ION INDIE MAGAZINE August 2014, Volume 3 | Page 72
Music by FORREST HOWIE MCDONALD “Turnaround Blues”
Twelve Bars Stars
By J.B. Bridges
FORREST HOWIE MCDONALD. You might not
recognize the name, but more than likely you
have heard his music. Forrest is probably the
best guitarist you've never heard of. His guitar
solo on BOB SEGER’S “Old Time Rock and Roll”
was named “Song of the Decade” by CNN and is
the most-played R&R juke box song in history.
So good in fact, that STEVE PERRY from
JOURNEY sang lead vocals on “It's Over”, on
McDonald's debut CD “I Need You”. It's nice to
have a superstar vocalist sing on your CD, but to
get someone like Perry to sing vocals on a debut
CD shows the extreme quality of this seasoned
bluesman. But Perry isn't the only famous name
he has jammed with. There's also BONNIE
BRAMLETT, JOHNNY WINTER, JIMMY REED and
BOBBY WOMACK.
Forrest was born in Austin, Texas and is the son
of a Constitutional scholar, DR. FORREST
MCDONALD, another member of the McDonald
clan that is highly respected by his peers in his
field of expertise.
Forrest played his first gig in 1964 on the electric
Kent guitar he had gotten for Christmas a week
earlier. Forrest was with the Boston Rock
Symphony with Blues harmonica legend JAMES
MONTGOMERY in 1969. He was the lead guitarist