Michael McDonald is yacht rock royalty.
Now, the singer whose gravelly vocals can be heard on hits by such artists as the Doobie Brothers and Steely Dan (and has also performed on “American Idol”) is opening up about forging a new connection with the son he never knew — whom he gave up for adoption 58 years ago.
A DNA Test Revealed the Truth
St. Louis news outlet KMOV is reporting that McDonald and his son, Michael Goeesling, have been in touch for the first time since the singer gave up the child for adoption in the mid-1960s.
As KMOV reported, Goessling discovered that the “What a Fool Believes” singer was his birth father when his half-brother — whom he never even knew existed — took a 23andMe DNA test.
That led him to meet with his birth mother, which in turn led him to McDonald — although he didn’t know that his birth father was a famous rock star.
According to Goessling, their relationship began with a phone call, with Goessling admitting he didn’t know his father’s identity at first.
“I said, ‘So, tell me about yourself. What do you do?’ And so he said, ‘Well, I’m a musician.’ And he went on to tell me that, ‘In fact, looks like we’ll be touring this summer and we’ll be stopping in St. Louis,’” Goeesling recalled, as reported by Entertainment Weekly.
“I finally said, ‘Are you Michael McDonald?’ And he said, ‘Yeah, I’m afraid so,'” Goessling added.
An Accidental Teen Pregnancy
Goessling was conceived when McDonald and his birth mother were both 14-year-old teenagers, who placed the baby up for adoption.
The infant was adopted by Paul and Kay Goessling, who raised him.
As McDonald told the outlet, he’d always wondered what ever happened to the baby he gave away.
“We always talked about him. And it always came down to our greatest fear was, how did life treat him?” McDonald shared. “I always carried that guilt with me. But just to know that he was okay, and that he had a good life, and a life, certainly, that I probably wouldn’t have been able to afford him at that time in my life, was a great reward.”
As Goessling pointed out, it was sheer coincidence that he and his birth father share the first time.
“I was unnamed. So it was my mom Kay who named me,” Goessling told KMOV. “Always knew I was adopted. Had a wonderful childhood. I could not pick two finer folks to raise me.”
‘The Real Rock Stars’
For McDonald, he sees his son’s adoptive parents as the true heroes.
“The real rock stars in this story for us are his adopted parents, who really gave Michael everything that a child needs in terms of love and security,” McDonald said.
When the men finally met in person, it proved to be a magical moment.
“He just put his arms out and just gave me a big old bear hug and told me he loved me,” Goessling recalled. “And I told him the same.”
McDonald concurred. “It was a wonderful, wonderful experience to see Michael and get to meet my son after all these years thinking about him,” he shared, admitting he still hasn’t quite grasped that, because Goessling has children, he’s also a grandfather. “That’s still sinking in to me,” McDonald said. “What a gift.”
McDonald also offered high praise to Goessling’s wife. “My daughter-in-law is the daughter-in-law you would hope for as a parent, and the kids are two of the greatest kids you’ll ever meet,” he said. “I’m just so proud of them.”
Added McDonald: “I think it’s an amazing tribute to the fact that adoption is a wonderful option.”
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Yacht Rock Icon Reconnects with Son He Gave Up for Adoption 58 Years Ago