Watch below as Jimmy sings “King of Somewhere Hot”:

You’re known as a great storyteller, both lyrically and in your live show. Was there any particular writer or performer coming up that inspired you to be the storyteller you’re known as today?

I’m sure that I was a sponge and was influenced by almost everything I heard musically. But the storytelling probably comes from two places. First the church. My mother was the piano player at church when I was young and we were always going to Baptist “association,” which was like a preaching competition with endless sermons over a two or three day period. I was very young and probably would have chosen to be elsewhere but I did take note of what did and did not work for the men, and a woman or two, in the pulpit. Secondly and probably a more direct influence were the old guys who sat on the “gossip bench” at the courthouse downtown and whittled and told stories. I was told not to hang around these guys and sat at their feet and listened to them for a big chunk of my early time. The new live CD is a response to years of being asked to record the stories that accompany the songs.

You’ve had cuts by Alabama, Kenny Chesney, Jimmy Buffett and many others. Do you have a song that was particularly hard to let go of?

When I wrote “Back Where I Come From” I thought that it was a hit, but also that it said something that I personally wanted to be the first to say. As a publisher I knew I was devaluing the copyright by singing it myself instead of passing it onto better and bigger singers, but I did it anyway. One of many of my classically bad business choices, but thankfully Kenny Chesney was kind enough to bail me out and cut it again. Thanks again KC.

Read the full interview here.

And be sure to pick up Mac’s new album Live in Muscle Shoals.

Roberta Flack sang one of his final compositions, thanking him for writing hits for her like “Where is the Love.”

MacDonald died Sunday of lung cancer at age 67. He was living in Stamford, Conn.

“The song is over, but the melody lingers on,” the Rev. Calvin Butts said during the eulogy.

Valerie Simpson of Ashford & Simpson and Paul Shaffer of David Letterman’s “Late Show” band also attended the music-filled memorial for the eight-time Grammy nominee.

“Ralph was a very important part of my life,” Flack said before singing to some 300 mourners in front of his closed casket.

When Flack began touring internationally, MacDonald stepped in as her musical director.

“He was the kind of musician who could play and understand any kind of music,” she said. “There were no limits.”

She emotionally recited the words to one of his last compositions, “We Are a Family,” before singing the song.

“We are proud, and we are free,” she sang. “Yes, we are a family.”

When friend and singer Dennis Collins performed “My Way” in MacDonald’s honor, he drew hearty laughter for changing the line about biting off more than you can chew to, “He pissed off more than just a few.”

Born in Harlem to Trinidadian parents, MacDonald played conga drums as a boy in the 14-piece band led by his father, Patrick MacDonald, aka calypso performer Macbeth The Great.

For a decade, beginning at age 17, he played percussion for Harry Belafonte.

In 1971, he had his breakthrough as a songwriter when Flack and Donny Hathaway scored with “Where is the Love,” co-written with William Salter.

Read more from this article here, and read the New York Times obituary here.

(H/T Phyllis)

Remember with us some of Ralph’s great music, and a full life of fun and camaraderie, on this tribute program with band-mate Jim Mayer and Radio Margaritaville’s Steve Huntington.

Broadcast Schedule:

• Thursday: 6pm
• Saturday: 6am
• Sunday: 11pm

Listen at RadioMargaritaville.com or on Sirius/XM.

A memorial service was held for Ralph this morning in New York. The family asks that in lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to the Bennett Cancer Center at Stamford Hospital to assist those who need extra support in fighting their battle with cancer. Ralph has always been a big proponent of helping the youth in Harlem. The Buster Bryant Youth organization operated by the Dunlevy Milbank Center of the Children’s Aid Society was one of his favorite charities, and his dedication even garnered him an Award. Please help continue his legacy by considering a donation to this organization as well. Details will be forthcoming on exactly how to donate.

Mac McAnally also left a very nice remembrance on his Facebook page:

So as you may know by now the Coral Reefer Family lost a Big Brother this week. Ralph MacDonald was One of a Kind in a hundred ways, and was family to me in more than one way as well.

At first inspection we were as different as one could imagine. A white kid from small town Mississippi and a black kid from Harlem. A larger than life of the party guy and a boring Southern Baptist. But we both have these Irish names…. and nicknames (both called Mac). And it turns out we both put our families and our music far above all other things. Ralph lit up at the mention of his kids or his Grace or his music in a way that cannot be measured or faked.

And so the two Mac’s in the Coral Reefers turn out to be more alike than different. My life is better better for having known him. Because of Ralph I’m a better Musician and a better Father and there’s always room for improvement.

As a percussionist (the official term does not do him justice) he did what he did as well as it’s ever been done. Period.

I and my Daughters are blessed to call him family and his status does not change with his passing. He had and shared so much and I will never forget him.

A life well lived.

GodSpeed my Brother

Mac McAnally

From his humble beginnings as the son of Caribbean immigrant parents, MacDonald followed his family’s musical heritage and, in the process, defined the the very nature of percussion in American music.

Our condolences to Ralph’s friends and family.

(H/T Bam Bam)

Update:

• Uncle Jim Mayer remembers Ralph
• Peter Mayer’s message on Facebook
• NY Daily News: “Ralph MacDonald dies at 67″

Mac beat out Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas, Paul Franklin, and Dann Huff.

Be sure to pick up Mac’s new live album, Live in Muscle Shoals. Get it here.

Congratulations Mac!

Go to www.margaritaville.com to see Mac perform “Bound to Get Down” and “I Heard It Through The Grapevine.”

Here’s the track listing:

1. It’s a Crazy World
2. New Orleans Intro
3. Blame It On New Orleans
4. Down the Road Intro
5. Down the Road
6. Down by the River
7. Dark Ages Intro
8. Dark Ages
9. Pop Top Hop Intro
10. Pop Top Hop
11. Miracle
12. Cafe on the Corner Intro
13. Cafe on the Corner
14. Opinion on Love Intro
15. Opinion on Love
16. All These Years Intro
17. All These Years
18. This Time Intro
19. This Time
20. Bound to Get Down
21. Little Blue Phil
22. On Account of You
23. Last Man Standing
24. Back Where I Come From Intro
25. Back Where I Come From
26. It’s My Job
27. I Heard It Through The Grapevine

Go to www.macmcanallystore.com to pre-order Live in Muscle Shoals for $15.00.

Recorded live from the Norton Auditorium at the University of North Alabama during the W.C. Handy Music Festival, Mac put together an incredible band of musicians consisting of fellow Coral Reefers and Muscle Shoals/Nashville session friends in which they captivated the audience.

The album will be released October 11th.

Go to www.macmcanallystore.com to pre-order Live in Muscle Shoals for $15.00.

Recorded live from the Norton Auditorium at the University of North Alabama during the W.C. Handy Music Festival, Mac put together an incredible band of musicians consisting of fellow Coral Reefers and Muscle Shoals/Nashville session friends in which they captivated the audience.

Track Listing:
1. It’s a Crazy World
2. New Orleans Intro
3. Blame It On New Orleans
4. Down the Road Intro
5. Down the Road
6. Down by the River
7. Dark Ages Intro
8. Dark Ages
9. Pop Top Hop Intro
10. Pop Top Hop
11. Miracle
12. Cafe on the Corner Intro
13. Cafe on the Corner
14. Opinion on Love Intro
15. Opinion on Love
16. All These Years Intro
17. All These Years
18. This Time Intro
19. This Time
20. Bound to Get Down
21. Little Blue Phil
22. On Account of You
23. Last Man Standing
24. Back Where I Come From Intro
25. Back Where I Come From
26. It’s My Job
27. I Heard It Through The Grapevine

You can also pre-order a non-autographed copy from Mailboat Records for $9.99. The album will be released October 11th.

Recorded live from the Norton Auditorium at the University of North Alabama during the W.C. Handy Music Festival, Mac put together an incredible band of musicians consisting of fellow Coral Reefers (Mac is a member of Buffett’s band) and Muscle Shoals/Nashville session friends in which they captivated the audience.

“Last summer the fine folks in charge of the W.C. Handy Music Festival asked me to play a show that ran the gamut of everything I’ve done,” Mac said. “In live performance you don’t have to look far for imperfections. I look at the imperfections as blessings too,” he added. “W.C. Handy made a career out of mixing influences from his surroundings and expressing them musically. I share that aspiration and hope to merit having shared the bill with his legacy on July 31, 2010 in his hometown of Florence, Alabama,” he added.

The CD includes his hits “Back Where I Come,” (Kenny Chesney), “All These Years” (Sawyer Brown), and “Down the Road,” (Kenny Chesney), as well as a cover of the ‘60s hit “I Heard It through the Grapevine.” A master storyteller, Mac set up each song with an anecdote and those bites of observation and humor which are included on the disc.