Ian McDonald

Ian Richard McDonald (25 June 1946 – 9 February 2022) was an English musician, composer and multi-instrumentalist, best known as a founding member of the progressive rock band King Crimson in 1968, as well as the hard rock band Foreigner in 1976.

McDonald began his music career as an army musician, where he learned the clarinet and taught himself music theory. He also taught himself to play flute, saxophone, guitar and piano. He co-founded King Crimson and appeared on their 1969 debut album In the Court of the Crimson King, playing Mellotron, keyboards and woodwinds. In the mid-1970s, he moved to New York City where he co-founded Foreigner, appearing on the group's first three albums. He later collaborated with Steve Hackett and played in the King Crimson spin-off group 21st Century Schizoid Band. He was also a session musician, predominantly as a saxophonist. In 2024, McDonald was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, as a member of Foreigner.

Biography Early life and army McDonald was born on 25 June 1946 in Osterley, Middlesex, the son of Ada (née May) and Keith McDonald, an architect.

In 1997, the release of the King Crimson four-CD set Epitaph, consisting of rare live recordings of the 1969 version of King Crimson, renewed interest in the early Crimson material. Out of that interest, the 21st Century Schizoid Band was formed in 2002 and several tours and live albums have followed. The band included former King Crimson members Michael Giles (drums and percussion), Peter Giles (bass), McDonald (sax, flute, keyboards), Mel Collins (alto/tenor sax, flute, keyboards) and also Jakko Jakszyk, who later joined King Crimson in 2013, on guitar and lead vocals. After the first tour, Michael Giles was replaced with another former King Crimson drummer Ian Wallace.

Foreigner

McDonald moved to New York City in the mid-1970s. In 1976, he co-formed the band Foreigner with Mick Jones, Lou Gramm, Dennis Elliott, Al Greenwood and Ed Gagliardi, with Gagliardi replaced by Rick Wills in 1979. With Foreigner, McDonald played guitar as well as his woodwinds and keyboards. Although Foreigner was a more conventional rock band compared to King Crimson, McDonald still made significant contributions to the group's arrangement and production. He was with the band for their first three albums - Foreigner (1977), Double Vision (1978) and Head Games (1979) - all of which went multi-platinum and made Foreigner a huge success.

In 2017, McDonald and singer-guitarist Ted Zurkowski formed the band Honey West, which released an album Bad Old World in 2017. A trailer for a King Crimson documentary was released a week before his death, in which McDonald apologised to Fripp for leaving the band in 1970.

Selected discography

Giles, Giles & Fripp The Brondesbury Tapes (2001) - Recorded between 1967 and 1968. It features Ian McDonald and Judy Dyble.

King Crimson In the Court of the Crimson King (1969) In the Wake of Poseidon (1970, co-composer) Red (1974, guest) Epitaph (1997, recorded 1969)

Foreigner Foreigner (1977) Double Vision (1978) Head Games (1979)

Steve Hackett Genesis Revisited (1997) The Tokyo Tapes (1998)

Honey West Bad Old World (2017)

Solo McDonald and Giles (1970); with Michael Giles Drivers Eyes (1999)