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John Rzeznik

Founding Member of The Goo Goo Dolls

John Rzeznik
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Addiction & Recovery, Celebrity, Mental Health, Music, Television & Film
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John Rzeznik Biography

John Joseph Theodore Rzeznikis an American songwriter, lead guitarist, vocalist and producer. He is best known as the frontman of rock band the Goo Goo Dolls, of whom he is a founding member and with whom he has recorded nine studio albums.

Rzeznik was born in Buffalo, New York, the youngest of five children. Both of Rzeznik's parents were musicians, playing the clarinet and flute. Rzeznik's father died from diabetic coma at the age of fifty-five when Rzeznik was sixteen years old. Six months later his mother died from a sudden heart attack. Having lost both of his parents, he was brought up by his four older sisters. It was during this period and while attending high school that Rzeznik began playing the guitar.

In 1986, he formed the band that became the Goo Goo Dolls with Robby Takac. Previously John had been in a band with Takac's cousin, called The Beaumonts, sometimes referred to as "The Sex Maggots". As legend has it, the band was forced to find a new moniker when a club owner refused to put the old name on his marquee. So the boys flipped through a copy of True Detective magazine and settled on a change after finding an advertisement for a “Goo Goo Doll.”

In the early days of The Goo Goo Dolls, scrounged for gigs and looked for part-time work in the band’s hometown of Buffalo, N.Y., with Robby as the frontman (Rzeznik gradually becoming the frontman over the next few albums, as each new album contained more songs sung by Rzeznik than the last). At one point Rzeznik ended up selling hot dogs and roasted peanuts at a concession stand.

The Goo Goo Dolls’ rise began a few months after the release of the group’s fifth album, “A Boy Named Goo” (1995), when a Los Angeles radio station placed the single “Name” on heavy rotation. With this increased exposure, the song vaulted into the national Top Five, and the album went double platinum. The upward climb continued with the release of perhaps the band's most well-known song "Iris," a stirring ballad penned by Rzeznik on the "City of Angels" film soundtrack, became a huge hit. "Dizzy Up the Girl," the band’s sixth album, was then released, and it's a monster. “Dizzy” would eventually sell more than 4 million copies, and yield five hit singles. “Iris” was ranked No. 1 on Billboard’s Top 100 Pop Songs 1992-2012 chart.

On June 19, 2008, Rzeznik was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and was awarded the Hal David Starlight award.

Rzeznik is well known for his distinctive and unusual guitar tunings. Many of his newer songs, particularly the more acoustic-oriented ones, are performed with his guitars tuned to an open chord with several of the strings tuned to the same note but in different octaves. Rzeznik believes that writing is not just an inspirational thing but that writing music is "ninety nine percent perspiration." He says that when writing a song, he often "runs tape and screws around with stuff," and that his songs are often both biographical and autobiographical.

Rzeznik lives with his wife, Melina, and daughter in New Jersey. He is sober, attends AA meetings, and still produces music. The newest Goo Goo Dolls album was released in 2021. HE also hosts Chorus & Verse on Sirius XM.

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Speaker profile last updated by AAE Talent Team on 07/05/2024.

John Rzeznik Videos

  • The First Time: John Rzeznik of The Goo Goo Dolls
    The First Time: John Rzeznik of The Goo Goo Dolls
    John Rzeznik of The Goo Goo Dolls is a late night grocery shopper. Not only does he get to be alone at that time but he gets to listen to his music...
  • GOO GOO DOLLS Talks The Feeling of Being On Stage
    GOO GOO DOLLS Talks The Feeling of Being On Stage
    "I can't sing in anyone's voice but my own" - beautiful words from Goo Goo Dolls!
  • John Rzeznik Interview The X Factor
    John Rzeznik Interview "The X Factor"
    Goo Goo Dolla John Rzeznik interview at "The X Factor"
See All Videos »

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  • What topics does John Rzeznik speak about?

    John Rzeznik is a keynote speaker and industry expert whose speaking topics include Addiction & Recovery, Celebrity, Mental Health, Music, Television & Film.

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John Rzeznik is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics . The estimated speaking fee range to book John Rzeznik for your event is available upon request. John Rzeznik generally travels from and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Celeste, The Revivalists, Ed Sheeran, Neon Trees and Robin Zander. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling John Rzeznik for an upcoming live or virtual event.

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