Doobie Brothers star Michael McDonald revealed as biological father to man, 58
Michael Goessling, a 58-year-old man who was adopted, recently discovered that his biological father is legendary Doobie Brothers singer Michael McDonald. The two connected after Goessling realized the identity of the 'Mike' he had been speaking with was the musician he had admired for decades.
Why it matters
This human-interest story explores the emotional impact of late-life biological discovery and the intersection of personal identity with public celebrity.
EXCLUSIVE: Michael Goessling always knew he was adopted. But what he did not know for nearly 58 years was that his biological father had one of the most recognizable and beloved voices in American music. The St. Louis man learned recently that his father is five-time Grammy winner and Doobie Brothers singer Michael McDonald, a musician Goessling had admired since childhood and had unknowingly paid to see perform twice as a young man. But even after receiving the letter that began it all, meeting his biological mother and learning his biological father was a mysterious musician named "Mike," Goessling still had no idea who was waiting on the other end of the phone. RITA WILSON LEARNED ABOUT FATHER’S TRAGIC PAST, SECRET FAMILY IN BULGARIA ON TV SHOW The answer finally came during their first conversation, when "Mike" mentioned he was touring and would be stopping in St.
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