I don’t know what it’s like to be adopted, but I imagine that the desire to find out who your biological parents are could be an emotional journey minute by minute. Some adopted children wait years to find out who their birth parents are — I can’t help but think that it’s a quest that keeps you running — and sometimes the discovery can be disappointing.
It’s a rewarding story when an adoptee finds the sweet freedom of a biological parent who wants a relationship. But imagine discovering real love by learning that your birth father is a legendary musician. For one man, a search for his roots eventually led to some very familiar music: his biological father is Michael McDonald of the Doobie Brothers.
Michael Goessling said he always knew he was adopted and had a “wonderful childhood.”
“I could not pick two finer folks to raise me,” he said.
Goessling always wondered about his biological parents and said the mystery began unraveling after one of McDonald’s children took a 23andMe DNA test.
“Within 36 hours, he got an email notifying him, ‘Michael Gossling, half brother, St. Louis,’” Goessling said. “And that’s how this all began.”
A couple of years ago, Goessling met his biological mother. And recently, he spoke to his oh-so-famous dad on the phone. McDonald told Goessling that he was a touring musician who would be in St. Louis soon, and he invited him to come listen to the music.
“And I said, ‘Are you Michael McDonald?’” Goessling said. “And he said, ‘Yeah, I’m afraid so.’”
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McDonald and Goessling’s biological mother were 14 when they conceived Goessling. At that time, teen parents didn’t keep their babies often, so they had no choice but to put Goessling up for adoption. The two biological parents are friends to this day.
I listened to the audiobook of McDonald’s memoirs last year, and I don’t recall the story of fathering a child in his early teens, but he told KFYR about how it weighed on him for six decades, as well as how relieved he is to know that Goessling turned out fine.
“We always talked about him. And it always came down to our greatest fear was, how did life treat him?” McDonald said. “I always carried that guilt with me. But just to know that he was OK and that he had a good life, and a life certainly that I wouldn’t have been able to afford him at that time, was a great reward. The real rock stars in this story are his adoptive parents.”
One of the benefits of meeting the son you had to give up for adoption at such a young age is that McDonald also learned that he’s a grandfather. He also appreciates Goessling’s wife and family.
“Yeah, I’m still wrapping my head around that,” McDonald said. “My daughter-in-law is just the daughter-in-law you’d hope for. And the kids are two of the greatest kids you’d ever meet. I’m just so proud of them.”
This is one of the most amazing stories you’ll sea this year. Adopted Man discovers his biological father is… MICHAEL MCDONALD! Thanks to KFYR TV for reporting. #YachtRockRadio #YachtRock pic.twitter.com/qLekbjcP8v
— Yacht Rock Radio (@yachtrockradio) October 1, 2026
I love that McDonald is so proud of the son he recently met, and it’s fun to see Goessling so thrilled over the discovery. I mean, if I found out my biological father was a rock legend, I’d be taking it to the streets.
How many Doobie Brothers and Michael McDonald song titles can you find in this piece? I had to cheat and use one Doobies title from the pre-McDonald days. Oh well — it’s still an inspiring story.
Stories like this are a nice reminder that the news doesn’t always have to be grim. Sometimes you get a little mystery, a little family history, and a whole lot of ‘Listen to the Music.’
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