The first and last time I ever met and spoke with Steve Goodman was at a Bluegrass festival down in Norco, Ca. in 1983. He did one set and then walked to a table where he had his last album for sale. I was married and pregnant and he was sick and dying of cancer (leukemia). His hair was almost gone from that damned Chemo but he was still in good spirits and very talkative and so down to earth. There was nothing pretentious about this amazing and legendary singer/songwriter. I bought his album and he signed it "To Michele and her baby." I wished him well and told him how greatful I was for all the music he had brought to the world. I walked away crying and I still have that album. It's one of my treasures. God bless you Steve Goodman, and Thank You for calling me by my name.

Growing up and living in Chicago, got to see Steve many time. When I heard he died, I cried like a baby. More talent in his little finger than most of the current acts today. We are richer today to have had him for the short time we did.

I am so very happy to see this, Steve Goodman was a great artist and songwriter, He and John Prine are a couple of my favorites along with Kris. He Changed so many lives and brought so many great artists together. His music will be here and be apreciated for many years to come.. This is a must see.....

My mother and sister and I lived above the Earl of Old Town for many years so I was fortunate enough to meet Steve Goodman, John Prine, Gordon Lightfoot, Bonnie koloc and the like. Steve was a wonderfully funny and kind human being and I don't know why but whenever him and John got together they were even funnier. God Rest his soul and thank you for such a wonderful music thank you and thank John Prine

I got halfway through this video before I realized where I’d heard the name Steve Goodman. Heard it a million times. David Alan Coe said “A good friend Steve Goodman wrote that song”. I’m standing in my garage crying. John Prine is my hero and I’m all about Marty Stuart. Damnit man. This is gold. Kris’ ending was gold. GOLD Jerry. Just gold.

The respect and admiration and love that all these people express about Steve is beautiful. I’m sure he appreciates it.

Grateful to my dad, RIP, for discovering Steve Goodman in the 60s? early ‘70s, & playing his records while i was a little kid. And john Prine. Two of my lifelong faves which i know many of the words to their songs. Played some from each to my mom tofay, who has dementia. She smiled, laughed at “i dont mind standing in the rain….” 😆 while she doesnt respond to much, or speak or understand much. So many mindblowing snippets of poetry and stories in both their songs (but Steve’s version was always livelier, dare i say better. ☺️❤️❤️🫶🏼

Lots of sadness in my life, just because. But I was always able to find country music to heal and soothe my soul. These master poets of the human condition have kept so many of us to 'just keep showing up'. I was front row in a Vancouver Island theatre early '80's at Steve Goodman concert. One off-the-cuff fun ditty that I have never forgotten. . Probably never known or printed anywhere. But true classic Steve Goodman. offered with huge love and gratitude for his words and music. 🎶"There are men who like women who like men There are men who like women, every now and then There are men who like men, because they can't pretend, to be men who like women who like men.🎶

Amazing comments. Kristofferson’s last words said it all about how Steve effected them all. Greatness recognizing greatness. RIP Steve Goodman. One of my all time favorites. “My Old Man” still chokes me up.

I was working in a bicycle shop in Evanston, Ill during the mid-seventies. Steve would occasionally bring his special "little" bike that we had built for him in for repairs. We would shoot the shit while I worked on his bike. He was a gentle soul and a true genius. Cried my eyes out when I heard he passed.

In 1984, the music died for a lot of Goodman, hard-core fans !! His music was one-of-a-kind type of country, folksy-jazzy stuff, that no one, except John Prine himself sang at that time !!! I couldn't believe it when I first heard Prine, I thought he was so unique and different !! Well, when I heard Steve only a few years ago, I was blown away at how amazing he was !! He's one of those guys whose music will be alive forever !!! Rest in Peace, Steve, you're sadly missed !!!

Early 80s we were in a downstairs club in Cambridge Mass., listening to Dave van Ronk. Guy sitting in front of us was banging on his table while he listened, dancing in place, just totally into the experience. Dave finished, introduced Steve Goodman, and this ball of energy in front of us leaps up and bounces to the stage, and just blew us away. Years later we saw him at an outdoor concert in Vermont. He was going through chemo and was bald, as was our young son, Ben. I had to introduce Ben to Steve, who was very warm and wonderful to Ben - kindred spirits. I pray that they are somewhere better today, making music and loving their new lives.

John, Arlo, Kris, if you ever check back just wanted to say the Cubs finally did it for your friend Steve Goodman. This is my all time favorite video story.

Steve is another example of how "only the good die young." Hard to imagine how many other classics he would have wrote if he hadn't died young.

This is an amazing eulogy for a guy that it seems everybody loved. I was in the Navy in the early 70s and missed his early rise to fame, but how can you not relate to his message and his songs. I love this video for the way it brings Steve Goodman back to life.

Yeah, first time I saw him was with the Coral Reefer band and Jimmy Buffet. The last time I saw him was on his farewell tour at the Armadillo World Headquarters on his goodbye tour. He was a very insightful and inspired song writer and a totally egoless performer, which was almost unique among performers of his stature. Truly magical moments. Thank you Steve for being so magnificent an artist and for being so kind so kind to the world.

What a great eulogy of a man who left us too soon. And to think, I would have missed out on who Stevie Goodman was, had it not been for Roy Leonard of WGN radio. Listening I thought, 'who is this guy?'. Well after unwrapping my first album and spinning it on the turntable, I see why Roy, and all of us loved this man.

I listen to audience tapes of Steve Goodman. The songs have his kindness and humanity. On one of these tapes, he says of Mike Smith's The Dutchman, "This is the only love song that doesn't grunt." Steve had an generous spirit and this video shows it through the words of his friends. He's missed by those who knew him, and many more who didn't Ave Atque Vale, Steve Goodman.

In 1978 I went to see Steve Martins' Wild & Crazy Guy tour in Dallas. Steve Goodman came out as the unannounced warm up act. I had seen a few shows on PBS with Goodman, and was very pleasantly surprised to see Him. I felt like I was the only one there who knew who he was. Everyone was there to see crazy Steve Martin, not some unknown singer, and yet within a few songs His incredible charismatic stage presence had them in the palm of His hand. It was very impressive, and He did a very entertaining 30 min set. I'll never forget it, He made such a impact in His too short life. A few years later Steve Martin came on the Johnny Carson show and mentioned that He was doing a fund raising show to benefit Goodmans' wife and kids. I didn't know He was sick, or that He died. It was a shocking blow to hear. You feel so robbed when someone could have had a long career is abruptly gone. So sad. At least His music remains.

Steve Goodman should be in a HALL of FAME. He was phenomenal.

Amazing tribute! I remember as a teen hearing the City of New Orleans and looked up the credits. I think it was 1976, bicentennial and Arlo Guthrie and Shenandoah did a performance at Wolf Trap that I saw on PBS I think. This tribute gives me so much more insight into Steve Goodman! Amazing man, song writer and musician. Gone too soon! Rest in Peace!

John Prine’s passing lead me here. Loved me some Steve Goodman back in the day. WGN’s ‘Uncle’ Bob Collins was a huge fan of Steve too. Miss them all.

I saw Steve Goodman 6 times in my younger years. I lived in the Bay Area and took every opportunity to see him if I heard he was playing anywhere near me. It was always like seeing your old best friend. Had all of his records.❤

Truly beautiful. Can't you feel Steve smiling? Still riding the high of the Cubbies win no doubt! LOVE.

My late boyfriend guarded his dressing room, in Ottawa. Such a wonderful talent lost way too soon. Love me some John Prine too!

30 years later and his songs still bring tears to my eyes.

Gone but never EVER to be forgotten. It's our loss never to have known such a great person as Steve Goodman.. Just a 5'2 kinda guy. To listen to these GREAT people talk about him tells us how amazing he was ,, and still is because of the music he made IE,, City of New Orleans,,, and others. Thanks Steve, you're greatly missed,, yet still remembered.!

It's interesting that the documentary includes an anecdote about Steve's knowledge of art and culture. In 1963 I was the floor manager at the Earl of Old Town. It was a nighttime job needed so I could keep up child support for my 3 children. Close to the end of that year my daytime employer promoted me and sent me off to the east coast. I no longer needed a second job. 5 years later in 1968 I was back in Chicago so I would hang out at The Earl at least one night a week. Over the next couple of years I met Steve And John Prine and Fred Holstein and Bonnie Kolock and the incredible people who passed through that bar directly across the street from Second City. Returning to the point of Steve's knowledge I especially recall one night we sat at the bar between sets and talked about the possible relationship between the Grand Inquisitor scene in Dostoevsky's book The Brother Karamazov and certain lyrics about Jesus in Leonard Cohen's "Suzanne."

I'm so grateful I got to hear him live several times. What a showman! A wonderful spirit!

Yes he and John Prine used to come up to the apartment after the Earl would close and jam. Sometimes others were there like Spanky and Our Gang, Mickey Scott Ed and Fred Holstein before they got their place on Lincoln Avenue, etcetera. Even John and Jim Belushi used to come upstairs to visit. Steve was very very funny in a kind of a shy way. He was a little little quiet but when he said something it had impact. My sister and I used to watch his daughters now and then. So he was just regular folks to us and we still miss him

“Each person shines with his or her own light. No two flames are alike. There are big flames and little flames, flames of every color. Some people’s flames are so still they don’t even flicker in the wind, while others have wild flames that fill the air with sparks. Some foolish flames neither burn nor shed light, but others blaze with life so fiercely that you can’t look at them without blinking, and if you approach you shine in the fire.” ― Eduardo Galeano

RIP John and Steve, this is video is a piece of our American musical heritage, bravo.

Steve Goodman changed my life ... i saw him and John Prine at Massey Hall in toronto, 1975 or 1976. I'd been listening to them since bout 1972 or so, I had no idea what they looked like ... i had been playing guitar for a few years, (2nd song i rudimentarily, lol, learned was Angel from Montgomery), but being only 4.9 at the time, i thought my hands were too small to do bar chords and all the difficult stuff so didn't aspire to anything beyond open chords ... i saw this little guy come out on stage and play the fastest i'd ever seen anybody play before and bar chords and ... wow ... all i thought was .. if he can do it, i can try, too. I so enjoy playing, rudimentarily, lol, both their songs to this day, He changed my life, well they both did, but Stevie ...

Only saw him once. Thank heavens my friends said you've got to see this guy. It was a double bill with Mimi Farina. They did a duet of Daniel by Elton John. Whew!! I can still hear it 40+ years later. I've been a big fan ever since. There are many great songs but no one mentioned Souvenirs he and Prine wrote. Another masterpiece.

This is such an wonderful, heartfelt tribute to Steve. Everthing they say is true, he was a great person, and I feel blessed that I got to know and enjoy his enormous bright energy. I cried through most of it, tears with a smile...he was funny that way...RIP :) Thanks for sharing.

Sure do miss this guy, why does God take the best of us too soon? What a beautiful soul, at least we have the music.

I saw Steve Goodman open for Steve Martin at Maple Leaf Gardens when I was in grade 9 or 10. He managed to hold the attention of a crowd of about 16,000 people who were all just waiting for the hottest act in show biz.

Thank you for sharing this. Ah Kristofferson at the end there got me. Been a John Prine fan for years and knew OF Steve Goodman but wasn't familiar with his music until recent months. I can't believe I didn't check him out sooner after hearing all John Prine's stories about him. Funny any time I heard John tell the story of the night Steve brought Chris to the club, HE never included the fact that he was sleeping in a booth and they had to wake him!!

As a fan of you all, I am proud to have been influenced as a songwriter by all of you, as well. I mean that from the bottom of my 69-year-old heart and my guitar. Please include your Dad in my praise, Arlo. I proudly wear a facist-killing machine myself. All the best. Glad a friend of mine turned me on to this bomber of a video today. ~ Grant Brad Gerver

I have laughed and cried reading through all these comments. Thank you all for taking your time out of your days.

What magnificent memories

Happy that I came across this today. Inspiring to hear the love in the voices and see the love in the eyes all the people interviewed have for Steve.

For anyone interested, the poem Kris refers to at the end of this clip is "The World"by Eduardo Galeano. Beautiful to connect it with Steve.

I Love these Guys This is What Music Is All About!

Steve Goodman sounds like the most generous man I've heard of.

Wow. What a great tribute to someone who really deserves it. So selfless, such a great writer, artist and entertainer. Bigger than life and a life that ended way too soon. Thank you for sharing this with us.

This kind of music history is Gold!

Never saw the guy, but this was a great interview! Oh, yeah; his music knocks me out! We've lost one of our most precious musical heroes! Rest in Peace, Steve.

Kris Kristojpherspn hit the nail on the head as described Steve Goodman in terms of that special flame. What a treasure.

Nancy was SO SWEET...easy to see why Steve fell for her. Just delightful - always kind and pleasant.

John and Stevie had my ear since 73'. They made me laugh and cry!

Saw him several times, some with Prine and some not. He was the most under-appreciated of our generation.

I am so gratefull to have seen Steve Goodman in concert in Toronto. Such a humble man that night. It blew me away. This video says it all.

Over the years, I've returned here many times. Despite multiple listens and reading many comments, I could never find the story Kris Kristofferson talks about at 29:40. Today I found @DocFrobnitz gave the answer 5 years ago. I thought I'd repeat it here for others who may be looking. Story from 'The Book of Embraces' by Eduardo Galeano: Thanks so much Doc! 💕💓🥰

I can't imagine how he could sing "City of New Orleans" to a crowd, every one of them thinking he is coving an Arlo song, and never mention he wrote it!! Not sure if he realized it, because if he did, he was by a million miles the least egotistical human being I ever heard of in music. lol Arlo does own it now, but he always gives Steve Goodman credit. Lot a great music and great stories here behind them!!! Thanks for posting!!

I remember back in my Chicago Old Town daze seeing Stevie trucking down the street near Wells and North Ave. Always thought it was funny because his guitar case was at least as tall as he was. Short in stature but huge in talent. A die hard Cubs fan with a nack to make music as fun as possible. RIP Steve Goodman, we all miss you.

This was an incredible piece to watch! I am a huge fan of Steve Goodman and John Prine. Kristofferson was so very kind to them and he never sought any credit or benefit from that. Thank you, Professor Kris Kristofferson. I first saw this a few years ago and bought The Book of Embraces by Eduardo Galeano. It contains the story that you referenced through your tears about the lights that burn so bright that one cannot look directly at them. Yes, Steve was one of those and so are you. I watched you yesterday at Willie's 90th birthday party. You are still burning so brightly that I had to turn away. What the Army lost when you turned down the job of teaching English at West Point, the world gained.

I keep coming back and watching this. It clears my heart. For a moment.

That was one of the best videos I have ever seen. Thanx. SO MUCH!

A truly fine tribute. I have an obscure favorite- "Videotape." He has you laughing in the first verse and sobbing at the end. What an incredible all around man! I had the treat of hearing Steve and Mimi Farina do a duet of the Elton John song "Daniel." dynamite.

Wow the quiet genius of Steve Goodman-I remember him from late 70's Bluegrass days

During my college years at Northwestern, there was a local club called amazingrace at which I would occasionally record shows for rebroadcast on WNUR, the NU radio station. On stage being recorded was one Corky Siegel when Steve popped up out of nowhere to play three brand new songs. Afterwards, Steve came over to apologize (!) for interrupting. But we got three brand new Steve Goodman songs. [those tapes are still at Northwestern. I wish I could remember the song titles.]

What a classic clip; a quintessential You Tube video. Anyone who is a fan of these gentlemen will cherish this. Thanks for posting it. I watch each time I have a craving for some Steve Goodman.

Always love his tunes-great showman. Saw him in the 70's warmup for Pure Prairie League -WOW!!!

I was lucky enough to see Steve Goodman and John Prine in concert at New Paltz College. I believe it was 1972. It was of course great.

These are all guys i'd love to hang out with.

Rip John prine and Steve Goodman you both are up ther partying now ther singing my favorite song Sam stone best song ever ther writing songs about cancer and corona virus i thought prine was going to beat it he lasted a lot longer he beat cancer twice but this virus isn’t good to us folks that have smoked I’m sure didn’t help John rip my friend you are in my prayers all your family cause I know you loved your family I still don’t get why he sold that song to coe it puzzles me he done it really well better than coe way better Goodman was a awesome writer love these guys

May God bless the geniuses that write the songs.

I saw Steve at a chapel on the campus of Washington University in St. Louis. I didn't know much about him at the time and was stunned by his performance. He captivated the audience within minutes. One highlight was him playing two Chuck Berry songs on an acoustic guitar to end the show - wow!

I love Steve Goodman... I wish I'd had the chance to meet him..... his light... oh it was soo bright and to hear the way everyone talks about him ... just awesome

Steve Goodman and the Earl of Old Town. Both legends and both missed. I played Steve's 'A Dying Cubs Fan's Last Request" very often after the Cubs finally won it all this season. Now it's not as painful to listen to, but so sad that Steve is not celebrating with us.

Thanks for sharing this record of priceless memories of a one-of-a-kind singer-songwriter! Worth every last one of the 1,875 seconds it took to watch it! Steve introduced the song, City of New Orleans (and maybe himself, too?), at Philly Folk 1970. I saw that in a broadcast of Festival highlights a year later on MPT (Md. Pub. TV). I *really* hope that video recording still exists somewhere!! Let's see if I can find it here on YT.

Very nice! thanks so much for putting this up! I was having a Steve Goodman craving and this was an awesome interlude between all his songs I can find!

Kris Kristofferson at the end is the kind of tribute you hope you will someday earn in life

It's Official: 300 to 1 ...We each love you. Each and together. It helped to keep on trying and that love cleared up Faith. You guys, saved my heart from no soul to go ... never on alone again. Like I always knew (from the bit I gave), It Was You. Your spirit on top of the talent and the sweet guitar I aspired and about died tryin too. Hard made sweet and the simple was all in my mind. I love you two. Together is multiplied so there are few words. I spoke those ... and I have meant it since the titre of my youth. Your songs and your truth, each and too-gather, are the finest words I ever felt put together. Thank you for part of my life

*Damn*... Kristofferson quoted that story almost verbatim. Story from 'The Book of Embraces' by Eduardo Galeano: A man from the town of Negua, on the coast of Colombia, could climb into the sky. On his return, he described his trip. He told how he had contemplated human life from on high. He said we are a sea of tiny flames. “The world,” he revealed, “is a heap of people, a sea of tiny flames.” Each person shines with his or her own light. No two flames are alike. There are big flames and little flames, flames of every color. Some people’s flames are so still they don’t even flicker in the wind, while others have wild flames that fill the air with sparks. Some foolish flames neither burn nor shed light, but others blaze with life so fiercely that you can’t look at them without blinking, And if you approach, you shine in fire.

I saw him in Saratoga in the late 70's, early 80's... I have no idea who he opened for. He owned the audience from the first song all the way to the end of his set.

what a great tribute. nobody will ever say anything like this about me when i die.

These sharings by some of Steve's friends are so right on-perfect descriptions of a man that everyone who loves music should know about. Just watch a few of his performances here on youtube-with John Prine or even alone.

We miss you Steve.

Don’t know how I found this but glad I did! Still have an original Steve Goodman lp

In the early 70's, I used to go to the Earl Of Oldtown to listen to Steve. Tiny place. I bought him a beer several times.

I just recorded my version of City of New Orleans after a lifetime of singing that tune...I heard it first in 1972 from Arlo and then went back to find Steve's version...then Willie recorded it in 84....just a great piece of Americana and one of the treasures of American songwriting...right up there with Tony Joe White's Rainy night in Georgia...songs cut from the same cloth...

A saw Steve play a number of times at Mariposa Folk Festival. Still ranks among my very favourite concerts. RIP

I wish Steve could see the Cubs this year. He was the coolest looking guy, sort of a Jewish leprechaun and just as magical.

Heaven must have one hell of a band .

Wow great sharing by each. Steve was loved

Thank you. I just learned a lot of things I didn't know about Steve Goodman and people in general.

Every once in a very great while you encounter someone who literally lights up a room when they enter. 10 seconds after Steve walked int a room everyone in it wanted to be his friend. No one else could open for a heavy metal band and by the time they came on he had their audience divided into three sections singing harmony on 1930 show tunes. No one like him ever.

I first heard of him back in Scotland in the 70s. A friend of mine had 'Words I Can Dance To", and I was hooked. I was lucky enough to see him at the Pacific Amphitheater in the early 80s, & then went to the Tribute Concert for him at the same venue. That was a night to remember. I wish i had a video of it.

It was 1980 and I was living in Boston going to college. I’d go down to New York City to meet my friend.We didn’t have any money and we were youngsters. For us, a night out on the town was to pick up five bucks worth of cannabis, get stoned, and go to some big ass Jewish delicatessen to order sandwiches and a big pickle. and that was our night out on the town. But this one particular evening, after we inhaled our sandwiches and our dessert ha ha we went over to the village just to see what was playing. And in that little universe, where the Bitter End meets The Bottom Line, when what we watched Mr. Steve Goodman walk out of the club after he had played his last set. now, I’m 6 foot, and it has been mentioned elsewhere that Mr. Goodman was all of 5 foot two. He was surrounded by his people, his entourage, his manager, a number of extraordinarily beautiful young women in various states of consciousness. and they just come busting out that door like they were walking into their own living room. I mean, he owned that street! I was immediately struck by how long his guitar case was, compared to his height. The whole scenario was so incredibly funny that I just started laughing right out loud, not in a mean way, but just enjoying this whole scene unfold before my very eyes. And when Steve’s eyes caught mine he, I am mediately understood that he knew why I was laughing. Sure enough, he came right up to me and said, “Thank God! Your timing is perfect! Here, take this big pile of lumber off my hands so I can catch my breath.” and so my friend and I walked along with Steve Goodman and his people and I carried his guitar with all due diligence to and fro the tiny little 18th-century byways and Indian trails of lower Manhattan. After about a half an hour we stopped in front of a big brown stone apartment building. Steve worked his way back through his entourage, slide $10 into my hand, and said, “Thank you so much, you really saved my ass tonight because I’m just really really tired”. that was it. Nobody said much of anything on the walk back to where he was staying. I understood right away that he needed quiet. But everybody was lovely, relaxed, and happy.” I vouch that every word of this story is true.

I went with some friends to Somebody Else's Troubles one weekday night in 1977 or 1978. Steve Goodman had dropped in and played a set. We were almost the only people in the place because it was a weekday night. Steve Goodman joined us for a beer -- it might have been two.

I'll never forget something I saw Steve do one night at a gig he played in my home town of Allentown, Pennsylvania. He was doing his solo act at the Great Allentown Fair before about 4000 people, opening for Steve Martin. During his solo act, one of his guitar strings broke in the middle of a song. Steve never stopped playing, while a roadie came on stage and took off the broken string and replaced it. Not only did Steve keep playing, but he ad libbed funny lyrics to go along with the procedure. Not until I started playing guitar several years later could I fully appreciate what he did that night. Even if the whole thing was set up and rehearsed in advance (which seems highly unlikely), it was an amazing accomplishment. By the way, the other Steve on the bill did OK too; but, the Steve that made that night especially memorable for me was Steve Goodman.

Paul Anka. He pops up in places I never expect.

Steve was easy to meet. I heard him open the Philadelphia Folk Festival with City of New Orleans in 1970 or 71. A couple months later he was booked ay Passim in Harvard Square, kind of a home club for me. I went backstage before the show and had a long talk with him. He told me that he had driven an old blues player from Chicago to the Philly festival and he said they kind of threw him a bone by letting him open with a single song. I didn’t meet him again but always thought of him as a friend and knew he’d be happy to talk to me again. Later when I moved home to California I learned that he had been living about two miles from me in Seal Beach.

Thank you for posting this video. It means a lot to me. So much poetry and history.

Kristofferson nails it

Steve was a great man. Great men have great friends. Merci.

This is a cool video, but even better, when you hear Steve playing in the background! Had his concert in another browser window. Try it!

I met Steve at the Mariposa Folk Festival where I was playing harp for Penny Lang. In the fall Steve was playing Redpath Hall in Montreal-I ended up playing Both of his shows with-a gas-an amazing talent (guitarist &singer) and entertainer. And the most loveable person you will ever meet.