How an 11-year-old superfan met her pop idol, Michael McDonald

The parents of 11-year-old Paisley Gardner didn't know what to think when she became obsessed with the smooth voice of 1970s soft rock legend Michael McDonald. Steve Hartman has the story in "On the Road."
#michaelmcdonald #music #goodnews
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[@beataylorsdeeppinkecstasy9013]

With a name like Paisley, she was destined to love music from the 70's.

[@pertburton5586]

Her Pops looks like a 70's guy

[@blueturtle1719]

What a sweet story. I'm so glad Paisley got to meet Michael McDonald and that he was kind to her.

[@kaylakain6039]

Yea like talking on a computer is actually like walking up and meeting him lol 😂

[@7thsonofa7thson80]

​@@kaylakain6039she saw him backstage, or didnt you hear him invite her. Im sure she met him backstage.

[@user-vm5ud4xw6n]

@@kaylakain6039 Better than nothing. Back in the day there wasn’t even that much.

[@lindamarsden8466]

Michael is a class act and it was so kind of him to give her some time and attention. I'm sure it was one of the greatest experiences she'll have over her lifetime. So impressed with her good taste in music at her age.

[@Officialmichaelmcdonald0009]

Thank you so much for your love, support and encouragement. The support of wonderful fans like you keep me going and strong

[@lchambers56]

One of the few good things about KZbin is that it holds a vast library of music from the past. Younger kids are discovering music from the 70s and 80s and getting hooked on music with true talent and depth.

[@okigi-wo5zm]

Radio was good enough for me in the 80s. I heard 50s music on the oldies station.

[@Ktonrider]

Passionate people like Paisley is what makes the world go round 😊

[@willbill6449]

Bless her and everyone involved with this. Made me tear up. Damn..

[@therealbrentrolland]

Not only is Michael McDonald one of my favorites and heroes, but I can say the same for Paisley! What a fantastic, timeless heart. Never give up on your dreams or what you love!

[@lyssah819]

That's so sweet. She made me cry, when she started to cry. His voice is still magic.

[@neeneep7844]

That girl has great taste! I’ve always loved his voice! Definitely like butter!❤👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@annietiques1803]

Absolutely the sweetest story! And she's absolutely right, Michael McDonald does have the voice of an angel. He's been one of my favorites since at least 1975.

[@matthewmolkentin6230]

When I was around her age, I was a Frank Sinatra fan which surprised my parents considering the generation gap between us. Anyhow, I never got to meet the man, but I still have his music to enjoy. RIP to the Chairman Of The Board

[@cupcakequeen0617]

I was obsessed with old music when I was her age. I’m so glad there are young kids out there today who share the same love of the older music that I once, and still do.

[@willman9567]

I love that kid. I hope she's able to keep that beautiful personality through her life.

[@saleemahwilson9908]

Paisley girl! You have an old soul.... this warmed my heart, to say the least🎉🎉

[@Area43-uBoot]

I woke up in a terrible mood this morning and I've carried with me all day today. This was the first few moments of my day that I forgot about it all and smiled. I look forward to Steve Hartmans On The Road every Friday evening. Thank you Steve and all who make this segment possible!

[@WhaleCommunicators]

you know it raised my spirit too!!! Michael McDonald & Christopher Cross - we need more of YOU!!!

[@skof28]

I have to wait till Saturday every week. 😅 I'm a giant German 'on the road' fan and have to wait till it's uploaded on KZbin

[@kristinhernandez8946]

AMEN ❤

[@robertatmopawiro3847]

Hi All, .....same here, ....but i watch it on you tube, whenever i have internet access. Greetings from Suriname, South America. Have a blessed day to you all.😊👍🖐️

[@MeMeDaVinci]

This made me tear up, her love for the music, his voice... To paraphrase line in the movie almost famous, you love a band or silly piece of music so much it hurts. I love her passion for the vibe. And I 💕 her glasses!

[@javiernarvaez5297]

She’s so lucky! She got to meet a music legend!

[@wadesouza6402]

I am 60+ and also a big McDonald fan and have been for years. But, it is heart warming to find out that not only is the guy a great singer but a good guy. I am guessing he made this child's day, month and year. Behind it all, he is a human being and frankly after decades in what is a tough business that can turn you jaded, at least in this case, he still has a heart and the willingness to make the time to talk to a kid and setup a chance for her to see a concert up close. Like another commenter mentioned, this brought a big smile to my face too on a day that wasnt real great. There is still some good stuff on the internet.

[@skof28]

I think she made his day also. Could be a long time ago that a girl cried just because he showed up😅

[@terry7893]

Way to go Michael!! It was a class act of you to reach out to this new fan. I'm sure that's a huge deal to such a young girl.

[@bookjeannie]

Paisley, I agree! Can you imagine what his first choir teacher did when he/she heard that buttery smooth voice?! 🎶💙🎶💙🎶💙

[@kevsil616]

This gave me tears

[@antonioisaac1000]

Us young kids are loving your 70’s artist to the 40’s ,50’s,60’s babies thank you so much for the beautiful music y’all are leaving us with we will cherish it and pass it down to our kids

[@ukmedicfrcs]

This was so lovely and made me tear. I'm so happy the younger generations love the music I grew up on.

[@jessem7556]

Paisley has very good taste. Hope your dreams come true !!

[@geisalagordon9966]

Yesss, girl! Michael has such a unique voice and very soulful. Glad you got to talk to him.

[@meejinhuang]

Now we all want to see her meet Michael in person.

[@hyunglee243]

The girl with good taste in music 👍👍

[@kristinhernandez8946]

Great story! Saw it when it aired and LOVED it. A precious girl with great taste in music.

[@johnnyholland8765]

Oh you dear sweet child. I have been listening to him for many years. Many times your lifetime and hey I like him too. He is a bit older but his music is ageless. Please stay as sweet as you are and don't grow up too fast. Don't know when you will meet him and you may already have but I hope it was everything you wanted it to be. Maybe he will sing something for you...

[@MrJimmy1953]

She has great taste in musical icons. 🎼

[@ronaldlee7566]

Real Fact

[@jamespeers6210]

Kids got it! There’s hope for the future! Awesome story. Soooo happy for her

[@allmanbro71]

The future of our country is wonderful. Thank you, Paisley. Enjoy the music. Always. ❤

[@TokelauInTech]

She has fantastic taste

[@stevearita3267]

This was fun to watch...and she has the coolest glasses I've ever seen!

[@TheNinergeek]

She has an old soul love it

[@corinnaweber7554]

Sweetheart, you have great taste in music! Don't ever change your standards.

[@woksrandomchannel]

His music is indeed timeless, and speaks to generations. You have great taste in music, young lady.

[@peggygibbons1441]

I could not love this more and baby girl, I totally understand. When the music hits you all the way down to your toes.❤

[@Aimlessartist]

Omg I am crying. The kind of news worth sharing ❤❤❤😊😊

[@paulawatson1380]

This brought me to tears❤❤HOW AWESOME is that!!!

[@Officialmichaelmcdonald0009]

Thank you so much for your love, support and encouragement. The support of wonderful fans like you keep me going and strong

[@lauraanne1906]

Michael Mcdonald is one of my favorites too! There are more and more amazing artists. Hugs from your favorites are the best. I still want to meet Steve Wariner.

[@susansailors1716]

Little girl has excellent taste.

[@gailreese4102]

Steve, you'll have to do a follow-up story about Paisley and Michael McDonald! (Loved this!)

[@stephaniestanley8041]

❤"she had a place in his life." His words to me.

[@allisuntalley5483]

Not my bitter soul smiling from ear to ear for this kid.

[@raffinataonline]

She met one of the best. 💯👏👍

[@michaeldobson107]

Michael McDonald is an icon from my generation. Loved that this young girl found him like this.

[@StLouisEarl]

A great guy from my hometown, Ferguson Missouri! 😃

[@gbluesky4264]

So lucky to have a child with some substance

[@d.c.barker]

Michael McDonald, The Doobie Brothers, Christopher Cross...yep that was my childhood music too a long time ago...and still are my favorites today. 🎶🎵🙂🎵🎶

[@brandylatowski]

I’ve always loved the doobie brothers but this made me love Michael McDonald more for this

[@Officialmichaelmcdonald0009]

Thank you so much for your love, support and encouragement. The support of wonderful fans like you keep me going and strong

[@mabelrod26]

Michael McDonald has an amazing voice. I’m glad that he’s so humble.

[@Officialmichaelmcdonald0009]

Thank you so much for your love, support and encouragement. The support of wonderful fans like you keep me going and strong

[@EfrenBlackjack]

Steve Hartman, I adore you. Have for decades. What a great story.

[@lorddeathspit1124]

It sure helps the Michael is one of the nicest human beings you could imagine

[@LawrenceTacker]

I am so thankful for growing up in the 70's Graduated HS in 1978!

[@Dara604]

Yes! Finally, another oldies girl like me! There is hope that the younger generation still loves the classics! That's me and Michael Jackson, who I never got to meet, but I'm hoping and praying that I can see a Michael Jackson impersonator, the Jackson Brothers, or MJ The Musical soon! Michael McDonald, thank you for what you did for this little girl, this makes me see a different side of him! Well done Michael, well done! I hope she gets to watch his show from backstage, I did that with the New Kids On The Block a couple years ago and it was awesome! And I also did it with a Beatles tribute band that my family and I are friends with as well. When my parents and I went to see Michael a few years ago, it was so loud it hurt my mom's ears! But this makes me forget all about that, and it makes me see a different side of Michael off the stage. You're a good man Michael, and you made this girl's experience a great one that she will remember for the rest of her life!

[@Sam-ef3bj]

My wife met Micheal McDonald at a charity event in NYC. You ever meet someone and they are so incredibly nice, that you had forgotten that, in the world, there are actually people that nice? Michael McDonald is one of those people. Not you know, some kind of sugary sweet fake nice...but just a truly truly nice human being. He is in my wife's top three nice celebs...the other two being Howard Jones and Carly Simon...

[@WhaleCommunicators]

Great taste Paisley - He's one of a kind!!! He's best friends with Christopher Cross - I LOVE HIM TOO!!! 💚💞💚 They were famous when I was your age. I would have loved hearing way more from both of them. There is always a possiblilty of a new album - these guys should do an album with some of their buddies like Traveling Wilburys style but with their incredible melodies

[@nicostadi]

I'm not crying, YOU'RE CRYING!

[@patyoung1156]

Than you Steve for your kind Heart💗 and Michael for taking time to say Hi😁❤

[@sydhellyer7824]

I saw this on the news!! Love Michael McDonald❤❤❤

[@Officialmichaelmcdonald0009]

Thank you so much for your love, support and encouragement. The support of wonderful fans like you keep me going and strong

[@katiacardoso]

It is amazing and wonderful to see that good music is timeless, incredible experience for this teenager . I love Michael McDonald too.

[@Officialmichaelmcdonald0009]

Thank you so much for your love, support and encouragement. The support of wonderful fans like you keep me going and strong

[@yvette9181]

An absolute lovely girl with the most beautiful moment of her young life ❤

[@michaelhogg324]

That was AWESOME and I'm glad that she got to experience the concert and meeting Michael and he always has a GREAT show!

[@Spartanm333]

Ditto - lovely man, supported him for 2 years... Dublin Ireland was a highlight.

[@koolerboy2]

Absolute legend and a fan with great music taste

[@peaceshepherding529]

Paisley, keep feeling & following your passion(s)! You have great taste & you’re in great, worldwide company, with countless others who love Michael McDonald’s voice, art, dedication and humanity! (The latter includes longstanding charitable work and humility.) For a deeply beautiful female voice you may enjoy hearing Ms. Ella Fitzgerald’s recordings. Try, “Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most”. If you listen to the end you’ll hear even more of her Range and depths of her Resonance. (When you meet Mr. McDonald, see if you can talk him into recording an album with several songs A Capella! :) Rest in your Joy! Thanks for sharing it!

[@no_country_for_real_men]

My grandfather was a big fan of the Doobie Brothers and Michael McDonald. All 3 had a profound effect on me and were a big influence on me as a musician too

[@7thsonofa7thson80]

Great singer great human being. Not your typical stuck up celebrity.

[@FirstOnRaceDayCapri2904]

She has a great musical taste, god bless her.

[@michaeltriba1307]

Oh Em Gee, I totally cracked up when I saw this segment on the CBS Evening News with lovely substitute Jericka Duncan again filling in for Norah O'Donnell! 🤣😍 It has long been recognized that the older Michael McDonald is my twin doppelganger by my family and friends. Whenever I grow a goatee we could perhaps fool people, but not this little 11 year-old Superfan of Michael. If you look at my photo here, Michael and I looked nothing alike when we were younger. But now that we are older and heavier (I am 72 and he is 71), we look a lot alike. I even play piano like he does, but I could never earn a living that way! 😭 The other main difference between me and him is that he has a much higher pitched voice, that I could never replicate since I am a baritone! 🎹🎵

[@barbaragilbert5725]

I love this! It is amazing that this young lady has great taste in music.

[@celebro469]

Good music stands the test of time. I don't remember what was a hit last year or 10 years ago. I still hear 60s, 70s, 80s and some 90s, and is just excellent. I'm still finding Michael McDonald did voice cameos in many songs and his voice is unmistakable.

[@zzizahacallar]

Paisley has good taste ❤ adorable 🥰 🎶

[@Officialmichaelmcdonald0009]

Thank you so much for your love, support and encouragement. The support of wonderful fans like you keep me going and strong

[@MG-lq8hx]

She’s adorable 😂

[@b.1162]

Now this is heartwarming

[@G0K3001]

I'm so happy for her! A great Dad & Mom too-

[@hoopjo12345]

I am very proud of this 11 year old girl. She likes real music, so do I I love the Rolling Stones, the Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Buddy Holly, Elvis Presley, Brian Hyland, just to name a few.

[@jessesilguero4240]

Nice!!! A youngster with ol' school ears and heart!! Love it!!!

[@tbk7494]

So touching! I wanted to cry too when she started to cry 😊

[@user-vm5ud4xw6n]

Cute. Nice to know there are still some people who appreciate good music. Even if she is several generations behind!

[@masteroneal]

I hope everything goes her way, her energy is needed in this world. Great story 🔥🙏🏾

[@tlawrence5349]

What a great story! I Found him the same way when I was young, on the radio! He's the best!!

[@MeMeDaVinci]

Watching this again I just have to say I love how cool her parents are!

[@hoopjo12345]

I am very proud of this girl. I am just proud.

[@terryl6245]

Love me some Michael.

[@mmp495]

She has the best taste in music. ❤ How awesome.

[@janices6140]

Paisley, you have great taste in music. Stay your unique and wonderful self!

[@christianwootton100]

Good for Paisley. It's nice to know young people still listen to the radio and make their own decisions about who their favorite recording artists are.

[@britturk123]

No surprise Paisley got a face time and a back stage concert from the wonderful Michael McDonald because he is an absolute gentleman as well as being one of the greats of singing lyric writing and musical ability too.

[@bwilson8058]

Nice story, made me happy 😊😊😊

[@mjp8494]

How sweet. Lucky girl.

[@tanyasmith9613]

Love Michael McDonald, love his voice ❤🥰🥰

[@Officialmichaelmcdonald0009]

Thank you so much for your love, support and encouragement. The support of wonderful fans like you keep me going and strong

[@lizreed7642]

This is by far my favorite story, I too am a huge fan of his. Love this

[@angelmelendez2468]

So awesome 👏! Girl has good taste !!

[@Darksagan]

I just randomly thought about a Michael McDonald song I havent heard since I was a kid. Searched youtube and found out even this gen likes his music. Pretty awesome.

[@carolb1585]

This is so cool. After watching it I had to go listen to my favorite Michael McDonald song.

[@marsmalo24]

Micheal McDonald and the doobe Brothers were my dads favorites bands when i was a kid in the 70s. One of my all time favorite singers.

[@danilomacalino9889]

His a great singer of all time,love his song so much.

[@JLU55]

I see some "Hall & Oates" in her near future! 🤣🥰🤩