I like to alternate between yacht rock and classic vinyl radio stations. Sometime within the last year of long roadtrips, I started picking up on Michael McDonald's voice. I was familiar with him from some pop songs in the '80s, but other than the Doobie Brothers, I didn't know he was involved in so many bands, projects and songs. Having him practically living in my ear and then seeing that the actor Paul Reiser helped write this, I had to read this memoir. I was glad I did because McDonald explains why his voice in so many songs. But it's not just that. He was a studio musician and a songwriter as well.

McDonald shares his struggle with imposter syndrome, alcohol abuse disorder and staying relevant. What I've heard on the radio is small fraction of what he's done.

This book could've been heavy, uncomfortable reading in some parts, but it was handled with a light touch, which makes it a quick read. I think if I have some time later, I'd like to listen to the audiobook because McDonald's voice is why I chose this book.

This is a review for an ARC from Netgalley.

#WhataFoolBelieves #NetGalley.

What a fool Believes is a great book for any Doobie Brother or music fan of Michael McDonald along with his friend actor Paul Reiser McDonald discussed his raise to fame and the story behind the songs as well as life on the road . A great book to read on a hot summer day.

While growing up in the 1970s and 1980s, Michael McDonald’s distinctive voice was familiar on pop radio. Between the Doobie Brothers’ hits, stints with Steely Dan, and duets with other popular singers, he became one of my favorite musicians. I continued to purchase his solo records and enjoyed his talents as he went in other musical directions. I watched his performances on TV and was impressed by his humility and graciousness to the other performers. He appeared to be a family-oriented gentleman and didn’t flaunt bad behavior like some other legendary musicians. I was thrilled when I learned that he was writing a memoir with his good friend, TV actor Paul Reiser of Mad About You fame.

In What a Fool Believes, Michael McDonald shares his rise to musical superstardom beginning with his difficult childhood in Ferguson, Missouri. He reveals several things that will tarnish his “clean” reputation, but his honesty in overcoming these challenges will inspire others. Most memoirs from band members include criticism and jealousy, but he doesn’t bad-mouth anyone. In the 1970s there was some controversy among The Doobie Brothers’ fans after he was selected to replace an ailing Tom Johnson; their McDonald-written hits appeared to change the band’s musical direction. However The Doobie Brothers’s hits were already diverse musically, and the whole pop music scene was changing due to disco and rap influences. Eventually the Doobie Brothers’ original members said that they didn’t blame McDonald and appreciated the money they made from his songs.

McDonald describes the drug and alcohol addictions that plagued him, stints in rehab, and the ups and downs of popularity. He talks about his family a lot, including his marriage to singer Amy Holland. It’s surprising to me that he is still so humble about his talent and insecure. He shares backstories of song development and a Who’s Who of pop music. The only dirt that McDonald digs up is his own.

I highly recommend reading (or listening to the audiobook of) What a Fool Believes for all adult musical lovers. The memoir does include some profanity and subjects not suitable for children.

I received an advance review copy (ARC) from NetGalley and Dey Street Books for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. I pre-ordered a copy of the audiobook from Audible.

Thank you to Dey Street Books and NetGalley for the digital eARC of this book; I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I am a casual fan of Michael McDonald and the Doobie Brothers separately. They were part of the soundtrack to my young life. Liked the music, never thought much about them otherwise. Last year, as part of my Audible Plus subscription, I had the opportunity to add a different Doobie Brothers memoir to my library for free and found it (YAWN) a little lacking. When What a Food Believes was announced, I knew I wanted to compare notes.

The book is like a conversation, which it originally was, a series of Zoom meetings between McDonald and comedian/actor/screenwriter/author Paul Reiser (of Mad About You and Stranger Things fame). And that’s how this book reads/sounds, a very conversational style. Which makes the total disfunction of McDonald’s childhood all the more heart wrenching. I’m not going to give a play-by-play, but suffice it to say it’s amazing McDonald became a successful ANYTHING, which just goes to show you that your childhood is only part of a person: the choices made by a person as an adult make and the opportunities presented to a person make a big difference.

I’m not going to rehash the whole book, but being the late 1960s and 1970s, there was a fair amount of alcohol and drugs for McDonald (who actually prefers the name Mike, but because of an early mistake by a promoter, became Michael professionally.) It became a huge problem for him, which he is not ashamed to admit. We’re talking seizures, blackouts, the whole nine yards when it comes to overconsumption. Thankfully, McDonald is here today to tell his story, so you know he straightened his life out.

I had no idea until I read the book that Mike was actually a musician for a while with Steely Dan while they were still touring. That, in part, led to being a studio musician who eventually was asked to join the Doobie Brothers. He goes into detail about his reason for being a replacement and how the dynamics of the group worked. Meanwhile, McDonald and his unmistakable yet very blend able voice was doing a lot of backup vocals for various artists. The record executives were eager to have McDonald do a solo album, and the other Doobie Brothers held no animosity towards him.

One thing that I liked about this celebrity memoir is that family is a big part of McDonald’s life. Whether it’s his parents and siblings, grandmother, aunt, you name it, he’s had a connection to and with them throughout his life and tells the reader about them. He’s also very open and honest about his longtime marriage to his wife, Amy, and their two children, and the trials and tribulations they have gone through during their long marriage.

I really liked this book, despite being only a casual fan of McDonald’s music. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good celebrity memoir.

I am a big "Yacht Rock" fan and have always loved Michael McDonald, with or without the Dobbie Brothers. McDonald's new memoir was a refreshing story about his rise, fall and ultimate staying power in the crazy world of music, especially in the 1970's and early 1980's. Recommended for fans of music and biography alike.

This memoir was written straight from the heart. It covers everything from Michael’s Irish Catholic childhood in St Louis to his meteoric fame with the Doobie Brothers, solo career and afterwards.

His streetcar driver father always had wanderlust taking off to find himself. Michael comes to realize throughout the book that he is the same way. A strong theme in the book is him always wanted to please his father and never being sure if he does. This theme carries on with others too. He is never quite sure if he is good enough for all the musical opportunities and bands that come his way. Often feeling like a guest musician rather than a legitimate member of the band.

I learned some new facts about Michael. Such as his large role playing in Steely Dan. I also enjoyed learning about his musical process when writing songs. He talks about all the substance abuse that he and many others did back in the day.

I am impressed with his commitment to his wife and family. They seem to ground him and keep him running on the right track. Like his father he still has more to see and do. He is still doing wha the loves performing music for all of his fans.

Thanks to Dey Street books and NetGalley for this ARC of the book.

This comes after two interesting biographies/Autobiographies that have been published on the Doobie Brothers and Steely Dan's Donald Fagan (both bands Michael McDonald worked in). Not an unkind word was said about McDonald in those and so his biography is a bit of a contrast in which it seems he spent most of the time drunk or stoned. A lot of the book is spent on musings and perspectives: on why he messed up relationships, why he was susceptible to substance abuse, and the complicated relationship he had with his parents.

The book is chronological and goes into a bit of the history of his family and how he landed into music growing up in St. Louis. As with most successful artists there are always those strokes of luck or coincidence that bless some into the heights of fame while overlooking others in their obscurity. With McDonald, it was all about connecting with the right people at the right time for things to happen.

McDonald is honest though he does shy away from the negatives in any of his bands/bandmates. So this is definitely not a bitter tell-all so much as an exploration of his past and how he made it to where he is today. Some might feel frustrated that he doesn't really go into detail too much - about how songs were created or what happened on tours. At times, I got the impression that he was probably so stoned he likely doesn't remember much anyway. But we do get some info on how the bigger hits were created.

There are some quibbles - e.g., bringing up the frustration of a special needs son briefly and then never touching upon it again. Similarly, the reasons for leaving bands always seem to be rather random and for capricious ambivalence - hinting that perhaps there was a lot more too it and he doesn't want to bring up the negatives. At the same time, he has fun addressing topics such as being 'the voice' of 1970s/19802 bands (appearing everywhere as a guest vocalist or duet) as well as the controversy over whether he changed or 'ruined' the sound of the Doobie Brothers.

In all, it is a very easy read with some interesting insights. It does feel very shallow though and at times you'll likely be wishing he went into much more detail. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

This arrived to me yesterday and I just finished it with tears in my eyes. I have always loved the music of Michael McDonald and like many had a mini crush on him in the 70s and 80s. As I moved through the pages and years of his life, I felt as if a friend stopped by for the weekend and we talked long into the night catching up. His words were that personal shared in complete transparency. By the end I could relate to his focus on gratitude and the wisdom which grew from seeking while navigating his music career and family life. Many thanks to you Mr McDonald for gifting us your music through the decades and now memoir!

I'm not a fan of Michael McDonald per se, but thought this would be an interesting read because of his infusion into The Doobie Brothers after a founding band member became ill. I've seen documentaries and read a Doobie Brothers biography, so knew that it was a bit controversial how Michael McDonald's influence on The Doobie Brothers took its musical palette into a different direction- although quite successfully.

The book is a collaboration between Michael McDonald and Paul Reiser- yes, the actor who starred with Helen Hunt in the successful sitcom "Mad About You". The writing style was effortless, conversational, and natural. It was a pleasure to read. Michael was very honest, self-effacing, and didn't hold anything back. As a result I learned a lot about this musical artist of which I had no idea. I love to read rock/pop biographies, but if I don't already know about the subject sometimes they are not able to draw me in and keep me interested. Even though Michael was telling me about his alcoholism and drug problems and stints in jail, as well as a teenage pregnancy resulting in adoption, his forthrightness and likeability factor still shined through and connected with me.

This is an all-encompassing autobiography from childhood through the present day from Michael McDonald. I learned a lot of new things about this musical force such as his stint in Steely Dan (that's his background harmonies on "Peg"), lending an iconic vocal to a Christopher Cross song ("Ride Like the Wind"), and a multitude of musical collaborations with other titans in the industry. I especially enjoyed reading about his iron clad marriage with wife Amy, becoming a father to a son and daughter, and his long standing clean and sober status. This is definitely a worthwhile read for music lovers.

Thank you to the publisher Dey Street Books for providing an advance reader copy via NetGalley.

Dey Street Books provided an early galley for review.

I have been a fan of McDonald's music since the 70's. He has one of those distinct voices that just harmonized so well with whatever he was collaboriting on. I was interested to learn more about his life.

Right out of the gate, I found the writing to be engaging and personal. Some of that might be due Reiser's input, but the story is all McDonald's. I was very fascinated by how he grew up and got into music at such a very young age.

I did not realize that McDonald spent time with the ranks of Steely Dan, time which actually overlapped some with his coming onboard with the Doobie Brothers. Looking at his discography, I was surprised with how few solo releases and hits he had through the 80's (my peak period of pop radio listening) even though his voice could be heard on so many tracks at the time (with the Doobies and with working with other artists). Funny how memory deceives you there.

Finally, I was glad we got a glimpse into his lasting marriage to Amy Holland and his family life. I've always been a fan of her debut album and hit single.

All in all, a nice casual autobiography from someone who made it through the excesses of the 70's and came out strong on the other side.

As a true lover of all things MUSIC of the 60s, 70s, and 80s, I enjoyed this memoir for the look into the backstory of so much of my favorite music. Seeing Paul Reiser’s name on the book guaranteed I’d enjoy reading Michael McDonald’s life story. And I was not disappointed! To learn that someone so talented suffered from low self esteem but still found his way to the top of the difficult world of writing songs and performing made me love him and his music even more.

I didnt know much about Michael McDonald when I first started reading his autobiography other than a few songs and the clip of his concert from "The 40 Year Old Virgin". But I thoroughly enjoyed hearing his life story, from growing up in St. Louis to an Irish family, to his time in Steely Dan, to the Doobie Brothers and then his solo career. I enjoy reading autobiographies and enjoy hearing how celebrities got their start. He had a few years of roughing it begore some friends introduced him to a Doobie Brother. Michael McDonald is synonymous with "yacht rock", and I was pleased to hear him mention it in the book, as well as his friendship with Kenny Loggins.

He also delves into his personal life, talking about moving to Nashville before it was trendy and raising his 2 kids out of the limelight.

Anyone who enjoys music or autobiographies will enjoy this book.

I knew who he was, and then had to check on Paul Reiser to make sure it was the comedian or somebody else with the same name. Yep, the comedian. Ok, so a pretty nifty combination. I am in and want to read it!

I like reading stories of musicians to see how they grew up and what influenced them to become a musician, and this one was perfect from the start. I had no clue he was part of Steely Dan. I did know he was a Doobie! I loved all the stories he told of being a touring musician.

Nothing was off limits as Michael McDonald talked about drugs and alcohol (he eventually got sober), his wife, his kids, his parents, his sisters, and all of his musician friends who helped him along the way so he can be successful.

Overall, I enjoyed the book and it was a relatively quick read for me. It’s nice having an Alexa as quite frequently throughout the book, I stopped to ask Alexa to play a song he was talking about. It’s really neat to listen to a song and be reading about it.

I will say, I do have some of The Doobie Brothers songs on a live playlist on my iPhone.

Fascinating insights on the road to stardom from multi-talented keyboardist and songwriter Michael McDonald. It was a small world in the 70's and I followed a number of the bands noted within Michael's storytelling. I just came off of a yearly 70's rock cruise and I am crossing my fingers that McDonald will agree to join in the fun. A songwriter with a soulful, distinctive voice who comes across humble and grateful. One of my favorite artists.

Memoir of the blue-eyed soul voiced Doobie Brothers vocalist and pianist, written with Paul Reiser of “Mad About You” fame (an odd choice, I think.).

I’m a huge fan of the Doobie Brothers and McDonald so I was looking forward to this, and it’s enjoyable even if a lot of it is seen through Vaseline smeared lenses. McDonald was a serious alcohol and drug addict for years, which he admits, but my guess is he was also maybe not always the nicest guy during that period, and that he pretty much glosses over, admitting only that he gave an ultimatum at one point about “it’s him or me” as to one member of the band. Or, I don’t know, maybe he was the happiest, most jovial addict in the world, but that seems rather unlikely.

He also seems to dip his toe into the fact that his son may have had some serious behavioral problems, but then he stops short, mentions homeschool, and then he’s grown up. I can certainly understand wanting to protect one’s children and one can argue the book isn’t about Dylan McDonald’s life anyway, but why bring it up at all if you aren’t going to be honest about it?

What I liked was that when Michael (his friends call him “Mike”) talks about growing up and starting out in the business his naïveté really comes across….you feel like you are right there with a young guy who is getting on a plane for the first time. At no point does he ever seem to think of himself as a star or anything particularly special, despite all his success, and his humble personality does not seem like any sort of act. Oh, and he has a great rehab story.

So, since I am a big fan I enjoyed this. There’s enough name dropping to keep a reader interested and I think other fans won’t be disappointed, unless you are looking for dirt…there’s really none to be had here. While I’m sure everything wasn’t always friendly, bygones are bygones, all the surviving Doobies are friends now and Michael has good things to say about nearly everyone.

Oh, in the 70s he once worked with a band called Merlin Moran and His Rinse Water Band. That is now in my top ten of favorite all time band names and I would give almost anything for a T-shirt. Mr. McDonald if you could make that happen I’ll gladly add the additional star.