Soulful smooth-pop yarler Michael McDonald will publish a memoir next year. This is not a surprise. McDonald ascended to fame with Steely Dan and the Doobie Brothers in the ’70s, and he went on to huge success as a solo artist in the ’80s. McDonald has been around some of the most storied figures in pop history, and you have to imagine that he’s got some great stories. It’s not a surprise that McDonald’s forthcoming memoir has a co-writer. It is a little surprising, though, that McDonald’s co-writer is the famous comedian and actor Paul Reiser — as in, the guy from Aliens and Mad About You.

Next year, Michael McDonald and Paul Reiser will publish What A Fool Believes, named for the most famous song that McDonald recorded with the Doobie Brothers. McDonald and Reiser met at a party years ago, and Reiser, an accomplished pianist, invited McDonald to check out his home studio. They spent hours playing music together and became close friends, and during the pandemic, they had the idea to write McDonald’s memoir together.

Paul Reiser is, among many other things, an author; he’s written the bestselling books Couplehood, Babyhood, and Familyhood. Reiser tells People, “I sort of made a joke. Because I would periodically ask Mike questions I didn’t understand about the Doobies, about him, and I said, jokingly, ‘You should write a book so I don’t have to bother you all the time.’ And he jokingly said, ‘I’ve thought about it, but I don’t know how you start that.’” During the pandemic, they figured it out. What A Fool Believes will cover McDonald’s long career, his interactions with other iconic musicians, and his battles with drug and alcohol addiction. It’s out 5/21 from Dey Street Books.