The Music of Todd Donnelly (Part 2)
Todd Donnelly:
“I like taking people away from their problems if only for a little while!”
This interview with Todd Donnelly is Part 2 of our Blogcast on the Music of Todd Donnelly and the Mr. Myers Band. Click here for Part 1, which includes a Podcast and YouTube Videos.
What inspired you to become a musician?
I have always been surrounded my music since birth! My Mom and her sisters were in the church choir and both sang and played piano and she would also sing and play every day at home. I started on piano at age 5 and was in band on drums and percussion starting in middle school which I continued through High School. Also, in my early teens I started a rock band and we began playing at school functions and various events and I played drums and sang. The band also continued through High School. During these years my parents used to take us on trips including many Caribbean cruises. It was there that I first discovered (and fell in love with) the sound of steel drums! When I looked at colleges, I found the only one that had a steel drum program which was Northern Illinois University in Dekalb, IL. I started there in 1978 and studied percussion performance.
Tell us about your musical journey. How did you get to where you are today?
While I was in the NIU Steel Band I began jamming with other musicians and in 1981 my band Mr. Myers was formed. (Tthe band’s name came from Myers’s Jamaican Rum!). We began playing at local bars, coffee houses and festivals and soon built a fairly large following that extended into the Chicagoland area. We then started playing on the college circuit and branched out to over 17 states. We started recording and now have an extensive catalog featuring both originals and covers - I have also done quite a few solo recordings. I recent years, my two sons Dylan (keys/guitar) and Tyler (drums and bass guitar) have become a big part of our sound as well. They are both band members and part of our duo/trio band and I’m truly blessed to be able to play music with them! One song that tells the story of our musical journey is called “Musical Generations” which was released in 2017 on my album “Tropical Existence”.
What are a few of your favorite songs that you wrote and/or perform and why are they your favorites?
It’s difficult to name favorites since all of my songs are a part of me but I do have a few that are close to my heart! It seems that my favorites all seem to resonate with the ones I’ve written about life events such as “Navigate My Heart” which was written for my wife Kathi when we got engaged in 1999. I just released a followup which is to celebrate our 25th Anniversary called “Another Quarter”. I recorded a song for the birth of my daughter called “New Life” on our “Live at Last 1” album in 1992. I also love to write uplifting inspirational tunes such as “Go The Distance” (1986), “Patience” (1996), Easy On Yourself” (2020) and “Turn This Day Around” (2023). The song “Rum Punch for Breakfast” (1996 and 2021) is probably our most requested original song and it’s a fun story - I like taking people away from their problems if only for a little while!
Every Trop Rock artist is unique. What makes you stand out from the others?
I would say that steel drums and percussion are our trademark sound and the foundation of Mr. Myers. We pride ourselves on doing our own “tropical” versions of cover tunes to make them unique. Songs such as “Cecelia”, “Me and Julio” and “Dreadlock Holiday” are examples of some fun remakes we’ve done over the years.
The Mr. Myers Band
Featuring Todd Donnelly and his sons, Dylan and Tyler.
How would you describe your style of music? Do you write most or all of your own songs?
When I started Mr. Myers, I decided to bill us as “Caribbean Rock”, since that has always been our description. It’s interesting how the term “Trop Rock” sprung up in later years and how it’s now a Genre! If I had to describe all of the styles we play it would be difficult as we play everything from reggae to calypso/soca to pop/rock/jazz/world/Latin and beach music. On our latest album “Live at Last 3” you can definitely hear all of our influences over the last 40 years! We do a mix of 50/50 covers vs originals on a typical show but can favor either one if desired.
Tell me what your life is like as a musician. Do you do a lot of traveling? Are there places where you perform regularly? Do you participate in music festivals?
We have traveled to many wonderful places and played lots of amazing gigs including Margaritaville in Las Vegas and Grand Turk, St. Thomas, cruise ships and many music festivals including Meeting of the Minds, Music On The Bay and Summer Chill. One highlight was when we opened up for Jimmy Buffett on Duval St. in Key West- It was quite a thrill to sing “Day-O” for 5,000 people on Duval Street! In recent years we haven’t been travelling as much due to kids and day gigs but we had a few fun excursions to Lake Of The Ozarks and Northern Wisconsin.
How do you balance your personal life and your musical career?
I have always tried to find that balance between music and family and we’ve been able to make it work well, mainly because of my amazing wife Kathi. She has always supported my music and has also encouraged our two sons Dylan and Tyler to pursue music as well! I am the luckiest Dad in the world to be able to play with them and they are amazing musicians - they definitely push me to be better and to reinvent myself!
What is your favorite part of being a Trop Rock Music artist?
I absolutely love bringing my music to as many people as possible, whether they are young children or seniors. Some of our most fun and fulfilling shows have been at schools and nursing homes! I try to pick out people in the audience that I can see enjoying themselves and love to watch their reactions to our songs. We do lots of audience sing-a-longs and limbos to get the crowd involved and it makes me very happy!
Todd Donnelly performing at Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville.
Who are some of your favorite influences from the past and favorite current musicians?
I have many musical influences including Bob Marley, Jimmy Buffett, Jimmy Cliff, Paul Simon, Jack Johnson, The Grateful Dead, Harry Belafonte, Sting, The Police and many more. I have played everything from Classical to Jazz to Rock to reggae/calypso and of course beach music!
Have you collaborated with any other artists recently? If so, what was that experience like?
My recent collaborations have all been with my sons - we have released many songs together including “Turn This Day Around”, “Easy On Yourself”, “These Old Pans”. The boys play drums, bass, guitar and percussion with me and do some background vocals.
What is next for you musically? Are there any upcoming projects or collaborations you can share?
Dylan also has his own catalogue of originals and is about to release a full album in late December. We are also working on several new singles for release in early 2025 - stay tuned!
How would you describe Trop Rock music?
I would describe Trop Rock as a “musical blender”… a concoction of everything from Caribbean to rock to country to jazz to folk (and just about anything else!) As I mentioned earlier, we have a huge variety of musical styles we play but it usually has a tropical undertone in the music or the lyrics. Some artists play more country or rock and have tropically themed lyrics which makes the genre even more accessible to those audiences. Besides Jimmy Buffett (who was the biggest influence by far), other artists have had tropical hits in the early years such as Bertie Higgins, Loggins and Messina, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and of course The Beach Boys. Kenny Chesney, Zac Brown and Mac McAnally should be included as well - they are all definitely carrying the torch these days! It’s an exciting time for the genre and It’s really fun to see where it will evolve from here!
Where can people hear your music or access it?
www.facebook.com/todddonnellymusic
We are on many digital outlets including: Spotify, Apple Music, ITunes, Pandora, Amazon Music, YouTube and Bandcamp You can find both Mr. Myers and Todd Donnelly on them.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
We are about to enter our 44th year and we truly appreciate all of our fans, friends and fellow musicians for making what we do the coolest job in the world!
