What a Fool Believes
A Memoir
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4.3 • 135 Ratings
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- $12.99
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
* INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER *
A sweeping and evocative 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 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 story 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 memoir that is sure to be a classic.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Singer and songwriter McDonald debuts with an affecting account of his early life, career trajectory, and struggles with addiction. Born in St. Louis, Mo., in 1952, McDonald first stepped into the music industry when, at age five or six, he accompanied his father to sing at local saloons, per the suggestion of his mother, who knew that "a certain percentage of the usual patronage my dad's many female admirers." His break came in 1969, when record producer Rick Jarred attended one of his high school band's gigs in Illinois and offered him a production contract. The '70s portion of the memoir will be familiar to McDonald's fans—he moved to Los Angeles, where he joined up with Steely Dan as a background vocalist and keyboardist, and then the Doobie Brothers, as a core group member—but the author enhances these sections with detailed accounts of writing his biggest hits. "Takin' It to the Streets," for example, was inspired by a conversation with his socially conscious younger sister. The most powerful sections deal with McDonald's addiction to drugs and alcohol, which precipitated profound self-loathing that led him, after showing up drunk to his wife's rehab, to get sober in the mid-1980s. McDonald's down-to-earth approach gives this rock and roll tell-all more weight than others of its kind.
Customer Reviews
What a Fool believes
Good stuff, got a lot of music to listen to now. I believe he was honest and appreciated his reflections. Sometimes these authors just dial it in, but he did not.
Very detailed, honest, well written!
I am not the biggest Michael McDonald or Doobie Brothers fan, but I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Michael is very intelligent, funny, witty, and tells a very detailed account of his very amazing life and journey through music. His candor and self-awareness is very refreshing and made for an excellent book.
Michael McDonald Behind The Scenes!
Excellent book! Highly recommend it! Such a joy to read! Thank you Michael (Mike!) for sharing so much of yourself and the wonderful stories from your amazing life.