Michael McDonald is ready to give fans a new perspective on his career with the release of What a Fool Believes: A Memoir.
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Co-written alongside actor, comedian and bestselling author Paul Reiser, the book will give fans a behind-the scenes look at the highs and lows of McDonald’s career including unforgettable stories from the road, his struggles with drugs and alcohol, and his overall journey to becoming a 5-time GRAMMY-winning artist.
“Mike did the hard part,” Reiser, 67, told PEOPLE of teaming up to author the memoir. “He had to live the first 60, 70 years and then remember it. That was the challenge.”
“It was the challenge,” McDonald confirmed. “The thing that was the most daunting was wondering if there ever even was a story there, because my story really, I've always felt, existed more in the people I worked with. That was really basically my story. It wasn't really so much about me as my good fortune to work with a lot of different people.”
Many of those collaborators and musicians are highlighted in the memoir including James Taylor, Ray Charles, Carly Simon and Quincy Jones.
“There's so many touchstones of music that he straddles, and there aren't a lot of people who have that kind of breadth of career,” Reiser shared. “Along the way, Mike's personal story comes forward. So much of it is uniquely his, but even the parts that are uniquely his, I think, resonate with people.”
What a Fool Believes: A Memoir by Michael McDonald and Paul Reiser will be available via Dey Street Books beginning May 21, 2024.