Steve Goodman: Facing the Music

Steve Goodman wrote “Good mornin’ America, how are ya” into the nation’s consciousness, becoming one of the most respected singer/songwriters of the 1970s and early 80s. With warmth and wit, he charmed better-known peers, top critics, and countless fans. Yet this 5-foot-2 troubadour nearly lost his chance at adult life. Diagnosed with leukemia at age 20, Goodman kept it a secret for 16 years as he sang for a generation that assumed it would live forever.

This biography scrutinizes a theme th...