Michael McDonald on Co-Writing Memoir With Paul Reiser: ‘Paul’s Worked Harder Than I Have On This’ (Exclusive)

The Grammy-winning Doobie Brothers legend and the Emmy-nominated actor teamed up to write McDonald’s forthcoming memoir ‘What a Fool Believes’

Michael McDonald is sharing his story, and not without some help.

The legendary musician, 71, recently shared the cover of his forthcoming memoir exclusively with PEOPLE. What a Fool Believes, out next year from Dey Street Books, will detail McDonald’s life and career as a music legend. Covering his childhood in Missouri to his years with iconic bands like Steely Dan and the Doobie Brothers, along with his successful R&B solo career, the book will provide an intimate look into the life of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member.

“We've worked really hard on this thing,” McDonald tells PEOPLE. “I can't help but think that Paul's worked harder than I have on this. But it's been a long, long journey.”

McDonald partnered with Paul Reiser, 67, the Emmy-nominated actor known for his TV roles on Mad About You and My Two Dads, to write the book. While seemingly an unlikely duo, the two have been friends for years, and Reiser had always been curious about McDonald’s story.

“As much as I listened to his music endlessly over the years, I never quite knew his story,” Reiser tells PEOPLE. “[He’s] sort of, what's the word? A mystery, an enigma. Or I'm just dense, maybe. It was twofold. I really wanted to help Mike get it out. But also, selfishly, I wanted to understand his story. I'm happy to report that now the book is done, I get it. I get it. I understand his story now, and it was better and more interesting than I could have imagined.”

Related: Notorious B.I.G, Whitney Houston and the Doobie Brothers to Be Inducted into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

McDonald and Reiser began work on the memoir at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic. Reiser says that their interview process was easy because the two had no expectations and didn’t talk about events in chronological order, instead letting the stories come naturally.

“It's funny because, Mike would tell a story and he’d go, "You know, that reminds me..." and then all these stories would come up, many of which would probably not [have] been unearthed if we didn't have all this time and chat and interest,” Reiser says. “He goes, ‘I don't know if this is important.’ I go, ‘Just tell me,’ and it was invariably really funny or interesting or moving.”

Related: Paul Reiser Gets Into a Family Feud in The Problem with People Trailer (Exclusive)

Despite this, McDonald admits that he initially wasn’t sure about the book.

“The thing that was the most daunting was wondering if there ever even was a story there,” McDonald says. “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.” The book will also include stories about other famous musicians, like James Taylor, Quincy Jones and Carly Simon.

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Despite his initial hesitation, and now seeing how "the story has emerged" for him, McDonald says working with Reiser allowed the project to come to full completion.

“It was one of those things that I know I never would've finished,” he says. “But it reminded me of a hike I took in the Boy Scouts when my buddy, Danny Hanley, was the only reason I finished the hike. He walked the last five miles backwards, egging me on. Staggered like a zombie to the finish line. So it's kind of metaphoric for my relationship with Paul.”

What a Fool Believes will be published on May 21, 2024.

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