2010)
Live albums
- One Wild Night Live 1985-2001One Wild Night Live 1985-2001One Wild Night Live 1985–2001 is Bon Jovi's only live album, and was released in May 2001. The album includes live covers of Neil Young's "Rockin' in the Free World" and The Boomtown Rats' "I Don't Like Mondays". The album charted at #20 on The Billboard 200.-Track listing:-Australian Exclusive...
(2001)
Box sets
- 100,000,000 Bon Jovi Fans Can't Be Wrong (2004)