Clay Eals

Brief Biography

The newest book of Seattle author Clay Eals, “Steve Goodman: Facing the Music” is the story of the revered, iconic musician who thrived musically for 15 years after being diagnosed with a fatal illness. Goodman wrote an anthem of his generation, The City of New Orleans, and is considered by many to be the most galvanizing entertainer of his time. Now in its just-released and updated third printing, the book features interviews with many luminaries, including Arlo Guthrie, John Prine, Steve Martin, Jimmy Buffett, Kris Kristofferson, Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne, Willie Nelson, Emmylou Harris, Randy Newman, Paul Anka, Judy Collins, Pete Seeger, and Gordon Lightfoot. We are very pleased to present Clay Eals, who will discuss his book and the man who inspired it.

ARTIST WEBSITE: clayeals.com

What would life be like with death hanging over our heads? Most of us push the prospect aside until the end of our days. Not Steve Goodman.

Diagnosed with a fatal disease at age 20, he managed to survive and thrive to write an anthem of his generation and become what many considered the most galvanizing entertainer of his time. What lessons did he learn and share with others while privately, then publicly, fending off leukemia for more than 15 years? The answers lie in "Steve Goodman: Facing the Music."

This biography, now in its updated third printing, is the comprehensive, untold story of a young man whose hilarious, touching and provocative music — "City of New Orleans," "You Never Even Call Me by My Name," "Banana Republics," "A Dying Cub Fan’s Last Request", "Go, Cubs, Go" and many more stellar songs — uplifted millions from the late 1960s to the early 1980s and continues to do so today.

The book features fresh interviews with more than 1,100 sources, including Arlo Guthrie, John Prine, Steve Martin, Jimmy Buffett, Kris Kristofferson, Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne, Willie Nelson, Emmylou Harris, Randy Newman, Paul Anka, David Allan Coe, Judy Collins, Tom Paxton, Pete Seeger, John Sebastian, Leo Kottke, Gordon Lightfoot and Goodman's high-school classmate Hillary Rodham Clinton. Other interviewees include John Hartford, Phoebe Snow, Jackie DeShannon, Marty Stuart, Maria Muldaur, Studs Terkel, Mimi Fariña, Tom Rush, Bobby Bare, Carly Simon, Lily Tomlin, Michael Smith, Fred & Ed Holstein, Janis Ian, Bryan Bowers, Martin Mull, Chad Mitchell, Rosanne Cash, David Amram, Samantha Eggar, Tom Dundee, John McEuen, Jimmy Ibbotson, Jeff Hanna, Howard Armstrong, Jim Post, Carl Reiner, Doc Watson, Loudon Wainwright III, Jo Mapes, Len Chandler, Buzzy Linhart and David Geffen.

Included with the book is the free bonus opportunity to download 18 songs written after Steve's death that pay tribute to him or mention him significantly, and one track of interview clips with Steve himself. The book's third printing includes hundreds of fixes, updates and additions, including more than 40 new photos, bringing the total number of images to 616, all in the same 800 pages.

"Steve Goodman: Facing the Music" was published by ECW Press in May 2007. The first printing sold out in February 2008, the second printing sold out in late 2011, and the third printing may be purchased at clayeals.com on the Online Store page.

Clay Eals, 60, is a Seattle author. He has devoted his adult life to writing and publications, including 15 years as an editor, reporter and photographer for four Northwest newspapers, two years as a journalism teacher and 13 years as a curriculum writer and publications editor for Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. He has worked the past four years as communication officer for a Seattle-area children’s services organization called Encompass.

His latest book, "Steve Goodman: Facing the Music," is the culmination of eight years of research and writing.
In 2006, he wrote a chapter of and designed the 128-page "Rain Check: Baseball in the Pacific Northwest," published by the Society of American Baseball Research and University of Nebraska Press.

In 1996 he wrote, edited and designed "Every Time a Bell Rings," a biography of child actress Karolyn Grimes (Zuzu in "It’s a Wonderful Life"), published by Pastime Press.

In 1987, he edited, designed and partly wrote a 288-page history of West Seattle, "West Side Story," published by the West Seattle Herald and Robinson Newspapers.

He is doing research for a biography of Fred Hutchinson, namesake of baseball’s Hutch Award who was named Seattle’s Athlete of the 20th Century.

His volunteer work has included leading the preservation of a 1942 movie theater and playing Santa for the American Heart Association.

He is married to former journalist Meg Eals. His daughter and granddaughter, Karey and Ronia Emma Bacon, live in Philadelphia.