Steve Goodman

A celebrated singer and songwriter whose critical acclaim and reputation among his peers far outstripped his popularity with mainstream listeners, Steve Goodman was a Chicago-based tunesmith with a gift for clever but unpretentious wit, compassionate character studies, and a sharp eye for the details of Midwestern life. (His songbook included numbers about parking problems in downtown Chicago, the career of Mayor Richard J. Daley, and Goodman's beloved but hapless Chicago Cubs.) Several of his songs enjoyed chart success when covered by other artists (most notably "The City of...