After reuniting with Michael McDonald for a celebrated 50th anniversary tour in 2021, the Doobie Brothers’ longtime members Pat Simmons, Tom Johnston, and John McFee were feeling energized about their recent collaboration and decided they wanted to keep that momentum going. "We had a ball on the road for four years touring with Mike," says Johnston. "Everybody gets a kick out of being able to play basically the whole catalog of the band."
It was that vibe and momentum that lead them to working on new music, and merging the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (and recent Songwriters Hall of Fame inductees) group’s different hit-making eras together for the first time in decades with McDonald back in the fold on the new music. Walk the Road was born, marking the first time in the band's 55-year history that all three of its principal songwriters have contributed songs to an album. It's their 16th studio album and the first with original new material featuring McDonald since 1980. The album's ten tracks explore themes of recovery, reflection, and unity.
"Everybody is completely involved in this album. The writing, the playing, the signing, all of it," Johnston says. "All of the songs on the record have their place," says Simmons. "Every song has its own message. I feel like what's cool about this album is that all three of us wrote songs, so there's enough of a variety. Each song has its own personality and brings a certain aspect to the record."
That 55-year-history dates back to 1970 when The Doobie Brothers band was founded in San Jose, California by Johnston and Simmons and quickly rose from playing energetic local gigs to achieving national stardom with their early hits, "Listen to the Music," "China Grove," and "Long Train Runnin." They earned their first number one in 1974 with Simmons’ "Black Water." McDonald joined the band in 1975 as a keyboardist, and it was his smooth, R&B‑infused voice that helped usher in a new era. Albums like Takin’ It to the Streets and Minute by Minute won them multiple Grammys and spawned chart-toppers like "What a Fool Believes," shifting the Doobie Brothers toward soft rock and really cementing their 1970s legacy.
As the Doobie Brothers bring their Walk This Road Tour to Franklin this month, their appearance follows a recent induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. "It was amazing," says Johnston. "We were all blown away that we were selected. We didn't see it coming. The people you're getting inducted to be in the hall of fame with, guided you musically as you were coming up. To be included in that lofty atmosphere of really great writers is mind blowing."
"It was a really humbling experience," says Simmons. "One of the guys being inducted had 89 number one songs!"
The key to The Doobie Brothers longevity and success lies in their touring says Johnston. "Touring has a great deal to do with it. When you walk out on that stage, and the audience goes off and starts signing all the songs, no matter what their age, yelling and screaming, it gives you such a rush. All of a sudden you're 20 again."
Simmons adds, "Inspiration is part of the process. Every time you work on new material, it becomes fresh. The inspiration manifests itself once you get on to something. It comes from inside."
So what's next for this legendary band? According to Johnston, "We've talked about doing another record. If more tracks come up, great. We'll just keep writing." "Oh, we'll always be writing," adds Simmons. "We’ve worked together so long, and part of the reason we're still playing together is because we have this agreement on how we want to live our lives,"
The guys are looking forward to bring their music and harmonies to Franklin. "I have a lot of friends in Franklin and I've been to some cool restaurants out there," says Simmons."It's a great area. It's the Hollywood of Nashville." Adds Johnston "It's a beautiful part of the country."
"When you walk out on that stage, and the audience goes off and starts singing all the songs, no matter what their age, yelling and screaming, it gives you such a rush." - Tom Johnston
"I feel like what's cool about this album is that all three of us wrote songs, so there's enough of a variety." -- Patrick Simmons