Man Begins Search For Biological Parents. The Musical Legacy He Finds Is Beyond His Wildest Dreams

Michael Goessling grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, where he "had a wonderful childhood." He was raised by Paul and Kay and holds them dear in his heart, telling KCTV's First Alert 4, "I could not pick two finer folks to raise me." But, knowing that he was adopted, Goessling often wondered who his biological parents were. The mystery was answered when 23andMe matched Goessling with one of his half-brothers, revealing previously unknown kin. On his 58th birthday, Goessling met his biological mother, Diane, for the first time. He then spoke to his biological father over the phone, which is when the biggest shock of all happened. 

The long-separated father and son spoke for some time, and the father revealed that he was a musician. Something clicked in Goessling's mind: "I said, 'Are you Michael McDonald?'" The voice on the other end confirmed that he was indeed the man behind the Yacht Rock classic, "What a Fool Believes." That father and son share the same first name is just a happy coincidence: Goessling was named by his adoptive parents.

Goessling's mother and McDonald were merely teens when he was a baby. The decision to give him up wasn't easy, and the two, who have kept in touch over the years, talked about him often. McDonald explained, "We always talked about him ... our greatest fear was, how did life treat him?" Before sharing how giving up Goessling for adoption had always weighed on him: "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, was a great reward."

When Michael Goessling and Michael McDonald finally met in person, the connection was instant, as were the obvious similarities in their looks, making Goessling another child who looks just like their famous parent. Goessling recalled the moment to First Alert 4: "He just put his arms out, just gave me a big old bear hug and told me he loved me, and I told him the same." McDonald felt the same, saying, "It was a wonderful, wonderful experience to see Michael and get to meet my son after all these years thinking about him."

While reconnecting with his long-lost son after 58 years was surely a joyous surprise for McDonald, it wasn't the only shock he was in for. While McDonald has three other children, it wasn't until he and Goessling found one another that he learned he had unknowingly become the latest celebrity grandparent. The famous singer admitted that his new status as grandpa has been a little difficult to take in, telling First Alert 4, "That's still sinking in for me. What a gift, you know?" The Doobie Brothers frontman went on to add, "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."