Songwriter, producer and percussionist Ralph MacDonald passed away on Sunday of lung cancer. He was 67.
He’s one of those musicians whose name and face you don’t know but chances are you know his music. MacDonald is best known for co-writing “Where is the Love?” which became a hit for Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway in 1972 and for the 1981 hit “Just the Two of Us” by Grover Washington, Jr. and Bill Withers.
Rooted in Calypso music, MacDonald had long stints with both Harry Belafonte and Jimmy Buffett and played on recordings by the likes of Paul Simon, Billy Joel, Aretha Franklin and Diana Ross amongst many, many others.
