Ian McDonald (musician)

He later collaborated with Steve Hackett and played in the King Crimson spin-off group 21st Century Schizoid Band.

He was also a session musician, predominantly as a saxophonist.

McDonald's saxophone solo was a high point on their track "21st Century Schizoid Man", and he went on to play this on their first album In the Court of the Crimson King.

He also played harpsichord, piano, organ, clarinet, zither, flute, and Mellotron, which he used extensively on the album.

This album jump started the prog rock era, and paved the way for similar bands such as Yes and Genesis.

McDonald composed 2 of the 5 album tracks, including the title track and "I Talk to the Wind" on which his jazzy flute solo is one of the album's defining musical moments, and co-wrote the other 3 tracks with the other group members.

McDonald and drummer Giles left the band due to growing friction.

They formed a duo that released one album titled McDonald and Giles, which featured an orchestral backing instead of a Mellotron as used with King Crimson.

Ian Richard McDonald (25 June 1946 – 9 February 2022) was an English musician, composer and multi-instrumentalist, best known as a founder member of the progressive rock band King Crimson in 1968, as well as the hard rock band Foreigner in 1976.

McDonald began his music career as an army musician, where he learned the clarinet and taught himself music theory.

He also taught himself to play flute, saxophone, guitar and piano.

McDonald was born on 25 June 1946 in Osterley, Middlesex, the son of Ada (née May) and Keith McDonald, an architect.

He grew up in a musical family, regularly listening to records, and taught himself the guitar.

His music interests ranged from classical orchestra to dance bands to rock.

He was educated at Emanuel School, in Battersea, southwest London.

At 15, he left school and began a five-year stint in the British Army as a bandsman.

In 1963 he enrolled at the Royal Military School of Music at Kneller Hall, where he took clarinet and learned to read music.

He later learned piano, flute and saxophone and taught himself music theory.

His experience of playing with army bands gave him great musical adaptability as he had to learn many different musical styles such as show tunes, classical, jazz, and military marches.

It was this that honed his style to what eventually became the beginnings of the Prog Rock movement.

After leaving the army, McDonald moved back to London, and began making music with his girlfriend, former Fairport Convention singer Judy Dyble.

The pair were introduced to Robert Fripp and Michael Giles which led to the formation of King Crimson.

He co-founded King Crimson and appeared on their 1969 debut album In the Court of the Crimson King, playing Mellotron, keyboards and woodwinds.

However, the relationship ended and she left the band before they played their first gig in 1969, by which time McDonald, Fripp and Giles were joined by Greg Lake and Peter Sinfield.

Three months after their first gig, they supported the Rolling Stones at a free concert in Hyde Park.

They stole the show, with The Guardian reporting that the Stones' performance was "indifferent", but that King Crimson were "sensational".

In the mid-1970s, he moved to New York City where he co-founded Foreigner, appearing on the group's first three albums.

McDonald moved to New York City in the mid-1970s.

He reappeared with King Crimson in 1974, guesting on the album Red.

After the album's completion, McDonald was asked to rejoin the band as a full member to which he agreed, but ultimately Fripp dissolved the band before any further work could be undertaken.

In 1976, he co-formed the band Foreigner with Mick Jones, Lou Gramm, Dennis Elliott, Al Greenwood and Ed Gagliardi, with Gagliardi replaced by Rick Wills in 1979.

With Foreigner, McDonald played guitar as well as his woodwinds and keyboards.

Although Foreigner was a more conventional rock band compared to King Crimson, McDonald still made significant contributions to the group's arrangement and production.

He was with the band for their first three albums - Foreigner (1977), Double Vision (1978) and Head Games (1979) - all of which went multi-platinum and made Foreigner a huge success.

McDonald and Al Greenwood both left the band in 1980, after disagreements with group leader Mick Jones.

McDonald was also a session musician and played on T. Rex's hit "Bang a Gong (Get It On)", where he borrowed Mel Collins' baritone saxophone.

In 1997, the release of the King Crimson four-CD set Epitaph, consisting of rare live recordings of the 1969 version of King Crimson, renewed interest in the early Crimson material.

Out of that interest, the 21st Century Schizoid Band was formed in 2002 and several tours and live albums have followed.

The band included former King Crimson members Michael Giles (drums and percussion), Peter Giles (bass), McDonald (sax, flute, keyboards), Mel Collins (alto/tenor sax, flute, keyboards) and also Jakko Jakszyk, who later joined King Crimson in 2013, on guitar and lead vocals.

After the first tour, Michael Giles was replaced with another former King Crimson drummer Ian Wallace.