Richie McDonald (b. 1962) is a singer/songwriter from Lubbock, Texas, and was the lead singer of the band Lonestar.
Born and raised in Lubbock, McDonald joined Lonestar founder Dean Sams in 1992 and the group signed with BNA Records in 1995. From 1994 until his withdrawal in 2007, McDonald recorded seven studio albums, cowriting several of their singles. Lonestar’s 1999 album Lonely Grill provided chart-topping singles with “Amazed” and “Smile,” while their earlier 1996 single, “No News,” hit number one on the Billboard Hot Country Singles and Tracks. McDonald is honored with numerous award nominations and wins, including five Grammy nominations, six gold and platinum albums, several Country Music Association (CMA) awards, Association of Country Music (ACM) awards, and BMI awards for songwriting. He rejoined Lonestar from 2011 until 2021, before leaving to sing with The Frontmen. His original song, “I’m Already There” (2001), was so beloved by the military community and their families that it became an unofficial anthem of U.S. troops deployed in the Middle East. As a successful songwriter, his original works have been recorded by artists such as John Michael Montgomery, Clay Walker, Billy Dean, and more.
Richie McDonald was inducted into The West Texas Walk of Fame in 2004.
