Hugh McDonald

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Lore & Background

McDonald's path to Bon Jovi started long before he joined the band. He was one of the studio musicians who recorded Jon Bon Jovi's original first demo for "Runaway." When that song became a local hit, Jon Bon Jovi assembled a different band to record a full album, leaving McDonald out. Years later, after original bassist Alec John Such left following the 1994 release of Cross Road, McDonald stepped in as a session/touring member in November 1994. Despite playing on every Bon Jovi album and tour from that point, the band members said they never agreed to officially replace Such, so McDonald was regarded as an 'unofficial' member until 2016. During that time, he was left out of most publicity shoots and album covers, though he did appear in some promo videos. His work still earned him a 1995 Metal Edge Readers' Choice Award for "Best Bassist," tying with White Zombie's Sean Yseult. Before Bon Jovi, McDonald had already built a career as the bass guitarist for the David Bromberg Band, touring extensively worldwide and playing on many Bromberg albums. He also played with Willie Nelson, Steve Goodman, Ringo Starr, Lita Ford, Michael Bolton, Cher, Alice Cooper, Ricky Martin, Gavin Whittaker, Michael Bublé, Poison, and did a few dates during Shania Twain's the Woman in Me TV tour. In 2018, McDonald was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Bon Jovi.

In Their Own Story

In 1994, after Alec John Such's departure following the release of Cross Road, Bon Jovi needed a bassist for their upcoming tour. They brought in Hugh McDonald, a seasoned session player who had actually been in the studio with Jon Bon Jovi years earlier for the original demo of "Runaway." That demo had launched the band's career, but Jon had assembled a different group to record the debut album, leaving McDonald out. Now, a decade later, McDonald was finally on stage with Bon Jovi, though still as a hired hand. The band members said they never agreed to officially replace Such, so McDonald remained an 'unofficial' member for over two decades. He was left out of most publicity shoots and album covers, but he appeared in some promo videos and played on every album. In 2016, the band finally made him a permanent member. Two years later, in 2018, McDonald was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Bon Jovi.

Reader's Guide

Hugh McDonald joined Bon Jovi as a session/touring band member in November 1994, following the departure of original bassist Alec John Such after the 1994 release of Cross Road. He was not made a permanent member until 2016. During those 22 years, he was regarded as an 'unofficial' member, left out of most publicity shoots and album covers, though he did appear in some promo videos. The band members stated they never agreed to officially replace Such until 2016. Despite this, McDonald's work earned him a 1995 Metal Edge Readers' Choice Award for "Best Bassist," tying with White Zombie's Sean Yseult. Before Bon Jovi, McDonald was the bass guitarist for the David Bromberg Band, touring extensively worldwide and playing on many Bromberg albums. His session and live credits include Willie Nelson, Steve Goodman, Ringo Starr, Lita Ford, Michael Bolton, Cher, Alice Cooper, Ricky Martin, Gavin Whittaker, Michael Bublé, Poison, and a few dates during Shania Twain's the Woman in Me TV tour. He also appeared on Jon Bon Jovi's solo album Destination Anywhere and was part of Jon Bon Jovi's backing group, The Big Dogs. In 2018, McDonald was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Bon Jovi.

Did You Know?

• McDonald was one of the studio musicians who recorded Jon Bon Jovi's original first demo for the song 'Runaway,' but Jon assembled a different band to record the full album after the song became a local hit.
• He was regarded as an 'unofficial' member of Bon Jovi from November 1994 until 2016, when he was finally made a permanent member.
• McDonald's work with Bon Jovi earned him a 1995 Metal Edge Readers' Choice Award for 'Best Bassist,' tying with White Zombie's Sean Yseult.
• He played on a few dates during Shania Twain's the Woman in Me TV tour.
• McDonald married Kelli, a horse trainer and jewelry designer, in 2004.