Researching Hugh Mcdonald

He has worked with Bon Jovi in the studio since its inception and has been their bass guitarist since original bass guitarist Alec John Such's departure after Cross Road which was released in 1994, but was still regarded as an 'unofficial' member of Bon Jovi. At this time, McDonald was left out of most publicity shoots and album covers but did appear in some of the band's promo videos. The band members said they never agreed to officially replace Such. Regardless, his work with the band earned him a 1995 Metal Edge Readers' Choice Award for "Best Bassist" (tying with White Zombie's Sean Yseult). McDonald was one of the studio musicians that recorded Jon Bon Jovi's original first demo for the song "Runaway". When the song became a local hit, Jon Bon Jovi nevertheless assembled a band without McDonald in order to record a full band album around the hit song. He has also appeared on Jon Bon Jovi's solo album Destination Anywhere and was part of Jon Bon Jovi's backing group, The Big Dogs.

McDonald married his long-term partner, Nancy in 1996 but they divorced some years later.

In 2004, McDonald married Kelli, a horse trainer and jewelry designer, they have two children and they reside near Nashville, Tennessee. In 2018, McDonald was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Bon Jovi.

The son of Allan MacDonald and Christina Cameron, he was educated at Saint Francis Xavier University and called to the Nova Scotia bar in 1855. McDonald married Sarah Smith in 1856. He practiced law in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. McDonald represented Antigonish County in the Legislative Assembly of Nova Scotia from 1859 to 1863. In 1872, he was named Queen's Counsel.

MacDonald served as President of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Militia and Defense in 1873. Later that year, he resigned his seat in parliament to accept an appointment to the Nova Scotia Supreme Court.

McDonald served as puisne judge in the Supreme Court from November 1873 until he retired from the bench in 1893.

MacDonald was born in Kilwinning, Ayrshire and played for a variety of local junior clubs including Ayr Westerlea, Maybole, Ayr Academical and Beith, before moving south to London to join Woolwich Arsenal in January 1906. McDonald was understudy to Arsenal's regular goalkeeper, England international Jimmy Ashcroft, and played only two league games in what was to be his first spell at Arsenal, his debut coming against Blackburn Rovers on 17 February 1906. At the end of the 1905–06 season he moved to Southern League Brighton & Hove Albion and spent two years there.

In May 1908 he returned to Woolwich Arsenal after they sold Ashcroft to make ends meet, and MacDonald was an ever-present for the entire 1908–09 season, and only missed two games of 1909–10. He left Arsenal in July 1910 for Oldham Athletic, spending one season there before moving to Bradford Park Avenue.

In December 1912 he returned to Arsenal for a third time, making him, apparently, the only player to have played for the club in three separate spells. As of June 2010, the only other players to have rejoined the club are John Lukic, Jock Rutherford, Martin Keown, Sol Campbell and Jens Lehmann who all rejoined only once. He took over from Sidney Crawford and played 18 of the last 21 league games of the 1912–13 season, in which Arsenal were relegated to the Second Division.

MacDonald left Arsenal for a third and final time in November 1913, having been ousted from the team by Joe Lievesley. He saw out his career with first Fulham and then Bristol Rovers, before World War I intervened and ended competitive league football. He died, aged 36, in 1920.

McDonald became better known when he joined the folk-rock group Redgum in 1981. He wrote a number of the group's songs, including "The Diamantina Drover". After lead singer John Schumann left the band in 1986, he took over as lead singer until the group disbanded in 1990.

After Redgum, McDonald continued playing and recording music, and also taught music, including working with the Geelong Music College Orchestra. In addition, he had his own recording studios in Melbourne.

McDonald also lent his musical and recording expertise to the production of the Poowong Consolidated Primary School's annual music CD and more recently DVD. He worked alongside the students and music teacher Phil Beggs to compose, write, record and produce the CD.

From 2005 McDonald worked with Schumann again as part of the Vagabond Crew, touring and performing on the albums Lawson and Behind the Lines. The latter album was recorded at McDonald's studios.

McDonald performed for Australian forces overseas several times. In December 2009 he visited East Timor to play for Australian and New Zealand troops stationed there, in September–October 2011 he played for Australian troops in Afghanistan and in July 2013 he played for Australian troops and Australian Federal Police in the Solomon Islands. In 2014 he played for the Royal Australian Navy troops in Tanzania, Africa, and in March 2016 he returned to Afghanistan to play for Australian troops.

In 2014 McDonald released his third solo album, titled The Land, which includes his more recent originals "If It All Goes South", a tender heartfelt song which he wrote for his wife, Rebecca Harris Mason, and "Shrodinger's Cat", a contemplative song about accepting the uncertainties of life.

McDonald had seven children, six grandchildren and lived with his wife, pianist Rebecca Harris Mason, and his two stepchildren. His daughter, Georgia, is also a musician who sings and plays guitar in Melbourne band Camp Cope.

Hugh McDonald died on 18 November 2016 from complications of prostate cancer.