Clarence “Mac” McDonald, a keyboardist who played with such legends as Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin and Ella Fitzgerald and produced the Emotions’ No. 1 smash “Best of My Love” and many others, has died. He was 76.
His wife, Susan McDonald, said he died July 21 in Las Vegas.
During a career that spanned more than half a century, McDonald was a frequent producing collaborator with Earth, Wind & Fire’s Maurice White. He played keyboards on records by such stars as the Jackson 5, Barbra Streisand, Hall & Oates, James Taylor, The Temptations, Al Wilson, Tina Turner, Linda Ronstadt and Justin Timberlake, along with Charles, Franklin and Fitzgerald.
He also played keyboards on “Movin’ on Up,” the theme song from TV’s The Jeffersons, and was the only credited musician on Cheech and Chong’s 1972 sophomore LP Big Bambu.
“The thing that always remained consistent was the standard of excellence provided by Clarence McDonald,” said Sonny Burke,...
His wife, Susan McDonald, said he died July 21 in Las Vegas.
During a career that spanned more than half a century, McDonald was a frequent producing collaborator with Earth, Wind & Fire’s Maurice White. He played keyboards on records by such stars as the Jackson 5, Barbra Streisand, Hall & Oates, James Taylor, The Temptations, Al Wilson, Tina Turner, Linda Ronstadt and Justin Timberlake, along with Charles, Franklin and Fitzgerald.
He also played keyboards on “Movin’ on Up,” the theme song from TV’s The Jeffersons, and was the only credited musician on Cheech and Chong’s 1972 sophomore LP Big Bambu.
“The thing that always remained consistent was the standard of excellence provided by Clarence McDonald,” said Sonny Burke,...
- 7/28/2021
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
Janelle Monáe sings two songs, including the classic “He’s a Tramp,” in the live-action remake of “Lady and the Tramp,” among the most talked-about of the new offerings on the Disney Plus streaming service.
But the biggest challenge for her writing and producing team, Nate “Rocket” Wonder and Roman GianArthur of Wondaland Productions, turned out to be the replacement for the discarded “Siamese Cat Song” that was deemed inappropriate for its perceived racist overtones.
The new song, “What a Shame,” is sung by a pair of obnoxious Devon Rex felines who tear apart the family living room, so instead of faux-Asian sounds and “we are Siamese if you please” lyrics, Wonder and GianArthur reimagined the pair as would-be interior decorators who have their way while the owners are out.
“The song went through quite a few iterations,” says Wonder. “It needed to be funny and fun, and the cats needed to be cheeky.
But the biggest challenge for her writing and producing team, Nate “Rocket” Wonder and Roman GianArthur of Wondaland Productions, turned out to be the replacement for the discarded “Siamese Cat Song” that was deemed inappropriate for its perceived racist overtones.
The new song, “What a Shame,” is sung by a pair of obnoxious Devon Rex felines who tear apart the family living room, so instead of faux-Asian sounds and “we are Siamese if you please” lyrics, Wonder and GianArthur reimagined the pair as would-be interior decorators who have their way while the owners are out.
“The song went through quite a few iterations,” says Wonder. “It needed to be funny and fun, and the cats needed to be cheeky.
- 11/14/2019
- by Jon Burlingame
- Variety Film + TV
Since its release 60 years ago this week (on June 22, 1955), "Lady and the Tramp" has been not just one of the most beloved Disney animated features ever made, but also one of the great romances in screen history.
Still, as often as you've seen it, there's still plenty you may not know about how the canine classic came to be, So grab a plate of spaghetti and meatballs and chow down on 19 of "Lady"'s behind-the-scenes dish.
1. It took nearly 20 years to get the film made. The main character originated in sketches made by Disney animator Joe Grant in 1937, based on his own spaniel, whose name was Lady. Grant envisioned a short cartoon about a dog who's puzzled by the arrival of his masters' newborn baby.
2. By 1940, Walt Disney had imagined expanding the short into a feature and adding a dog-hating housesitter, two mischievous Siamese cats (then named Nip and Tuck), and a suitor for Lady,...
Still, as often as you've seen it, there's still plenty you may not know about how the canine classic came to be, So grab a plate of spaghetti and meatballs and chow down on 19 of "Lady"'s behind-the-scenes dish.
1. It took nearly 20 years to get the film made. The main character originated in sketches made by Disney animator Joe Grant in 1937, based on his own spaniel, whose name was Lady. Grant envisioned a short cartoon about a dog who's puzzled by the arrival of his masters' newborn baby.
2. By 1940, Walt Disney had imagined expanding the short into a feature and adding a dog-hating housesitter, two mischievous Siamese cats (then named Nip and Tuck), and a suitor for Lady,...
- 6/22/2015
- by Gary Susman
- Moviefone
It's a little weird to watch a trailer for an upcoming Disney cartoon like "Planes" and hear among the characters the voice of Dane Cook. What's a typically adults-only comic like Cook doing in the G-rated world of a Disney animated feature?
Well, maybe it's not that weird. After all, the family-friendly studio has a history, going back 60 years, of casting performers from the world of grown-up entertainment in its cartoons, and most have proved they can be fun and kid-safe in fantasy worlds far from smoky nightclubs. In fact, Disney and Pixar's classic cartoons are full of unlikely voice actors -- not just blue comics but also performers cast radically against type, and even people not considered actors at all.
Cook, then, joins a distinguished list of stars you'd never have expected to find in a Disney cartoon feature, as you can see from the gallery below.
Gallery | Unlikely...
Well, maybe it's not that weird. After all, the family-friendly studio has a history, going back 60 years, of casting performers from the world of grown-up entertainment in its cartoons, and most have proved they can be fun and kid-safe in fantasy worlds far from smoky nightclubs. In fact, Disney and Pixar's classic cartoons are full of unlikely voice actors -- not just blue comics but also performers cast radically against type, and even people not considered actors at all.
Cook, then, joins a distinguished list of stars you'd never have expected to find in a Disney cartoon feature, as you can see from the gallery below.
Gallery | Unlikely...
- 5/28/2013
- by Moviefone Staff
- Moviefone
It's a little weird to watch a trailer for an upcoming Disney cartoon like "Planes" and hear among the characters the voice of Dane Cook. What's a typically adults-only comic like Cook doing in the G-rated world of a Disney animated feature?
Well, maybe it's not that weird. After all, the family-friendly studio has a history, going back 60 years, of casting performers from the world of grown-up entertainment in its cartoons, and most have proved they can be fun and kid-safe in fantasy worlds far from smoky nightclubs. In fact, Disney and Pixar's classic cartoons are full of unlikely voice actors -- not just blue comics but also performers cast radically against type, and even people not considered actors at all.
Cook, then, joins a distinguished list of stars you'd never have expected to find in a Disney cartoon feature, as you can see from the gallery below.
Gallery | Unlikely...
Well, maybe it's not that weird. After all, the family-friendly studio has a history, going back 60 years, of casting performers from the world of grown-up entertainment in its cartoons, and most have proved they can be fun and kid-safe in fantasy worlds far from smoky nightclubs. In fact, Disney and Pixar's classic cartoons are full of unlikely voice actors -- not just blue comics but also performers cast radically against type, and even people not considered actors at all.
Cook, then, joins a distinguished list of stars you'd never have expected to find in a Disney cartoon feature, as you can see from the gallery below.
Gallery | Unlikely...
- 5/28/2013
- by Moviefone Staff
- Moviefone
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