Singer/songwriter, five-time Grammy Award winner and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee Michael McDonald’s What a Fool Believes: A Memoir—written with actor, comedian and bestselling author Paul Reiser—is out now via Dey Street Books here.
Interwoven with unforgettable tales from his storied career and a cast of music greats including James Taylor, Ray Charles, Carly Simon and Quincy Jones, What a Fool Believes finds McDonald reckoning with the unshakeable insecurities that drove him and the highs and lows of fame and popularity. Along the way he relays the hard-earned lessons he has learned.
Co-authors McDonald and Reiser first crossed paths at a party a number of years ago. McDonald was aware of Reiser’s work as an actor and bestselling author, but that night he learned of Paul’s love for music and his own skill as a pianist and songwriter. Reiser invited McDonald over to check out his home studio; the two ended up jamming into the wee hours and a friendship was born. It was Reiser who convinced McDonald that he needed to tell his story.
A member of the Doobie Brothers and Steely Dan as well as a chart-topping solo artist and collaborator with some of the biggest names in music, McDonald’s unmistakably smooth baritone voice defined an era of popular music with hits like “What A Fool Believes,” “Takin’ It to the Streets,” “I Keep Forgettin’,” “It Keeps You Running,” “You Belong to Me,” the James Ingraham duet “Yah Mo B There,” the Patti LaBelle duet “On My Own” and many more. Hailing from Ferguson, Missouri, McDonald chased his musical dreams in 1970’s California. As a rising session musician and backing vocalist, a series of encounters sent him on a wild ride around the world and to the heights of rock stardom.
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