Michael Goessling, a 59-year-old executive from St. Louis adopted at birth, learned through a 23andMe DNA test last year that his biological father is Doobie Brothers singer Michael McDonald. The discovery culminated in an emotional family reunification and an introduction to grandchildren McDonald did not know he had.
When Michael Goessling first heard his biological father’s voice on a phone call last year, a lifetime of wondering about his origins suddenly snapped into focus. Adopted as an infant by Paul and Kay Goessling, the St. Louis executive had always known he was adopted and grew up listening to the very band his birth father would later join. Sitting on the phone that evening, the familiar voice prompted a direct question.
I just said: ‘What a voice that guy has!’… it just sounded so familiar, but I couldn’t place it.
Michael Goessling, via NBC News
The musician chuckled and admitted that he was. The revelation connected Goessling to a five-time Grammy winner and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee whose music he had grooved to since childhood.
How DNA Testing Unlocked a Decades-Old Secret
Within 36 hours of the test, a half-brother Goessling never knew existed received an automated notification matching him to Michael Goessling in St. Louis via the genetic testing company 23andMe.
Goessling was adopted as an infant by Paul and Kay Goessling. On his 58th birthday, Goessling met his biological mother in person and later spoke with his father by phone.
Goessling’s biological parents had been just 14 years old when he was conceived. They were both 14 when they discovered they were expecting.
Though both teenagers went on to date other people and start separate families, they maintained a lifelong friendship. McDonald later chronicled aspects of his early life and journey to sobriety in his 2024 memoir, What a Fool Believes, which details the painful circumstances surrounding his youth and the forced separation from an early love named Diane. Along with Doobie Brothers bandmates Tom Johnston and Patrick Simmons, McDonald was inducted into the Songwriters Hall Of Fame in 2025.
Connecting Fandom to Family Roots
As an 8-year-old child, Goessling listened to their music, long before he knew his lineage, remembering when McDonald replaced Tom Johnston as lead singer in 1975. McDonald was a backing vocalist for Steely Dan from 1973 to 1980.
When Goessling spoke with his birth mother on his 58th birthday and subsequently connected with McDonald by phone, his famous father mentioned offhand that he was touring through St. Louis and performing at the Hollywood Casino Amphitheater. A quick internet search confirmed the Doobie Brothers were on the bill.
On the eve of that September concert, Goessling’s entire extended family gathered for a reunion. When father and son met face-to-face, McDonald pulled him into a bear hug.
Goessling Credits Adoptive Parents for Providing Stability
Both men expressed deep gratitude for the path that led them together, placing particular emphasis on the stability provided by Goessling’s adoptive parents. Goessling noted that he could not have handpicked two finer people to raise him.
“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 wouldn’t have been able to afford him at that time in my life, was a great reward. The real rock stars in this story are his adoptive parents, who really gave Michael everything a child needs in terms of love and security.”
Michael McDonald, via LADbible
McDonald also reflected on the release of finding out his son survived infancy and thrived, admitting that he carried lingering guilt for decades over not knowing what happened to the baby.
Growing the Family Tree in St. Louis
Goessling is a married father of two, which instantly made McDonald a grandfather, bringing another unexpected discovery for the singer. The musical icon confessed that he is still wrapping his head around the title, though he praised his daughter-in-law and grandchildren as wonderful additions to his life.
Coincidentally, sharing the first name Michael was entirely unplanned, chosen solely by Goessling’s adoptive mother, Kay, because the infant arrived home unnamed. More than a year after their initial phone call, Goessling continues processing the surreal twist that tied his fandom to his DNA.
“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. I’m still trying to get my head around all of it.”
Michael Goessling, via Billboard
