John Rzeznik: Goo Goo Dolls front man is a multi-talented bona fide rock star

NewsMarch 28, 2015ASX

You know John Rzeznik as the lead singer of the four-time Grammy Award-nominated band Goo Goo Dolls, with which he's left an indelible fingerprint on the rock genre. Over almost 30 years, the band has released ten studio albums; their most recent, 2013's Magnetic, peaked at number two on Billboard's Top Rock Albums Chart and number eight on the overall Billboard 200. The record also features the Goo Goo Dolls' latest single, "Caught In The Storm."

You can probably remember several of the songs from their 1998 album Dizzy Up The Girl, which was a staple of rock radio with songs like "Dizzy," "Slide," "Broadway" and "Black Balloon." The record exploded after its release, selling more than three million albums to earn a triple Platinum certification by the RIAA and the fifteenth spot on the Billboard 200.

But you may not know that the song which got the band three of those four Grammy nominations, "Iris," was originally written by Rzeznik for the 1997 Nicolas Cage film "City of Angels." Then in 2002, he penned the singles "Always Know Where You Are" and "I'm Still Here" for the Disney animated feature film "Treasure Planet"; BBMak recorded the former while Rzeznik released the latter. "I'm Still Here" ultimately transcended its soundtrack origins, hitting on four different charts, including in the top ten on Billboard's Adult Top 40 Chart.

Rzeznik also appeared as one of the judges on FOX's "The Next Great American Band," the band-oriented reality competition from the production company "American Idol," during its only season in 2007. The next year, he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame as that year's recipient of the Hal David Starlight Award.

In 2013, he appeared on another FOX series, this time the American version of "The X Factor," to perform "Iris" with contestant Jeff Gutt. And in 2014, he co-wrote and was featured on the single "Lightning" by Cash Cash.

Whether he's leading his enduring band or penning other songs as a solo artist, Rzeznik has proven that he has staying power in the rock world. He's established himself as a singer, songwriter, guitarist and producer who can work with a variety of other artists and always bring out the best in the music. When you listen to him, you feel his connection to the material, and not somebody who's just trying to find the next hit. That's a real star.

He continues to break new ground, not just in the studio but in real life. While Goo Goo Dolls continue to record and tour, Rzeznik is one of the drivers in this year's Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach Pro/Celebrity Race. Fans can cheer for him at the race on Saturday, April 18 as he takes on a new challenge that he'll likely rise to just like he has everything else in his career.

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