Editing The Doobie Brothers (section)

==Career==
===Original incarnation===
Drummer [[John Hartman]] arrived in California in 1969 determined to meet [[Skip Spence]] of [[Moby Grape]] and join an aborted Grape reunion. Spence introduced Hartman to singer, guitarist, and songwriter [[Tom Johnston (musician)|Tom Johnston]] and the two proceeded to form the nucleus of what would become the Doobie Brothers. Johnston and Hartman called their fledgling group "Pud" and experimented with lineups (occasionally including Spence) and styles as they performed in and around [[San Jose, California|San Jose]]. They were mostly a [[power trio]] (along with bassist Greg Murphy) but briefly worked with a horn section.

In 1970 they teamed up with singer, guitarist, and songwriter [[Patrick Simmons]] and bassist Dave Shogren. Simmons had belonged to several area groups (among them "Scratch", an acoustic trio with future Doobies bassist [[Tiran Porter]]) and also performed as a solo artist. He was already an accomplished [[fingerstyle]] player whose approach to the instrument complemented Johnston's rhythmic [[Rhythm and blues|R&B]] strumming.

While still playing locally around San Jose, the group adopted the name "Doobie Brothers".<ref name=doar>{{cite news|last=Doar|first=Spencer|title=Q&A with a Doobie Brother|work=Minnesota Daily|date=April 4, 2013|access-date=March 30, 2018|url=http://www.mndaily.com/article/2013/04/qa-doobie-brother}}</ref><ref name=tatangelo>{{cite news|last=Tatangelo|first=Wade|title=Doobie Brothers bring whiff of nostalgia to Winterfest: interview|work=Sarasota Herald-Tribune|date=February 25, 2015|access-date=March 30, 2018|url=http://ticket.heraldtribune.com/2015/02/25/doobie-brothers-bring-whiff-of-nostalgia-to-winterfest-in-lakewood-ranch-interview/}}</ref> Their friend Keith Rosen came up with the name after the band had difficulty coming up with one on their own.<ref name=doar /> According to Tom Johnston, Rosen said, "Why don't you call yourself the Doobie Brothers because you're always smoking [[marijuana|pot]]?"<ref name=doar /> Hartman has said he wasn't involved with choosing the name, and didn't know that "doobie" meant a marijuana joint until Rosen told him.<ref name=hochman>{{cite book|last=Hochman|first=Steve|title=Popular Musicians|location=Pasadena, California|publisher=Salem Press|date=1999|isbn=9780893569860|page=332}}</ref> Everyone in the band agreed that "Doobie Brothers" was a "dumb" or "stupid" name.<ref name=doar /><ref name=tatangelo /> Simmons has said the band intended to use the name only for a few early performances until they came up with something better, but they never did.<ref>{{cite news|last=Piorkowski|first=Jeff|title=Through 40 years, Doobie Brother Patrick Simmons has remained a constant|work=Cleveland Sun|date=March 27, 2013|access-date=March 30, 2018|url=http://www.cleveland.com/sun/all/index.ssf/2013/03/through_40_years_doobie_brothe.html}}</ref>

The Doobie Brothers improved their playing by performing live all over Northern California in 1970. They attracted a particularly strong following among local chapters of the [[Hells Angels]] and got a recurring gig at one of the bikers' favorite venues, the Chateau Liberté<!-- é22700 Old Santa Cruz Highway, [[Los Gatos, CA]] (in the [[Santa Cruz Mountains]]) --><ref>{{Multiref2

|1={{cite news |last1=Johnson |first1=Eric |title=Summer of Lovin' |url=https://static1.squarespace.com/static/54665323e4b07e4acef324f6/t/596e71c3b8a79be7795532a3/1500410314303/Los+Gatos+Magazine++%7C++Summer+of+Lovin%27+%7C+Eric+Johnson+%7C+July+Aug+2017.pdf |access-date=1 June 2021 |work=Los Gatos Magazine |date=July–August 2017 |quote=Chateau Liberté...Six miles from downtown Los Gatos... exhibit at [[New Museum Los Gatos]]}}
|2={{cite web |title=Interview with W.J. McKay on the making of the Chateau Liberté documentary |url=https://www.quacipress.com/chateau-interview.html |website=Quaci Magazine |access-date=1 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210601030559/https://www.quacipress.com/chateau-interview.html |archive-date=1 June 2021 |quote=The large rustic lodge that would come to be known a century later as the Chateau Liberté was first built in 1865. Several cabins were added to the property and for the next forty years it would serve as the stagecoach stop between Santa Cruz and San Jose, California. In the early 1900s it would be known by many names, as a bordello, a speakeasy during Prohibition and resorts. It was called The Anchorage from about 1899 to 1919. It was a fine French restaurant in the 1920s called the Chateau Boussy, and it was also known as the Redwood Chateau, Chateau Regis and then finally the Chateau Liberté'.}}
|3={{cite news |last1=Singh |first1=Gary |title=Rock & roll memories linger at Chateau LIberté in the Santa Cruz Mountains |url=http://www.metroactive.com/features/columns/silicon-alleys_20100728.html |access-date=1 June 2021 |work=Silicon Alleys |publisher=Metro Newspapers |date=July 28, 2010 |quote=The Doobie Brothers began in 1970, releasing their self-titled debut the following year.  The cover of that album showed the band hanging out at Chateau Liberté, a now-legendary biker bar in the Santa Cruz Mountains, where the Doobies got their start. This year, the band releases a new album with a new track, 'Back to the Chateau,' dedicated to the venue, which existed until the mid-'70s. ...  Many bands played at the Chateau, including the earliest version of the Tubes and several offshoots of the Grateful Dead and the Jefferson Airplane. Skip Spence of Moby Grape, who had actually introduced the Doobie Brothers to each other, occasionally stayed in a van just outside the chateau. Hot Tuna recorded its live album, First Pull Up, Then Pull Down, at Chateau Liberté. In Jeff Tamarkin's book Got a Revolution, Jorma Kaukonen described the place: 'It was a shit-kicking log cabin bar, an old stage stop in 1800s. It had very low ceilings and was down a muddy road. The sound was horrendous. We played there a lot and wanted to do this album there.'  Previously, in the late 19th century, the building was a stop on the old Wells Fargo stagecoach line from San Jose to Santa Cruz. From 1920 to 1945 it was Chateau Boussy, a French restaurant and luxury hideaway for high-society types and politicians who needed a spot to bring their mistresses.}}
|4={{cite web |last1=Wiley |first1=Neil |title=Exploring Mountain Roads |url=http://www.mnn.net/Roads.html |website=Mountain Network News |access-date=1 June 2021 |location=[[Santa Cruz County, California|Santa Cruz County]] |quote=Chateau Liberté, known in its later years as a biker bar, until it closed in 1975. I remember leaving my beer on the counter and slinking away on my little Honda 175 when the Hells Angels came to visit.  I remember hearing the Doobie Brothers, Sons of Champlin, and Cold Blood featuring Lydia Pence.}}
|5={{cite web |last1=Hill |first1=Diane |title=Doobie Brothers: Let the Music Play: The Story of the Doobie Brothers BluRay - Music News & Reviews |url=http://www.musicstreetjournal.com/dvd_display.cfm?id=100722 |website=Music Street Journal |access-date=1 June 2021 |date=2012 |quote=The Doobie Brothers got their start at the Chateau Liberté in Santa Cruz but they first met at the Gaslighter Theatre in Campbell California}}
|6={{cite news |last1=Graff |first1=Amy |title=Doobie Brothers frontman Tom Johnston explains how '70s Bay Area vibes have changed |url=https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Doobie-Brothers-Tom-Johnston-San-Francisco-14432403.php |access-date=1 June 2021 |work=SFGATE |date=2019-09-12 |quote=Q:You also played at the famous Chateau Liberté in the Santa Cruz mountains.  A: Infamous. It was an extension of the Summer of Love moved to the mountains. There were hippies, Hells Angels, college students, mountain people, musicians. The best way to describe it is it could have only happened then. It would never happen now.}}
}}</ref> {{citation needed span|in the [[Santa Cruz, California|Santa Cruz mountains]]|date=March 2025}}, playing there through the summer of 1975 (although some of these concerts did not include all band members and were of an impromptu nature). A set of demos, which showcased [[Distortion (music)|fuzz-toned]] dual lead [[electric guitars]], three-part [[harmonies]] and Hartman's drumming, caught the ear of Warner Brothers' staff A & R representative [[Ted Templeman]], and eventually earned the group a contract at [[Warner Bros. Records]] before the year was out.

The band's image originally reflected that of their biggest fans—leather jackets and motorcycles. Released in April 1971, their [[The Doobie Brothers (album)|self-titled debut album]] departed significantly from that image and their live sound of the period. Produced at [[Pacific Recorders]] in San Mateo, the album, which failed to chart, emphasized acoustic guitars and reflected country influences. The leadoff song "Nobody", the band's first single, has surfaced in their live set several times over the ensuing decades. Most recently, this song was re-recorded and added to their 2010 album ''[[World Gone Crazy (The Doobie Brothers album)|World Gone Crazy]]''.

In the late spring/summer of 1971, their record label sent the Doobies out on their first national tour in tandem with the group [[Mother Earth (American band)|Mother Earth]], the "Mother Brothers Tour". Also in 1971, the group toyed with the idea of adding a second drummer, supplementing Hartman's drumming on some of their shows with that of United States Navy veteran [[Michael Hossack]] while still touring behind their first album.

Moving to Warner Brothers' newly acquired Amigo Studios in North Hollywood starting in late October 1971, the band recorded several songs for their next album with Shogren on bass, guitar, and background vocals, but Shogren left after disagreements with the group's producer, Ted Templeman. Shogren was replaced in December 1971 with singer, songwriter, and [[bass guitarist]] [[Tiran Porter]], while Hossack was added to the lineup at the same time as a regular. Porter and Hossack were both stalwarts of the [[Northern California]] music scene, Porter having previously played in Scratch with Simmons. Porter brought a funkier bass style and added his husky baritone to the voices of Johnston and Simmons, resulting in a rich three-part blend.

The band's second album, ''[[Toulouse Street]]'' (which contained the hits "[[Listen to the Music]]" and "[[Jesus Is Just Alright]]"), brought their breakthrough success after its release in July 1972. In collaboration with manager Bruce Cohn, producer Ted Templeman and engineer [[Donn Landee]], the band put forward a more polished and eclectic set of songs. Pianist [[Bill Payne]] of [[Little Feat]] contributed keyboards for the first time, beginning a decades-long collaboration that included many recording sessions and even a two-week stint touring with the band in early 1974.<ref>Jackson, Blair. [http://mixonline.com/mag/audio_little_feat "Little Feat Article - Feb 2001"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140101162250/http://www.mixonline.com/mag/audio_little_feat/ |date=January 1, 2014 }} – ''MixOnline.com''.</ref>

A string of hits followed, including Johnston's "[[Long Train Runnin']]{{-"}} and "[[China Grove (song)|China Grove]]", from the 1973 album ''[[The Captain and Me]]''. Other noteworthy songs on the album were Simmons' country-ish ode "South City Midnight Lady" and the explosive, hard rocking raveup "Without You", for which the entire band received songwriting credit. Onstage, the latter song sometimes stretched into a 15-minute jam with additional [[lyrics]] completely ad-libbed by Johnston. A 1973 appearance on the debut episode of the television music variety show ''[[Don Kirshner's Rock Concert]]'' featured one such performance of the tune.

In the midst of recording sessions for their next album, 1974's ''[[What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits]]'', and rehearsals for a 1973 fall tour, Hossack abruptly departed the band, citing burnout from constant touring. Drummer, songwriter, and vocalist [[Keith Knudsen]] (who previously drummed for [[Lee Michaels]] of "Do You Know What I Mean" fame) was recruited promptly in September 1973 and left with the Doobies on a major tour a few weeks later (Hossack subsequently replaced Knudsen in the band [[Bonaroo (band)|Bonaroo]], which served as an opening act for the Doobies shortly thereafter). Both Hossack's drums and Knudsen's voice are heard on ''Vices''.

[[File:DoobieBros1974HansPeters.jpg|thumb|Doobie Bros in the Dutch TV show ''TopPop'' (January 1974).  L–R: Simmons, Porter, Knudsen, Johnston]]

In 1974, [[Steely Dan]] co-lead guitarist [[Jeff Baxter|Jeff "Skunk" Baxter]] learned that his band was retiring from the road and that [[Donald Fagen]] and [[Walter Becker]] intended to work almost exclusively with session players in the future. In need of a steady gig, he joined the Doobie Brothers as third lead guitarist in the middle of their current tour. He had previously worked with the band in the studio, adding [[pedal steel guitar]] to both ''Captain'' ("South City Midnight Lady") and ''Vices'' ("[[Black Water (song)|Black Water]]", "Tell Me What You Want") and was already playing with the band as a special guest during that year's tour.

''Vices'' included the band's first No. 1 single, Simmons' signature tune "[[Black Water (song)|Black Water]]". It topped the charts in March 1975 and eventually propelled the album to multi-platinum status. Johnston's lyrical "Another Park, Another Sunday" (as a single, it featured "Black Water" as the B-side) and his horn-driven [[funk]] song "Eyes of Silver" also charted the year before at numbers 32 & 52, respectively.

During this period and for several subsequent tours, the Doobies were often supported on stage by [[Stax Records]] mainstays [[the Memphis Horns]]. Live recordings with the horn section have aired on radio on the ''[[King Biscuit Flower Hour]]'', but none have been officially released. The Memphis Horns also appeared as session players on multiple Doobies albums.

By the end of 1974, Johnston's health was suffering from the rigors of the road. He was absent when the band joined [[the Beach Boys]], [[Chicago (band)|Chicago]], and [[Olivia Newton-John]] on ''[[Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve]]'' that December. By then, the western-themed ''[[Stampede (The Doobie Brothers album)|Stampede]]'' had been completed for release in 1975. It featured yet another hit single, Johnston's cover of the [[Holland–Dozier–Holland]]-written [[Motown]] hit "[[Take Me in Your Arms (Rock Me a Little While)|Take Me in Your Arms]]" (originally sung by [[Kim Weston]] and also covered by [[the Isley Brothers]], [[Blood Sweat and Tears]] and [[Mother Earth (American band)|Mother Earth]]). Simmons contributed the atmospheric "I Cheat the Hangman", as well as "Neal's Fandango", an [[ode]] to [[Santa Cruz (CA)|Santa Cruz]], [[Jack Kerouac]] and [[Neal Cassady]]. [[Ry Cooder]] added his [[slide guitar]] to Johnston's cowboy song, "Rainy Day Crossroad Blues".

By the start of the Spring 1975 promotional tour for ''Stampede'', Johnston's condition was so precarious that he required emergency hospitalization for a bleeding ulcer. With Johnston convalescing and the tour already underway, Baxter proposed recruiting a fellow Steely Dan alum to fill the hole: singer, songwriter, and keyboardist [[Michael McDonald (musician)|Michael McDonald]]. Simmons, Knudsen, Porter and McDonald divided Johnston's singing parts on tour while Simmons and Baxter shared lead guitar responsibilities.<ref>Menn, Don. [http://www.guitarplayer.com/article/gp-flashback--the-doobie-brothers-june-1976/3999 "GP Flashback : The Doobie Brothers, June 1976"] – ''Guitar Player Magazine''.</ref><ref>Blackett, Matt. [http://www.guitarplayer.com/article/the-doobie-brothers/4597 "The Doobie Brothers"] – ''Guitar Player Magazine''.</ref>

===Michael McDonald years===
Under contract to release another album in 1976, the Doobies were at a crossroads. Their primary songwriter and singer remained unavailable, so they turned to McDonald and Porter for material to supplement that of Simmons. The resulting LP, ''[[Takin' It to the Streets (The Doobie Brothers album)|Takin' It to the Streets]]'', debuted a radical change in their sound. Their electric guitar-based rock and roll gave way to a more [[soft rock]] and [[blue-eyed soul]] sound, emphasizing keyboards and horns and subtler, more [[Syncopation|syncopated]] rhythms. Baxter contributed [[jazz]]-inflected guitar stylings reminiscent of Steely Dan, along with unusual, complex harmony and longer, more developed melody. Above all, McDonald's voice became the band's new signature sound. ''Takin' It to the Streets'' featured McDonald's [[Takin' It to the Streets (song)|title track]] and "[[It Keeps You Runnin']]", both hits. (A second version of "It Keeps You Runnin'", performed by [[Carly Simon]], appeared on her album ''[[Another Passenger]]'', with the Doobies backing her.) Bassist Porter wrote and sang "For Someone Special" as a tribute to the absent Johnston. A greatest hits compilation, ''[[Best of the Doobies]]'', followed before year's end. (In 1996, the [[Recording Industry Association of America]] certified ''Best of the Doobies'' "Diamond" for sales in excess of 10 million units.)

Their new sound was further refined, and McDonald's dominant role cemented with 1977's ''[[Livin' on the Fault Line]]''. It featured a cover of the Motown classic "[[Little Darling (I Need You)]]" and "[[Echoes of Love (The Doobie Brothers song)|Echoes of Love]]", which had been written by Willie Mitchell for, but not recorded by, [[Al Green]]. Mitchell (then of the Memphis Horns) and Earl Randle had both worked with Green a good bit. Simmons added some music and lyrics, co-writing the finished version with Mitchell and Randle; the song was later covered not just by [[the Pointer Sisters]] but by [[Lyn Paul]], the ex-[[New Seekers]] vocalist. The album also featured the song "[[You Belong to Me (Carly Simon song)|You Belong to Me]]" (co-written by McDonald and Carly Simon, who had a hit with her own version of the tune). To help promote ''Fault Line'', the band performed live on the [[PBS]] show [[Soundstage (TV program)|''Soundstage'']]. Baxter used an early type of [[guitar synthesizer]] (made by [[Roland Corporation|Roland]]) on many of the tracks (especially the title track and "China Grove").

[[File:Doobie Brothers 1976.JPG|thumb|upright=1.3|The Doobie Brothers in 1976: Back row L-R: Baxter, Knudsen, Johnston, Hartman, Simmons.  Front row L-R: Porter, McDonald]]

Both ''Streets'' and ''Fault Line'' reflected Johnston's diminished role in the group following his illness. Restored to fitness and briefly back in the fold, he contributed one original song to ''Streets'' ("Turn It Loose"), and also sang a verse on Simmons' tune "Wheels of Fortune". He also made live appearances with the band in 1976 (documented in a concert filmed that year at the [[Winterland Ballroom|Winterland]] in San Francisco, excerpts of which appear occasionally on [[VH1 Classic]]) but was sidelined once again that fall due to exhaustion. None of Johnston's songs appeared on ''Fault Line'', though he had written and the band had recorded five of his compositions for the album. Regardless, he received credit for guitars and vocals and was pictured on the album's inner sleeve band photo. He soon left the band he co-founded, embarking on a solo career that eventually yielded one modestly successful 1979 Warner Brothers album, ''Everything You've Heard is True'', which featured the single "Savannah Nights", and the less successful album ''Still Feels Good'' in 1981.

During this period of transition, the band also elevated former roadie [[Bobby LaKind]] to onstage backup vocalist and percussionist. In the studio, LaKind first contributed percussion to ''Streets'' but had been a member of the band's lighting crew since 1974. Additionally, in January 1978, the band appeared as themselves in two episodes of the [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] sitcom ''[[What's Happening!!]]'',<ref name= "whatshapp">{{cite episode|title=Doobie or Not Doobie (Parts 1)|series=What's Happening!!| series-link= What's Happening!!|credits=Sally Wade (writer); Mark Warren (director)|network=[[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]|airdate=January 28, 1978|season=2|number=16}}<br />{{cite episode|title=Doobie or Not Doobie (Parts 2)|series=What's Happening!!| series-link= What's Happening!!|credits=Sally Wade (writer); Mark Warren (director)|network=[[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]|airdate=February 4, 1978|season=2|number=17}}</ref> performing "Little Darlin' (I Need You)", "[[Black Water (song)|Black Water]]", "[[Takin' It to the Streets (song)|Takin' It to the Streets]]", and "[[Take Me in Your Arms (Rock Me a Little While)|Take Me in Your Arms]]". Performances were done live (versus [[lip synching]] to a pre-recorded track), with some [[overdubs]] added in [[post production]], notably during Baxter's solo on "Take Me in Your Arms (Rock Me a Little While)," which was lifted from the album version.

After almost a decade on the road, and with seven albums to their credit, the Doobies' profile was substantially elevated by the success of their next album, 1978's ''[[Minute by Minute]]''. It spent five weeks atop the charts and dominated several radio formats for the better part of two years. McDonald's song "[[What a Fool Believes]]", written with [[Kenny Loggins]], was the band's second No. 1 single and earned the songwriting duo (along with producer Ted Templeman) a [[Grammy Award]] for [[Grammy Award for Record of the Year|Record of the Year]].<ref name=grammy80>{{cite web|title=Grammy Awards 1980| url= http://www.awardsandshows.com/features/grammy-awards-1980-228.html| website= AwardsandShows.com | access-date=February 16, 2012}}</ref> The album won a Grammy for [[Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals|Pop Vocal Performance by a Group]] and was nominated for [[Grammy Award for Album of the Year|Album of the Year]].<ref name=grammy80/><ref>{{cite web|title=Minute by Minute GRAMMY Awards |url= http://www.allmusic.com/album/minute-by-minute-r6197/charts-awards/grammy|publisher=[[AllMusic]] |access-date= February 16, 2012}}</ref> Both "What a Fool Believes" and [[Minute by Minute (The Doobie Brothers song)|the title track]] were nominated for [[Grammy Award for Song of the Year|Song of the Year]], with "What a Fool Believes" winning the award. Among the other memorable songs on the album are "Here to Love You", "Dependin' On You" (co-written by McDonald and Simmons), "Steamer Lane Breakdown" (a Simmons bluegrass instrumental) and McDonald's "How Do the Fools Survive?" (co-written by [[Carole Bayer Sager]]). [[Nicolette Larson]] and departed former bandleader Johnston contributed guest vocals on the album.

''Minute by Minute''{{'}}s triumph was bittersweet because it coincided with the near dissolution of the band. The pressure of touring while recording and releasing an album each year had worn the members down. Baxter and McDonald had been in creative conflict for some time. McDonald desired a direct, soulful and polished rock/R&B sound, while Baxter insisted on embellishing guitar parts in an increasingly [[avant-garde]] style. (Both McDonald and Baxter elaborated on the matter in the documentary series ''[[Behind the Music]]'', which aired on [[VH1]] in February 2001.) Just as ''Minute by Minute''{{'}}s success became apparent, Hartman, Baxter, and LaKind left the band. A two-song set on the January 27, 1979, broadcast of ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'' (with guest host [[Michael Palin]]) marked the final television appearance of this lineup, and a brief tour of Japan marked the band's last live performances in this configuration (Hartman subsequently joined Johnston's touring band in 1979 and taped an appearance with him that aired on ''Soundstage'' in 1980).

Looking to capitalize on the momentum provided by the success of "Minute by Minute", the remaining Doobies (Simmons, Knudsen, McDonald and Porter) decided to embark on a national tour with a reconstituted lineup. In 1979 Hartman was replaced by session drummer [[Chet McCracken]] and Baxter by multi-instrumental string player [[John McFee]] (late of [[Huey Lewis]]'s early band [[Clover (band)|Clover]]); [[Cornelius Bumpus]] (who had been part of a recent reunion of [[Moby Grape]]) was also recruited to add vocals, keyboards, saxophones, and flute to the lineup. This lineup toured throughout 1979, including stops at [[Madison Square Garden]] and New York City's [[Battery Park]] for the [[No Nukes]] benefit shows with like-minded artists such as [[Bonnie Raitt]], [[Crosby, Stills & Nash]], [[James Taylor]], [[Carly Simon]], [[Jackson Browne]], [[Bruce Springsteen]] and [[John Hall (musician)|John Hall]].

1980 marked LaKind's return to the lineup as a full-time member and the Doobies' ninth studio album, ''[[One Step Closer (The Doobie Brothers album)|One Step Closer]]''. The LP featured the hit title track and the Top 10 hit "Real Love" (not to be confused with the [[John Lennon]] composition) but did not dominate the charts and the radio as ''Minute by Minute'' had, largely due to an oversaturation of the "McDonald sound" by many other artists (such as [[Robbie Dupree]]'s hit "[[Steal Away (Robbie Dupree song)|Steal Away]]", which copied the "McDonald sound" nearly note for note) on the radio at the time—not to mention McDonald's numerous guest vocal appearances on hits by other artists, such as [[Kenny Loggins]], [[Christopher Cross]], [[Lauren Wood]] and [[Nicolette Larson]]. The album itself was also noticeably weaker musically than the previous three with the band sounding tired and seemingly devolving to little more than McDonald's "backup band" (according to contemporary sources). "Ted and Michael became one faction against Pat and the rest of us", Porter said in an interview.<ref>{{cite web|title=Hide Doobie Brother Guitarist Recalls Santa Cruz Days|url=http://www.santacruz.com/ae/articles/2012/05/22/doobie_brother_guitarist_recalls_santa_cruz_days|publisher=[[Santa Cruz Weekly]]|access-date=May 23, 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140101222215/http://www.santacruz.com/ae/articles/2012/05/22/doobie_brother_guitarist_recalls_santa_cruz_days|archive-date=January 1, 2014}}</ref> Long frustrated with the realities of relentless touring and yearning for a stable home life, as well as battling an admitted cocaine problem, Porter left the band after the recording of ''Closer''. Session bassist [[Willie Weeks]] joined the band and the Doobies continued touring throughout 1980 and 1981 (post-Doobies, Weeks has performed with the [[Gregg Allman]] Band, [[Eric Clapton]], and many others).{{citation needed|date=October 2016}}
[[File:Doobie-Brothers.gif|thumb|left|Backstage at the Greek Theater in Berkeley, California in 1982.  This would be the farewell concert for the band's original run, and featured a one-off return of founding vocalist Tom Johnston (far right).]]
Also, during the 1981 tour, veteran session drummer [[Andy Newmark]] stepped in briefly for Knudsen, who was then in rehab. And by the end of 1981, even Simmons had left the band. Now with no remaining original members and a "leader" in McDonald who was ready for a solo career, the group elected instead to disband after a rehearsal without Simmons, according to an interview with McDonald for ''Listen to the Music'', the Doobie Brothers' official video history/documentary released in 1989. He went on to say that by that point they could not have gotten further away from the Doobies sound if they had tried. Simmons, already at work on his first solo album, ''Arcade'', rejoined for a 1982 farewell tour on the condition that this truly would be the end of the Doobie Brothers. At their last concert at the [[Greek Theatre (Berkeley)|Greek Theatre]] in [[Berkeley, California]], on September 11, 1982, they were joined onstage by founding member Tom Johnston for what was presumed to be the final rendition of his staple, "China Grove". Former members Porter, Hossack and Hartman subsequently took the stage for an extended version of "Listen to the Music". Knudsen sang lead vocals while Johnston, Simmons and McFee traded licks on guitar. The live album ''[[Farewell Tour (album)|Farewell Tour]]'' was released in 1983 and the Greek Theatre concert was released in 2011 as ''Live at the Greek Theatre 1982''.

===Reunion===
The Doobies did not work together for the next five years, though various members got together in different configurations for annual Christmas season performances for the patients and staff at the Stanford Children's Hospital in the Bay area. Simmons released a commercially disappointing solo album, ''Arcade'', in April 1983. During the mid-1980s, Johnston toured U.S. clubs with a band called Border Patrol, which did not release any recordings. Hossack and (briefly) Simmons worked with the group. Around 1986, Johnston and Simmons began working on an album together (according to a 1989 interview with Simmons) but abandoned the project soon after with no known finished tracks. 

In 1983 Knudsen and McFee formed the band [[Southern Pacific (band)|Southern Pacific]] and recorded four albums that found success in the country charts (former [[Creedence Clearwater Revival]] bassist [[Stu Cook]] joined the band in 1986 and former [[Pablo Cruise]] guitarist [[David Jenkins (musician)|David Jenkins]] in 1988).

Out of print for many years, Simmons' ''Arcade'' was reissued on [[compact disc]] in 2007 by specialty label [[Wounded Bird Records]], which is also the home of Southern Pacific's and Tom Johnston's catalogs. 

Post-Doobies, McDonald became established as a solo artist. His voice dominated adult contemporary radio throughout the 1980s, and he experienced a renaissance of popularity in the 21st century as an interpreter of [[Motown]] classics.

The reformation of the Doobie Brothers was not intentional. On a personal quest for a worthy cause and after conquering his drug addiction, Knudsen became active in the [[United States Department of Veterans Affairs|Vietnam Veterans Aid Foundation]]. In early 1987, he persuaded 11 Doobie alumni to join him for a concert to benefit veterans' causes. Answering the call were Tom Johnston, Pat Simmons, Jeff Baxter, John McFee, John Hartman, Michael Hossack, Chet McCracken, Michael McDonald, Cornelius Bumpus, Bobby LaKind and Tiran Porter, plus their long-time record producer and good friend, Ted Templeman. There were no surplus bass players as Weeks had other commitments. They soon discovered that tickets were in great demand, so the concert quickly evolved into a 12-city tour that began on May 21, 1987, in San Diego. The third concert, held at the [[Hollywood Bowl]], was reportedly the venue's fastest sell-out since [[the Beatles]] had played there just over 20 years earlier. The band performed selections from every album using a wide variety of instrumentation that they could not have previously duplicated onstage without the expanded lineup. Baxter and McFee played pedal steel and violin, respectively, during "[[Black Water (song)|Black Water]]" and "Steamer Lane Breakdown". "Without You" featured four drummers and four lead guitarists. Producer Ted Templeman played percussion and LaKind sometimes played Knudsen's drum set while Knudsen went to the front of the stage to join the chorus. Templeman also played the drum set on "What a Fool Believes", as he did on the original hit record. The tour culminated (sans McDonald, LaKind, McFee and Knudsen) at the [[Glasnost]]-inspired July 4 "Peace Concert" in Moscow, with [[Bonnie Raitt]], [[James Taylor]] and [[Santana (band)|Santana]] sharing the bill. Excerpts appearing later that year on the [[Showtime (TV network)|Showtime]] cable network included a performance of "China Grove".

The successful 1987 reunion sparked discussions about reconstituting the band on a permanent basis. They eventually decided to replicate the ''Toulouse Street''/''Captain and Me'' incarnation, settling on a lineup featuring Johnston, Simmons, Hartman, Porter and Hossack, plus more recent addition LaKind, and released ''[[Cycles (Doobie Brothers album)|Cycles]]'' on [[Capitol Records]] in 1989. The album featured a Top 10 single, "[[The Doctor (The Doobie Brothers song)|The Doctor]]". The song is very similar to "China Grove", and the connection was further enhanced by guest Bill Payne's tinkling piano. Other material on the album included Johnston's "South of the Border", Dale Ockerman's and Pat Simmons' "Take Me to the Highway", and "I Can Read Your Mind", a version of the [[Isley Brothers]]' "Need a Little Taste of Love", and a version of [[the Four Tops]] classic, "One Chain (Don't Make No Prison)", which had been covered by [[Santana (band)|Santana]] years before. ''Cycles'' proved a successful comeback album and was certified Gold. Bumpus participated in the 1989 and 1990 tours, adding his distinctive voice, keyboards, saxophone and flute. His presence bridged the gap between the current band and the McDonald era; he sang lead vocals on "One Step Closer" (as he originally had on the 1980 album) while Simmons took McDonald's part. The group was further augmented on the 1989 tour by Dale Ockerman (keyboards, guitar, backing vocals), Richard Bryant (percussion, vocals) and Jimi Fox (percussion, backing vocals). After being diagnosed with terminal [[Colorectal cancer|colon cancer]], LaKind stepped down before the tour to focus on his health.

===The 1990s===
The success of ''Cycles'' led to the release of 1991's ''[[Brotherhood (Doobie Brothers album)|Brotherhood]]'', also on Capitol. The group members grew their hair back out, wore denim and leather, and attempted to revive their biker image of the early 1970s. In spite of the makeover and strong material led by Simmons' now trademark "Dangerous" (featured in the [[Brian Bosworth]] biker film ''[[Stone Cold (1991 film)|Stone Cold]]''), ''Brotherhood'' was unsuccessful, in part due to a lack of support from Capitol Records, who dropped the group from their roster by the end of 1991.

The accompanying tour (the 1989 lineup minus Bumpus), which also featured [[Joe Walsh]] on the bill, ranked among the ten least profitable tours of the 1991 summer season by the North American Concert Promoters Association,<ref>Cited in ''[[Billboard Magazine]]'', December 14, 1989</ref> and after losing the Capitol deal, the group was inactive by the end of '91, its future uncertain.

The 1987 Doobie Brothers alumni band reunited on October 17 and 19, 1992, at the [[Concord Pavilion]] in [[Concord, California]] to perform benefit shows for LaKind's children. LaKind, terminally ill with colon cancer, joined the group on percussion for a few numbers. The concerts were recorded and subsequently broadcast on the Superstars in Concert radio series accompanied by a plea for contributions to the LaKind family fund.{{citation needed|date=October 2016}} LaKind died on December 24, 1992, at the age of 47.

Another brief hiatus followed during which Simmons collaborated with bassist and songwriter [[John Cowan]] (ex-[[New Grass Revival]]), [[Rusty Young (musician)|Rusty Young]] (of [[Poco (band)|Poco]]) and [[Bill Lloyd (Foster & Lloyd)|Bill Lloyd]] (of [[Foster & Lloyd]]) on an unreleased project called Four Wheel Drive.

When the band emerged yet again in 1993, Hartman and Porter had retired from the road for good but Knudsen and McFee rejoined the Doobie Brothers on a full-time basis after [[Southern Pacific (band)|Southern Pacific]] disbanded. Joined by Ockerman, Bumpus and Weeks, the group toured with Four Wheel Drive as the opening act. After Weeks left the tour to resume his session work, Cowan played bass for both bands. Bumpus also left to join the reunited Steely Dan, giving way to saxophonist, keyboardist and harmonica player Danny Hull. Former band member Chet McCracken temporarily filled in for an injured Hossack in July 1993. Their 1994 tour included co-headlining appearances with [[Foreigner (band)|Foreigner]].

With renewed energy in the mid-1990s, the band began to experiment with different arrangements of several tunes. They even pulled from McDonald's songbook from time to time, eventually restoring "[[Takin' It to the Streets (song)|Takin' it to the Streets]]" to the setlist with Simmons and new bass guitarist Skylark (who joined in 1995) substituting for McDonald on lead vocals.

====Return to permanent touring====
The band has toured continuously since 1993. In 1995 they reunited with McDonald for a co-headlining tour with the [[Steve Miller Band]]. The "Dreams Come True" tour featured all three primary songwriters and singers and reflected all phases of the band's career. Bumpus rejoined for the 1995 tour, with McCracken replacing the absent Knudsen and [[Bernie Chiaravalle]] sitting in for McFee.

On January 28, 1996, they performed during the [[Super Bowl XXX]] pre-game show at [[Sun Devil Stadium]] in [[Tempe, Arizona]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Arizona Super Bowls 1996, 2008 and 2015|url=https://www.azcentral.com/picture-gallery/travel/local/super-bowl/2015/01/29/arizona-super-bowls-1996-2008-and-2015/22537265/|access-date=2022-01-23|website=AZcentral.com|language=en-US}}</ref>

A 1996 double live album, ''[[Rockin' Down the Highway: The Wildlife Concert]]'', featured McDonald on three of his signature tunes. McDonald was a reoccurring special guest with the group for benefits, private corporate shows and parties (such as the wedding reception of [[Liza Minnelli]] and [[David Gest]], their former advance [[publicist]]), until returning as a permanent member in 2019. 

In mid-1996, Ockerman was replaced by keyboardist [[Guy Allison]] (ex–[[Moody Blues]] and [[Air Supply]]). Saxophonist Marc Russo (ex-[[Yellowjackets (band)|Yellowjackets]]) joined in early 1998, replacing Hull. In 1999 the band obtained an injunction preventing a [[tribute band]] featuring former members McCracken, Bumpus and Shogren from performing under any variation of the "Doobie Brothers" name.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Doobie Brothers Win Round Against Ex-Members|newspaper=Sfgate |date=September 2, 1999 |url=https://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/article/Doobie-Brothers-Win-Round-Against-Ex-Members-2911871.php}}</ref>

===The 2000s===
[[File:DoobieBrothersCollage-1000.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|The Doobie Brothers in concert at the Chumash Casino Resort in [[Santa Ynez, California]], on August 31, 2006]]

In 1999 [[Rhino Records]] released the group's first [[box set]], ''Long Train Runnin': 1970–2000'', which featured remastered tunes from the band's entire catalog, a new studio recording of the live concert staple "Little Bitty Pretty One" and an entire disc of previously unreleased studio outtakes and live recordings. And Rhino's release the following year, ''[[Sibling Rivalry (The Doobie Brothers album)|Sibling Rivalry]]'', was the band's first new studio album since 1991. The material reflected contributions from both Knudsen and McFee, ranging from rock to hip-hop, jazz, adult contemporary and country. The album sold poorly, reflecting the declining sales throughout the [[Album-oriented rock|adult-oriented rock]] musical scene.

On June 22, 2001, while heading to a show at [[Caesars Tahoe]] in Lake Tahoe, Hossack suffered multiple fractures in a motorcycle accident on Highway 88 and had to be airlifted to a Sacramento-area hospital, where he underwent surgery. Drummer and percussionist M. B. Gordy was recruited to fill in for Hossack. After being sidelined for months, Hossack returned to the band in mid-2002. Gordy remained with the band as an auxiliary percussionist until 2005. Saxophonist Ed Wynne filled in for Marc Russo on the Doobies' 2002 summer tour.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.edwynne.com/bio.html | title=Ed Wynne - Saxophonist, Vocalist, Song Writer Bio Page|website=Edwynne.com}}</ref>

On October 26, 2004, the Doobie Brothers released ''[[Live at Wolf Trap]]'', a live album recorded at [[Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts]] in [[Vienna, Virginia]] on July 25 of that year. The album features the final recordings of drummer and vocalist Keith Knudsen, who died in February 2005.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Doobie Brothers Drummer Dies|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/doobie-brothers-drummer-dies/|access-date=2021-05-06|website=Cbsnews.com|date=February 9, 2005 |language=en-US}}</ref> Ed Toth, from the band [[Vertical Horizon]], took over for Knudsen.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.moderndrummer.com/md-blogs-archive/300001366/Ed%20Toth|title=Ed Toth|date=19 June 2008|publisher=Modern Drummer|access-date=27 December 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wvgazette.com/Life/201011121124|title=Concert preview: Doobie Brothers still rock 'because we can'|date=13 November 2010|author=Lynch, Ed|publisher=Charleston Gazette|access-date=27 December 2010}}</ref>

===The 2010s===
For its 2010 and 2012 summer tours, the band was once again paired with [[Chicago (band)|Chicago]], as it had been in 1974, 1999, and 2008.

In 2010, Skylark resigned from the band after suffering a stroke. [[John Cowan]], who had originally toured with the band in the mid-1990s, returned to take Skylark's place, and has been with the band ever since. Three months later, before the band embarked on its 2010 summer tour with Chicago, Hossack was forced to sit out following a diagnosis of cancer. Tony Pia, a member of the [[Brian Setzer Orchestra]], was recruited to substitute for Hossack. Pia became an official touring member of the band following Hossack's death in 2012.

The Doobie Brothers released their 13th studio album, ''[[World Gone Crazy (The Doobie Brothers album)|World Gone Crazy]]'', helmed by their longtime producer Ted Templeman, in 2010. ''World Gone Crazy'' was the first Doobie Brothers album Templeman produced since ''[[One Step Closer (The Doobie Brothers album)|One Step Closer]]'' in 1980. The album's first single, "Nobody", was free-streamed on their website.<ref name="The Doobie Brothers official website">{{cite web|url=http://www.doobiebros.com |title=The Official Website |publisher=Doobie Brothers |access-date=July 20, 2011}}</ref>

By 2012, five members of the Doobie Brothers family were deceased: percussionist/vocalist LaKind in 1992, <ref>{{cite web|title=1992 - 1993|website=Dead Rock Stars Club|url=http://thedeadrockstarsclub.com/1992.html|access-date=October 15, 2013}}</ref> original bass guitarist / vocalist Shogren in 1999;<ref>{{cite web|title=1998 - 1999|website=Dead Rock Stars Club|url=http://thedeadrockstarsclub.com/1998.html|access-date=October 15, 2013}}</ref> saxophonist, keyboardist, vocalist, and flutist Bumpus in 2004, while en route to California for a solo tour;<ref>{{cite web|title=2004 January To June|website=Dead Rock Stars Club|url=http://thedeadrockstarsclub.com/2004.html|access-date=October 15, 2013}}</ref> drummer and vocalist Knudsen in 2005,<ref>{{cite web|title=2005 January to June|website=Dead Rock Stars Club|url=http://thedeadrockstarsclub.com/2005.html|access-date=October 15, 2013}}</ref> and drummer Hossack in 2012.<ref>{{cite web|title=2012 January to June|website=Dead Rock Stars Club|url=http://www.thedeadrockstarsclub.com/2012.html|access-date=October 15, 2013}}</ref>

The official documentary, ''Let the Music Play: The Story of the Doobie Brothers'', was released in 2012. It features interviews and rare footage from their early days of the 1970s to the present day. Johnston, Simmons, McDonald, McFee, Porter, and Baxter, along with manager Bruce Cohn, producer Ted Templeman, and members of the Johnston and Simmons families are interviewed in the film.

In 2014 the Doobie Brothers, in conjunction with [[Sony Music Nashville]], announced that their 14th studio album ''[[Southbound (The Doobie Brothers album)|Southbound]]'' would cover their greatest hits with lead and backing vocals from several country artists, and Michael McDonald returned to collaborate on the album. Featured artists included [[Sara Evans]], [[Vince Gill]], [[Hunter Hayes]], [[Casey James]], [[Toby Keith]], [[Love and Theft (duo)|Love and Theft]], [[Jerrod Niemann]], [[Brad Paisley]], [[Blake Shelton]], [[Tyler Farr]], [[Chris Young (singer)|Chris Young]], [[Charlie Worsham]], and the [[Zac Brown Band]].

The Doobie Brothers, with Michael McDonald, were featured guests on the 47th Annual [[Country Music Association Awards|CMA Awards]] to celebrate the album, and were joined by [[Hunter Hayes]], [[Jennifer Nettles]], and [[Hillary Scott]] to perform "[[Listen to the Music]]", and then by co-host [[Brad Paisley]] for "[[Takin' It to the Streets (song)|Takin' It to the Streets]]" to close the show.

The Doobie Brothers performed at Music City Roots in 2015, sharing the stage with [[Béla Fleck]] and [[Dan Tyminski]]. This was the band's second performance at the venue, after an all-acoustic performance in 2011. The acoustic portion of the 2015 show featured songs that had not been heard by audiences in years, including the title track from ''[[Toulouse Street]]''.

In 2015, keyboardist/backing vocalist [[Guy Allison]] went to Japan to work on an album project. [[Little Feat]] co-founder and pianist [[Bill Payne]], known for his contributions to many of the band's early studio albums, was selected to temporarily fill in for Allison in his absence. The Doobies and Michael McDonald were the featured musical guests on ''[[The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon]]'' in 2015, where they performed a medley of "Long Train Runnin'" and "Takin' It to the Streets". The band also performed a web-exclusive performance of "What a Fool Believes" that was made available on ''The Tonight Show''{{'}}s website.

In October 2015 Payne officially took over Guy Allison's duties as the Doobies' keyboardist, whilst remaining an active member of Little Feat. The next month, the Doobie Brothers together with [[Journey (band)|Journey]] launched a tour featuring [[Dave Mason]]. The pairing with Journey continued in 2016, beginning at the [[Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre (Irvine, California)|Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre]] and concluding when the Doobies and Journey joined the [[Steve Miller Band]] and [[Santana (band)|Santana]] at [[AT&T Park]]. They also appeared at [[The Warren Haynes Christmas Jam|Warren Haynes Christmas Jam]] in 2015, however Johnston did not appear due to knee surgery. 

In 2016 the Doobie Brothers signed under new management with [[Irving Azoff]].<ref>{{cite web|title=The Doobie Brothers Sign With Azoff Music Management|website=Musicrow.com| date=March 30, 2016| url=http://www.musicrow.com/2016/03/the-doobie-brothers-sign-with-azoff-music-management.|access-date=September 17, 2016}}</ref> Tony Pia left in the summer, leaving [[Ed Toth]] as the band's sole drummer.

In 2017 the Doobie Brothers toured with Chicago once again, beginning at the [[Concord Pavilion]] and wrapping up in Virginia Beach. They also appeared with [[Eagles (band)|the Eagles]] and [[Steely Dan]] at the Classic concerts for two weekends in 2017. These concerts took place at [[Dodger Stadium]] (Classic West) and at [[Citi Field]] (Classic East). The success of these concerts led to an appearance at the Classic Northwest concert at [[Safeco Field]], opening again for the Eagles. The band took the last leg of their 2017 world tour to Europe, opening for Steely Dan.

They toured again with Steely Dan the following year. This tour began in [[Charlotte, North Carolina]] and concluded in [[Bethel, New York]]. Former [[The Allman Brothers Band|Allman Brothers]] percussionist [[Marc Quiñones]] joined the band in May 2018,<ref>{{cite web|title=The Doobie Brothers on Twitter| url=https://twitter.com/thedoobiebros/status/996929754551996416?lang=en|website=Twitter.com|access-date=July 30, 2018}}</ref> and the band performed the ''[[Toulouse Street]]'' and ''[[The Captain and Me]]'' albums in their entirety along with a selection of hits, at the [[Beacon Theatre (New York City)|Beacon Theatre]] in New York City on November 15–16, 2018. These shows marked their first time at the theatre in 25 years.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Doobie Brothers Announce Historic Full-Album Performances at The Beacon Theatre in NYC|url=https://thedoobiebrothers.com/news/297563|website=Thedoobiebrothers.com|access-date=July 30, 2018}}</ref> The concerts were recorded and released as a live album in 2019.<ref>{{cite web|title=Live From the Beacon Theatre| website=Amazon |url=https://www.amazon.com/Live-Beacon-Theatre-Doobie-Brothers/dp/B07RJTTW9P/ref=sr_1_2?crid=333IMLCVCP3VD&keywords=live+from+the+beacon+theatre&qid=1574380089&sprefix=Live+From+the+Beacon+theatre%2Caps%2C-1&sr=8-2|access-date=November 21, 2019}}</ref>

During the summer of 2019, the band toured with [[Santana (band)|Santana]]. Also in 2019, the band performed at the [[Ryman Auditorium]] in Nashville and performed the ''Toulouse Street'' and ''The Captain and Me'' albums in their entirety once again. [[Michael McDonald (musician)|Michael McDonald]] joined the band for an encore and they performed "[[Takin' It to the Streets (song)|Takin' It to the Streets]]". At the end of the concert, Simmons announced that McDonald would re-join the band for their 50th Anniversary tour.<ref name=soldout>{{cite web|title=Doobie Brothers Surprise Sold-Out Crowd with Michael McDonald and a Reunion Tour Announcement|url=https://people.com/music/doobie-brothers-michael-mcdonald-reunion-tour-announcement/|first=Nancy|last=Kruh|date=November 19, 2019|work=People|access-date=November 21, 2019}}</ref>

Since the early 2000s, they have headlined and performed at many benefit concerts including former manager Cohn's [[B.R. Cohn Winery]] in [[Glen Ellen, California|Glen Ellen]] where they had also shared the stage with McDonald in 2006 and 2012. Cohn sold his winery in 2015 to set his primary focus on managing the band and the B.R Cohn Charity Fall Music Festival was relocated to the Sonoma Valley Field of Dreams. The festival was renamed the Sonoma Music Festival. The Doobie Brothers with McDonald, [[Chicago (band)|Chicago]] and [[Ringo Starr]] headlined the three-day event.

===The 2020s===
On January 15, 2020, it was announced that the Doobie Brothers were one of the six groups that would be inducted into the 2020 [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]]. The induction included living members Tom Johnston, Patrick Simmons, Michael McDonald, John McFee, Tiran Porter, John Hartman and Jeff Baxter, while drummer & vocalist Keith Knudsen and drummer Michael Hossack would be inducted posthumously. The induction ceremony was originally scheduled to take place on May 2, 2020, in [[Cleveland, Ohio|Cleveland]], but was postponed to November 7 due to the [[Coronavirus disease 2019|COVID-19 pandemic]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Rock & Roll Hall of Fame's induction ceremony is rescheduled for November|website=[[CNN]] |date=March 24, 2020 |url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/24/entertainment/rock-hall-fame-ceremony-rescheduled/index.html|access-date=April 27, 2020}}</ref>  The November 7 induction ceremony was held virtually on [[HBO Max]], with Johnston, McDonald, and Simmons pre-recording their induction speeches on behalf of the other band members who were inducted alongside them.

In February 2020, the Doobie Brothers had a scheduled residency at [[The Venetian Las Vegas|the Venetian]] in Las Vegas.  The band was only three shows into their eight-day residency when they were forced to cancel the remaining five dates after it was mentioned that there was an illness in the band.  It was later discovered that Johnston had an early version of COVID-19, the virus that would end up becoming designated as a pandemic just one month later.<ref>{{cite web|title=Michael McDonald thankful for 'one more shot' to tour with Doobie Brothers for 50th anniversary|url= https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/music/2021/08/20/michael-mcdonald-joins-doobie-brothers-postponed-covid-50th-anniversary-tour/8190410002/|website=USA Today|date=August 20, 2021|access-date=October 12, 2021}}</ref>

On May 26, 2020, the Doobie Brothers officially announced that they had rescheduled their 50th Anniversary tour to 2021 as a result of the [[COVID-19 pandemic]]<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Doobie Brothers Tour Postponed Due to COVID-19 |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/doobie-brothers-tour-postponed-due-to-covid-19-1005014/ |magazine=Rolling Stone |date=May 26, 2020 |access-date=October 12, 2020}}</ref> and confirmed that the line up of this tour would include McDonald for the first time in 25 years.

During their time in isolation throughout 2020, the Doobie Brothers released at-home performances of "[[Black Water (song)|Black Water]]", "[[Listen to the Music]]", and "[[Takin' It to the Streets (song)|Takin' it to the Streets]]".  These performances can be found on their social media accounts, such as YouTube and Facebook.  In addition, they collaborated with [[Dave Mason]] for a cover of [[Traffic (band)|Traffic]]'s "[[Feelin' Alright?|Feelin' Alright]]" and [[Peter Frampton]] for a cover of [[Eric Clapton]]'s "[[Let It Rain (Eric Clapton song)|Let it Rain]]".

On August 6, 2021, the Doobie Brothers released the EP of four songs that would eventually be featured on their fifteenth studio album. These songs included Johnston's "Don't Ya Mess with Me" and "Oh Mexico" along with Simmons's "Better Days" and "Cannonball".

After just over 18 months of not being able to tour due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the band (with McDonald back in the fold) finally began their 50th Anniversary Tour at the [[Iowa State Fair]] on Sunday, August 22, 2021.  The first leg of the tour concluded at the [[PPL Center]] in [[Allentown, Pennsylvania]] on October 29, 2021, and the second leg began in [[West Palm Beach, Florida]] on June 2, 2022. [[Bill Payne]] left the touring band at the end of the first leg, citing his desire to commit "100%" to [[Little Feat]]. He was not replaced, and the tour continued with McDonald returning to his original role of primary keyboardist.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-11-02 |title=Bill Payne Leaves The Doobie Brothers, Commits "100%" to Little Feat |url=https://jambands.com/news/2021/11/02/bill-payne-leaves-the-doobie-brothers-commits-100-to-little-feat/ |access-date=2022-06-07 |website=Jambands |language=en-US}}</ref>

The Doobie Brothers were featured musical guests on ''[[Jimmy Kimmel Live!]]'' on Thursday, September 23, 2021.

On October 29, 2021, the band released ''[[Liberté (The Doobie Brothers album)|Liberté]]'', their fifteenth full-length studio album and first album of original material in 11 years.<ref name="auto">{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/doobie-brothers-liberte-tour-dates-1208536/|title=Doobie Brothers Announce New Album 'Liberté,' Rescheduled Tour Dates|first1=Claire|last1=Shaffer|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |date=August 6, 2021}}</ref>  All of the tracks on the album were co-written with [[John Shanks]].  Shanks is known for his work with [[Bon Jovi]], [[Sheryl Crow]], and [[Melissa Etheridge]], to name a few.

Original drummer John Hartman died on December 29, 2021. The band posted a tribute to him on their website in September 2022.<ref name="Hartmandeath">{{Cite web|url=https://kslx.com/doobie-brothers-acknowledge-passing-of-original-drummer-john-hartman-who-died-in-2021/|title=Doobie Brothers acknowledge passing of original drummer John Hartman, who died in 2021 – 100.7 FM – KSLX – Classic Rock|date=September 23, 2022|website=Kslx.com|access-date=March 27, 2023}}</ref>{{refn|group=nb|Due to the timing of the tribute being posted, many news articles mistakenly report that Hartman died in September 2022.}}

In 2023, Johnston, McDonald, and Simmons (as the Doobie Brothers) were nominated for induction into the [[Songwriters Hall of Fame]].<ref name="2023swhof">{{Cite web |url=https://americansongwriter.com/bryan-adams-patti-smith-r-e-m-ann-wilson-doobie-brothers-among-2023-songwriters-hall-of-fame-nominees/ |title=Bryan Adams, Patti Smith, R.E.M., Ann Wilson, Doobie Brothers Among 2023 Songwriters Hall of Fame Nominees |work=[[American Songwriter]] |last=Benitez-Eves |first=Tina |date=2022-11-14 |access-date=2022-11-16}}</ref> In addition, a continuation of their 50th Anniversary tour was planned for the year.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://nypost.com/article/doobie-brothers-50th-anniversary-tour-2023-tickets-dates-prices/ | title=How to get Doobie Brothers 50th Anniversary Tour 2023 tickets|website=Nypost.com | date=February 27, 2023 }}</ref>

The Doobies started their 2023 touring schedule in Australia and Japan in April before making their way to Hawaii and then returning to the continental U.S. in May. Three days before they were set to perform in [[Hollywood, Florida]], the band released a statement that Tom Johnston would be undergoing surgery following severe back pain and wouldn't be able to join the band on the upcoming leg of the 50th Anniversary Tour.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/thedoobiebrothers/posts/792643245557744/?paipv=0&eav=AfZI0jGToJ79xUvF232pv0jwtgt2_5Vj0ESv65c47b3EE1hckfCHCgc02SQmkpDm_AE&_rdr|title=The Doobie Brothers|website=[[Facebook]] |date=May 22, 2023 |access-date=November 17, 2023}}</ref> Simmons, McDonald, and McFee continued the 2023 touring schedule in Johnston's absence.  Lead vocal duties normally done by Johnston were shared between Simmons, McDonald, and bassist [[John Cowan]].

In June 2023, Simmons said in an interview that the band will be releasing new music the next year with McDonald.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Wardlaw |first=Nick DeRisoNick DeRisoContributing Authors: Matt |date=2023-06-09 |title=Why the Doobie Brothers Are Covering Steely Dan's 'Pretzel Logic' |url=https://ultimateclassicrock.com/doobie-brothers-pretzel-logic/ |access-date=2023-11-22 |website=Ultimate Classic Rock |language=en}}</ref>

The band opened for the [[Eagles (band)|Eagles]] on the latter's The Long Goodbye Tour in November 2023, replacing [[Steely Dan]] due to health issues surrounding [[Donald Fagen]].

On November 17, 2023, the Doobie Brothers released a new single entitled "Lahaina" to benefit the families and individuals affected by the [[2023 Hawaii wildfires]]. The song, produced by John Shanks, features [[Mick Fleetwood]] on drums, [[Jake Shimabukuro]] on ukulele, and Henry Kapono on vocals.<ref>{{Cite web |date=17 November 2023|title=The Doobie Brothers Release New Song; Feat Mick Fleetwood to Raise Funds for Maui |website= Maui Now |url=https://mauinow.com/2023/11/17/the-doobie-brothers-release-new-song-lahaina-feat-mick-fleetwood-to-raise-funds-for-maui/ |access-date=13 April 2024}}</ref>

In 2024 a fully healed Tom Johnston rejoined the Doobies, who continued on with their 50th Anniversary tour.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/music/2024/01/22/the-doobie-brothers-2024-tour-tickets/72263875007/ | title=The Doobie Brothers promise 'a show to remember' for 2024 tour: How to get tickets | website=[[USA Today]] }}</ref>