The Doobie Brothers have just released a poignant new song titled “Lahaina” that is intended to raise funds for those affected by the devastating fires that destroyed parts of the Hawaiian island of Maui. The track is available now via digital formats, and a companion music video has premiered on the band’s official YouTube channel.
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Proceeds from the song will benefit People’s Fund of Maui, a charity launched by Oprah Winfrey and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson that provides financial aid to more than 8,000 members of the Maui community who have been displaced by the fires in the areas of Lahaina and Kula. The Doobie Brothers will also be donating $100,000 to the cause.
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“Lahaina” was co-written by Doobie Brothers members Pat Simmons and Michael McDonald, who are both longtime Maui residents, along with producer John Shanks, who collaborated closely with the band on its 2021 studio album, Liberté.
The track features musical contributions from Simmons, McDonald, and The Doobies’ two other core members, Tom Johnston and John McFee, as well as guest appearances by Fleetwood Mac drummer Mick Fleetwood, Hawaiian ukulele virtuoso Jake Shimabukuro, and Hawaiian singer/songwriter Henry Kapono.
Fleetwood is also a longtime Maui resident who owned a restaurant in downtown Lahaina that was destroyed by the fires.
In a press statement about the song, Simmons discussed the impetus for creating the tune and launching the charity campaign.
“I’ve been a resident of Maui for 28 years now and I wanted to make a tribute to the place I’ve called home for so long and help bring awareness and donations for the recovery and relief efforts there,” he said. “This song is a look back at what Lahaina has meant to all of us. So many people have walked the streets of Lahaina and have felt that aloha spirit and we hope that one day we will walk those streets again.”
The “Lahaina” video features footage of the seaside town and its beautiful surrounding areas before the fire, as well as showing the disastrous toll of the blaze. The clip also includes scenes of Simmons, McDonald, Johnston, McFee, Fleetwood, Shimabukuro, and Kapono separately singing and/or playing the song.
On behalf of People’s Fund of Maui, Johnston issued a statement about the song, extending gratitude to Simmons and his band.
“As our people of Maui piece their lives and homes back together, we’re grateful to have the genuine support and beautiful music of The Doobie Brothers,” said Johnston. “A longtime resident of the island, Pat understands the Maui community and the tragic devastation its residents are bravely overcoming. ‘Lahaina’ is a song that both captures our aloha spirit and will help to make a real difference in the recovery.”
The Doobie Brothers are currently serving as the opening act for the final 2023 Eagles’ Long Goodbye Tour dates. The trek winds down this week with shows on November 17 and 18 in St. Paul, Minnesota. Meanwhile,
The Doobies have also scheduled their first headlining concert of 2024, a January 28 show at the Moody Center in Austin, Texas, that will raise money for three local charities. Tickets for that show are available via StubHub, where orders are 100% guaranteed through StubHub’s FanProtect program. StubHub is a secondary market ticketing platform, and prices may be higher or lower than face value, depending on demand.
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