THE MILTON McDONALD, HISTORY:
Mike "Milton" McDonald married to Melanie Lewis-McDonald, is one of the uk's most in-demand guitar players, performing in studios and concert halls all over the world with a wide-ranging and ever-expanding list of artists.
Milton Mcdonald arrived on the London music scene in 1984 and after answering an ad in Melody Maker, joined the nucleus of 80s new wave chart act Blue Zoo to form a new band, The Boomerang Gang.
After a couple of years in the back of a Transit van and single releases Rock Out (Survival Records) and Dr Jones (WEA), he left the band in 1986 to play with a variety of artists including pop band The Big Supreme and UK soul artist Mica Paris.
Whilst playing with Mica, her MD/drummer Clive Myuyu (Terence Trent D’Arby, Roachford) invited milton to join his rock band No Entry, which also featured bassist Cass Lewis (Skunk Anansie) and later Livingstone Brown (Maxi Priest, Bryan Ferry).
The band had attracted the attention of rock manager Brian Lane (Yes, ELP) and in 1988, Lane introduced milton to Yes vocalist Jon Anderson who subsequently brought him to Paris to record guitars and backing vocals for the 1989 album
ANDERSON BRUFORD WAKEMAN HOWE.
The band embarked on a world tour, visiting the USA, Canada, UK, Europe and Japan during 1989/90.
milton continued with a career of live and studio session work and in 1993 played
on his first Take That tour, beginning an association that is now in it’s 21st year.
In addition to having played on every TT tour since 93, he has found the time to tour with.
M People UK Tour 1994
Gary Barlow Solo Tour 1996
Kumiko Yamashita Japanese Tour 1998
Eikichi Yazawa Japanese Tour 1998
B*witched UK tour 1999
The British Rock Symphony South American tour 2000
Westlife Coast To Coast 2000
World of Our Own 2001
Patricia Kaas World Tour 2002-5
Mylene Farmer 13 shows, Bercy Arena, Paris 2006
Ray Davies UK, Europe, USA tours 2006-8
Will Young Forest Tour 2012
Gary Barlow Solo tour 2012-13
Gary Barlow Since I Saw You Last tour 2014
Jeff Lynne's ELO 2015- now
..and perform live and in the studio with more than 70 artists, ranging from
Alice Cooper to Dame Shirley Bassey!
Mike "Milton" McDonald—"Milton" because he came from Milton Keynes — was a member of The Boomerang Gang, who appeared on the London scene in 1984. McDonald left the band in late 1986. He was the second guitarist to Yes off-shoot Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe, both on their studio album and on tour. He has subsequently continued with a life of session work, often working with UK pop producers Absolute.
McDonald toured with British pop act Take That between 1993 until their split in 1996, then played for a variety of British, European and Japanese artists before rejoining Take That for their sell-out Ultimate Tour in 2006. In 2009 he appeared on Ray Davies’ album The Kinks Choral Collection and featured in the house band for Children In Need Rocks the Royal Albert Hall, playing guitar for Shirley Bassey, Dizzee Rascal, Annie Lennox, Paolo Nutini, Take That, Leona Lewis and Robbie Williams.
Milton McDonald replaced Rob Harris, guitarist for Jamiroquai, for a concert in Almaty, Kazakhstan, September 15, 2012.
Milton was thrilled to be performing a 70 minute set with one of his biggest musical heroes as a member of Jeff Lynne's ELO.
Milton played guitar for the finale of the Radio 2 "Festival in a day" concert alongside Jeff Lynne's ELO, Richard Tandy, Mike Stevens and the BBC Concert Orchestra on Sunday 14th September 2014.
Check Milton's website, click here.
All of the above information is approved by Milton McDonald.
Milton played with Children in Need Rocks 2013, when Jeff Lynne's ELO played among other artists.
Mike Stevens
Milton McDonald
Donavan Hepburn
Bernie Smith
Marcus Byrne
Matt Round - bass
Mick Wilson
Mel Lewis - backing vocals
Sharleen Linton
Lincoln Jeane
Chereene Allen
Milton played with Jeff Lynne's ELO at the Live in Hyde Park 14 sep. 2014.
Jeff Lynne
Richard Tandy
Lee Pomeroy
Donavan Hepburn
Mick Wilson
Chereene Allen
Danny Marsden
Milton McDonald
Mike Stevens
Bernie Smith
Marcus Byrne
Iain Hornal
Melanie Lewis-McDonald
The BBC Concert Orchestra
Milton was on diff. guitars on the Jeff Lynne's ELO "Alone in the universe" tour 2016.
Check my video wich is a collection of video clips from the whole Tour:
Alone in the Universe Tour 2016
7. April 2017
ELO's members Jeff Lynne, Roy Wood, Bev Bevan & Richard Tandy was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at the induction ceremony at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
Milton played diff. guitars on stage.
Check my video of this great event: ELO Rock n Roll Hall of Fame 2017
The 2018 Band:
Amy Langley
Donavan Hepburn
Iain Hornal
Jeff Lynne
Jess Cox
Lee Pomeroy
Marcus Byrne
Melanie Lewis-McDonald
Mike Stevens
Milton McDonald
Richard Tandy
Rosie Langley
Steve Turner
Check my video wich is a collection of video clips from the whole Tour:
Jeff Lynne's ELO, Live 2018 Tour