Doobie Brothers Member Michael McDonald Reconnects With Son Put Up for Adoption Nearly Six Decades Later

Michael McDonald connected a year and a half ago with his biological son, Michael Goessling, who realized during an initial phone call that his father was a rock star, as reported by NBC.

Goessling, a 59-year-old who was adopted as a baby, told the outlet that he did not know his biological parents until last year, when he received a letter stating they wanted to meet him. He spoke with McDonald on the phone for their first conversation.

“I just said: ‘What a voice that guy has!’” Goessling said. “It just sounded so familiar, but I couldn’t place it. Finally, I just said: ‘Are you Michael McDonald?’ And he chuckled and he said, ‘Yeah, I’m afraid so.’”

Goessling identified his birth father after McDonald mentioned he was a musician with a concert that evening at the Hollywood Casino Amphitheater. A quick internet search confirmed that the Doobie Brothers had a booking at the venue on that date.

“There are still days I wake up, and my first thought is I am coming out of the craziest dream, and it’s been a year and a half,” Goessling added. “I’m still trying to get my head around all of it.”

McDonald had the child with his middle-school girlfriend when he was 14 years old. The couple placed the child up for adoption, and McDonald later replaced Tom Johnston as the lead singer of the Doobie Brothers. McDonald holds five Grammy Awards and helped the Doobie Brothers achieve a Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 with “What A Fool Believes,” along with top 10 hits such as “Real Love” and “The Doctor.”

Goessling told NBC that he never held any resentment toward his biological parents, whom he describes as still being good friends, for placing him up for adoption. “I just wanted to thank them for the choices they made on my behalf and for giving me a shot in this world, and how grateful I was for that,” he said. “They were always heroes in my story.”