With a career spanning three decades, chances are you’ve come across the name John Rzeznik, best known as the co-founder, frontman, and guitarist of the buffalo rock band Goo Goo Dolls. Although Rzeznik and vocalist/bassist Robby Takac are currently the only members of the band, drummer/percussionist George Tutuska, who left the band in 1995, was part of the original line-up of the group a year after drummer/percussionist Mike Malinin joined the Goo Goo Dolls. The band currently has guitarist/accompanist Brad Fernquist, keyboarder/guitarist/accompanist Jim McGorman, and drummer/guitarist/saxophonist/keyboarder/accompanist Craig Macintyre as tour members.
John also earns a decent income as a singer-songwriter and producer. During his ongoing career, the music maestro has worked with the following renowned labels: Warner Bros, Metal Blade, and Warner.
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John Rzeznik Bio (Age)
The full name of the superstar of the Goo Goo Dolls is John Joseph Theodore Rzeznik. His parents, Joseph Rzeznik (a postal clerk and bar owner) and Edith Rzeznik welcomed him to the world on December 5, 1965, in Buffalo, New York. John is both the last child and the only son of his parents, who are devout Catholics. He is of English and German descent on his mother’s side and of Polish descent on his father’s side.
Rzeznik was barely 16 years old when he lost both his musician parents (the couple played flute and clarinet very well).
His father had problems with alcohol, which eventually led to his death at the age of 55, while his mother died of a sudden heart attack only a year after her husband’s death, leaving John and his four older sisters (Phyllis, Kate, Gladys, and Fran) behind with the help of their cousin John Guljas.
Due to the singer-songwriter’s strict Catholic upbringing, John was enrolled at Corpus Christi High School and later at McKinley Vocational High School, where he met a friend who introduced him to playing the guitar, a hobby he would eventually pursue throughout his life. Rzeznik graduated from high school immediately and was offered the opportunity to continue his studies at Buffalo State College, but he eventually gave up after the first year of college. Before leaving college, he met a fellow musician named Robby Tacak, who became his friend and later co-founder of the rock band Goo Goo Dolls.
Shortly after their band was formed, Rzeznik and Tacak had difficulty making progress within the music circle. They were signed to the French-American record label Celluloid Records in 1985, but for nine years they could neither achieve immense success nor popularity. However, the band’s career was boosted after John wrote the soundtrack and song for the 1998 romantic fantasy film City of Angels.
Together with Goo Goo Goo Dolls, the music elite has recorded eleven studio albums. To this day, the band’s song Iris, which was featured on their other album entitled Dizzy up the Girl, is considered their most outstanding hit. The band’s latest studio album is entitled Boxes. It was released on May 6, 2016. To his credit, Rzeznik is the author of the song that was featured in Walt Disney’s 2002 American adventure movie Treasure Planet. He is said to have performed the song as well. Outside of show business, John and his band were involved in several charity projects. While the frontman is an ambassador for VH1’s Save the Music Foundation, his partner Robby Takac is proud to be the founder of the Music is Art Foundation.
Net Worth – How Rich Is He?
Having started his career in the early 1980s, it is not surprising that John has made quite a fortune in music. Although he still competes with the younger generation on stage, he has deeper pockets than most of them. His fortune is currently estimated at $14 million.
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His Wife & Daughter
John Rzeznik has tied the knot twice in his life. His first marriage was with former model Laurie Farinacci, whom he met in 1990 and married in 1993. Their married relationship ended after 10 years without children. In 2005 the guitarist would meet a young woman named Melina Gallo. They took the big step of love on July 26, 2013, when they exchanged their marriage vows in the presence of their guests in Malibu, California. Gallo and Rzeznik are now the parents of an enchanting offspring, a daughter named Liliana Rzeznik. She was born on December 22, 22, 2016.
John Rzeznik Height
As a frontman, John Rzeznik’s height of 1.83 meters (6 feet 0 inches) was helpful both on and off stage, while his weight never posed a challenge to his career – he is always in good shape and light-footed.