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What a Fool Believes: A Memoir
Paperback
Entertainment & Performing ArtsMusiciansPop/Rock
Publisher Price: $18.99
ISBN13: 9780063357570
Publisher: Dey Street Books
Published: May 19 2026
Pages: 336
Weight: 0.61
Height: 1.03 Width: 5.29 Depth: 7.96
Language: English
* INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER *
A sweeping and evocative music memoir from the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer, Grammy Award-winning, platinum selling singer-songwriter Michael McDonald, written with his friend, Emmy Award-nominated actor, comedian, and #1 New York Times bestselling author Paul Reiser.
Doobie Brothers. Steely Dan. Chart topping soloist. Across a half-century of American music, Michael McDonald's unmistakably smooth baritone voice defined an era of classic rock and R&B with hit records like What A Fool Believes, Takin' It to the Streets, I Keep Forgettin', Peg, It Keeps You Running, You Belong to Me, and Yah Mo B There.
In his candid, freewheeling memoir, written with his friend, the Emmy Award-nominated actor and comedian Paul Reiser, Michael tells the story of his life and music. A high school dropout from Ferguson, Missouri, Michael chased his dreams in 1970's California, a heady moment of rock opportunity and excess. As a rising session musician and backing vocalist, a series of encounters would send him on a wild ride around the world and to the heights of rock stardom--from joining Steely Dan and becoming a defining member of The Doobie Brothers to forging a path as a breakout solo R&B artist.
Interwoven with the unforgettable tales of the music, Michael tells a deeply affecting celebrity memoir of losing and finding himself as a man. He reckons with the unshakeable insecurities that drove him, the drug and alcohol addictions that plagued him, and the highs and lows of popularity. Along the way he relays the lessons he's learned, and that if he's learned anything at all it's that there's often little correlation between what you get and what you deserve.
Filled with unbelievable stories and a matchless cast of music greats including James Taylor, Ray Charles, Carly Simon, and Quincy Jones, What a Fool Believes is a moving and entertaining rock and roll biography that is sure to be a classic.
This unforgettable music memoir goes behind the hits to tell the story of a singular voice in rock history:
- The Doobie Brothers and Steely Dan: Go inside the studio and on the road with two of the most influential bands of the decade, and learn the stories behind era-defining hits like What A Fool Believes and Takin' It to the Streets.
- Fame and Insecurity: A high school dropout from Ferguson, Missouri, grapples with the unshakeable insecurities, drug and alcohol addictions, and the dizzying highs and lows of fame.
- 70s Rock Scene: Step into the heady world of 1970s California, a moment of excess and opportunity, filled with a matchless cast of music greats including James Taylor, Ray Charles, and Quincy Jones.
- A Singer-Songwriter's Journey: Follow the path from rising session musician and backing vocalist to a Rock & Roll Hall of Famer and breakout solo R&B artist who defined a generation.
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