Foreigner’s debut album in 1977 made the Billboard Top 5 chart and sold over five million copies. A number that Mr. McDonald helped write, “Long, Long Way From Home” became a Top 20 Billboard hit. He co-produced all three albums he recorded with Foreigner, including “Double Vision” (1978) and “Head Games” (1979).
Ian Max McDonald was born on June 25, 1946 in Osterley, Middlesex, England to Keith McDonald, an architect, and Ada (May) McDonald, a homemaker. His father played banjo and piano, and in a house full of music, Ian played guitar and piano.
His multi-instrumental approach broadened at the age of 15, when he left school and joined the British Army as a band member. “I took clarinet lessons and from there I taught myself flute and saxophone,” he told Big Bang Magazine in 1999. “I came into contact with a number of different styles of music.”
After leaving the army and moving to London, he met Mr. Fripp, who had a whimsical group called Giles, Giles and Fripp, which included Michael Giles and his brother Pete. mr. McDonald recorded songs with them before evolving into King Crimson, with vocalist and bassist Greg Lake replacing Pete Giles.
Almost immediately, a buzz grew around them, leading to an invitation to perform at a free Rolling Stones concert in London in Hyde Park; the event was originally intended to introduce the Stones’ new guitarist, Mick Taylor, but it ended up doubling as a tribute to the musician he had replaced, Brian Jones, who had passed away two days earlier. Audience estimates for the show range from 250,000 to 500,000. In 2013, The Guardian reported that “King Crimson almost stole the show.”