The
Goo Goo Dolls are a Grammy-nominated American
rock bandRock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
formed in 1986 in
BuffaloBuffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
,
New YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, by vocalist and
guitaristA guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
John Rzeznik and vocalist and bass guitarist
Robby TakacRobert Carl Takac, Jr., known as Robby Takac is one of the founding members of the Goo Goo Dolls, along with Johnny Rzeznik. He is the band's bassist and was formerly the lead singer on the Goo Goo Dolls' earlier albums....
. Since the end of 1994,
Mike MalininMichael Theodore Malinin joined the Goo Goo Dolls in January 1995, after a brief jam session with founding members Johnny Rzeznik and Robby Takac, who were seeking to replace drummer George Tutuska.-Background:...
has been the band's drummer, a position previously held by
George TutuskaGeorge Tutuska is a former member of the alternative rock band Goo Goo Dolls.He played drums from 1986 to 1995, and parted from the band only a few months before the release of their breakthrough album, A Boy Named Goo due to disputes with long-time friend and singer/guitarist John Rzeznik...
. Although renowned for their commercially successful 1998 single "Iris", they have had several other notable and popular singles include "
Name"Name" is the title of a song recorded by the Goo Goo Dolls. It was released in September 1995 as the third single from the album, A Boy Named Goo. The song, the band's first hit, topped both the US Modern Rock chart and the US Album Rock chart, and reached as high as number 5 on the Billboard Hot...
" from 1995's
A Boy Named GooA Boy Named Goo, sometimes referred to as ABNG, is the fifth studio album by the Goo Goo Dolls, released in 1995 on Warner Brothers.-History:...
, "
Broadway"Broadway" is the title of a song recorded by the Goo Goo Dolls. The song was released in September 2000 as the last single from their hit album Dizzy Up the Girl...
", "Black Balloon" and "
Slide"Slide" is the title of a song recorded by The Goo Goo Dolls. It was released in September 1998 as the first commercial single release from their sixth studio album, Dizzy Up the Girl....
" from 1998's
Dizzy Up The GirlDizzy Up the Girl is the sixth album by Goo Goo Dolls, released in 1998.-History:In most parts of the world, Dizzy Up the Girl is the Goo Goo Dolls' most successful album to date, selling over 3 million copies...
, which produced five top-10 singles, and "
Here Is Gone"Here is Gone" is the title of a song recorded by the Goo Goo Dolls. It was released in March 2002 as the lead single from their seventh studio album, Gutterflower. It reached number 18 on the U.S...
", "
Sympathy"Sympathy" is a song by the Goo Goo Dolls. The song was the last single released from their album, Gutterflower. The song appeared on the soundtrack to the film A Cinderella Story. It was edited to about 2:48 for the soundtrack...
" and "
Big Machine"Big Machine" is a song by the Goo Goo Dolls, first released on their Gutterflower album in 2002. It was written by lead vocalist/guitarist Johnny Rzeznik, who calls it his "disco song" and describes its meaning as "a propulsive tale of unrequited love". This song's drums were on a drum machine,...
" from 2002's
GutterflowerGutterflower is the seventh studio album by Goo Goo Dolls, released in 2002.-Track listing:All songs by Johnny Rzeznik except when noted.# "Big Machine" – 3:10# "Think About Me" – 3:59# "Here Is Gone" – 3:58# "You Never Know" – 3:07...
. The Goo Goo Dolls have 14 top-10 singles and have sold nearly 9 million albums in the United States alone.
Origins and early music (1986–1993)
The Goo Goo Dolls were originally called The Sex Maggots which was changed when a promoter refused to book them. The band's original line-up included John Rzeznik (vocals, guitar),
Robby TakacRobert Carl Takac, Jr., known as Robby Takac is one of the founding members of the Goo Goo Dolls, along with Johnny Rzeznik. He is the band's bassist and was formerly the lead singer on the Goo Goo Dolls' earlier albums....
(vocals, bass guitar) and
George TutuskaGeorge Tutuska is a former member of the alternative rock band Goo Goo Dolls.He played drums from 1986 to 1995, and parted from the band only a few months before the release of their breakthrough album, A Boy Named Goo due to disputes with long-time friend and singer/guitarist John Rzeznik...
(drums, percussion). In the beginning, John would not sing, due to his shyness. Takac and Tutuska had been long-time friends in school and met Rzeznik while he was playing in the band The Beaumonts with Takac’s cousin. The trio picked their name from a
True DetectiveTrue Detective has been the name of several different magazines.The first was an American true crime magazine featuring articles about crime and criminals, created by publisher Bernarr Macfadden in 1924; it's considered the first true crime magazine. Although generally lurid, True Detective did...
ad for a toy called a Goo Goo Doll.
"We were young and we were a garage band not trying to get a deal. We had a gig that night and needed a name. It's the best we came up with, and for some reason it stuck. If I had five more minutes, I definitely would have picked a better name" John stated. With Takac as their lead singer, the band released their first album,
Goo Goo DollsGoo Goo Dolls, also known as First Release,is the first album by the Goo Goo Dolls. All of the songs are sung by bassist Robby Takac, who was originally the band's lead vocalist. It is the hardest to find of all the band's studio albums, being only an LP, out of print, and not in wide circulation...
in 1987 on Mercenary Records, but was picked up in 1988 by
Celluloid RecordsCelluloid Records, a French/American record label, founded by Jean Georgakarakos operated from 1976 to 1989 in New York, and produced a series of eclectic and ground-breaking releases, particularly in the early to late 1980s, largely under the auspices of de facto in-house producer Bill...
, a larger record company. They would play around Buffalo's underground music circuit opening for punk bands such as SNFU, Dag Nasty, and DRI and playing with fellow Buffalo bands. The band released its second album,
JedJed is the second album by the Goo Goo Dolls. It is the first studio album in which John Rzeznik sung vocals for some of the tracks. The majority of the songs are sung by Robby Takac, with Rzeznik taking over for two...
, in 1989 after moving to Los Angeles.
The band released its third album,
Hold Me UpHold Me Up is the third professional album release of the Buffalo-born Goo Goo Dolls, released under Metal Blade Records in 1990. This is considered to be their true major label debut, as previous albums had been organized by the band themselves. It features their first single, "There You Are",...
, in 1990 and featured Rzeznik as the lead vocalist on five tracks, including the single, "There You Are" – as well their then concert favorite,
Two Days in February. Despite being earlier dismissed as having a sound too similar to The Replacements, as well as being embraced by local college radio and punk scenes (including playing such venues as
CBGBCBGB was a music club at 315 Bowery at Bleecker Street in the borough of Manhattan in New York City.Founded by Hilly Kristal in 1973, it was originally intended to feature its namesake musical styles, but became a forum for American punk and New Wave bands like Ramones, Misfits, Television, the...
), the Goo Goo Dolls' third release had incorporated elements of
heavy metalHeavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
,
pop rockPop rock is a music genre which mixes a catchy pop style and light lyrics in its guitar-based rock songs. There are varying definitions of the term, ranging from a slower and mellower form of rock music to a subgenre of pop music...
, and
punk rockPunk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
. In 1991, the song "I'm Awake Now" was recorded for the soundtrack of
Freddy's Dead: The Final NightmareFreddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare is a 1991 American slasher film. It is the sixthand as the title suggests, intended to be the lastfilm in the series of films featuring Freddy Krueger...
.
Superstar Car WashSuperstar Car Wash is the fourth studio album by the Goo Goo Dolls, released in February, 1993 on Warner Bros.. John Rzeznik wrote the song "We Are the Normal" with his idol, The Replacements' singer Paul Westerberg. The two corresponded by mail but never sat in a studio together. The song "Fallin'...
, released in 1993, received significant media attention. The critical success and encouraging sales of their last album resulted in a larger budget from
Metal Blade RecordsMetal Blade Records is a record label which was founded by Brian Slagel in 1982. The U.S. corporate office for Metal Blade is located in Agoura Hills, California. It also has offices in Arizona, Germany, Japan, Canada, and the UK. The label is distributed in the U.S. by Sony BMG Music...
. The album was partially recorded in Metalworks Studio in Mississauga, Ontario. "We Are the Normal" (the single for which Rzeznik asked frontman
Paul WesterbergPaul Westerberg is an American musician, best known as the former lead singer, rhythm guitarist, and songwriter of The Replacements, one of the seminal alternative rock bands of the 1980s. He launched a solo career after the dissolution of that band...
of The Replacements to write the lyrics), received a major push toward play on college and independent radio, while its video was displayed on
MTVMTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
's
120 Minutes120 Minutes is a television show in the United States dedicated to alternative music, originally airing on MTV from 1986 to 2000, and then on MTV's sister channel MTV2 from 2001 to 2003....
program. "Fallin' Down" made it onto the 1993 soundtrack of
Pauly ShorePaul Montgomery "Pauly" Shore is an American comedian and actor who starred in several comedy films in the 1990s and hosted a video show on MTV in the late 1980s and early 1990s...
's hit film
Son in LawSon in Law is a 1993 comedy film starring Pauly Shore, Carla Gugino, Lane Smith, Cindy Pickett, Tiffani Thiessen, Patrick Renna, Dan Gauthier and Dennis Burkley.-Plot:...
.
Mainstream breakthrough and legal issues (1995–1997)
Shortly after recording the band's fifth album
A Boy Named GooA Boy Named Goo, sometimes referred to as ABNG, is the fifth studio album by the Goo Goo Dolls, released in 1995 on Warner Brothers.-History:...
,
George TutuskaGeorge Tutuska is a former member of the alternative rock band Goo Goo Dolls.He played drums from 1986 to 1995, and parted from the band only a few months before the release of their breakthrough album, A Boy Named Goo due to disputes with long-time friend and singer/guitarist John Rzeznik...
was kicked out of the band. The band moved forward from this December 31, 1994 incident, hiring
Mike MalininMichael Theodore Malinin joined the Goo Goo Dolls in January 1995, after a brief jam session with founding members Johnny Rzeznik and Robby Takac, who were seeking to replace drummer George Tutuska.-Background:...
in 1995, and toured rigorously.
A Boy Named Goo had a catchy rock sound, and became one of most successful alternative rock albums of mid-90's. It sold modestly in this time; however, it was not until the release of the single "Name" that the band experienced any viable commercial success.
A Boy Named Goo became the first album in
Metal BladeMetal Blade Records is a record label which was founded by Brian Slagel in 1982. The U.S. corporate office for Metal Blade is located in Agoura Hills, California. It also has offices in Arizona, Germany, Japan, Canada, and the UK. The label is distributed in the U.S. by Sony BMG Music...
history to achieve double-platinum status. This success, however, proved bittersweet, as the band found themselves in a legal battle with Metal Blade records. The band filed suit against
Metal BladeMetal Blade Records is a record label which was founded by Brian Slagel in 1982. The U.S. corporate office for Metal Blade is located in Agoura Hills, California. It also has offices in Arizona, Germany, Japan, Canada, and the UK. The label is distributed in the U.S. by Sony BMG Music...
, claiming they had not earned any royalties from their album’s sales, which was attributed to a "grossly unfair, one-sided and unenforceable contract" which had been signed by the band in 1987. The two sides reached a settlement which had the band signed to the Metal Blade's distributing label,
Warner Bros. RecordsWarner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
, under which the band released their sixth album,
Dizzy Up the GirlDizzy Up the Girl is the sixth album by Goo Goo Dolls, released in 1998.-History:In most parts of the world, Dizzy Up the Girl is the Goo Goo Dolls' most successful album to date, selling over 3 million copies...
, in 1998. The undisputed success of "Name" marked a fundamental change in the band’s sound toward a more polished, commercial direction. It was "Name" that had made the band popular and they were able to make a guest appearance on
Beverly Hills, 90210Beverly Hills, 90210 is an American drama series that originally aired from October 4, 1990 to May 17, 2000 on Fox and was produced by Spelling Television in the United States, and subsequently on various networks around the world. It is the first series in the Beverly Hills, 90210 franchise...
and even present an Award to
Michael JacksonMichael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
.
"Iris" and superstardom (1998–2005)
Rzeznik was approached to write a song for the
City of AngelsCity of Angels: Music from the Motion Picture is the soundtrack album for the film City of Angels, released by Warner Bros. Records on March 31, 1998 .-Release history:...
soundtrack, and the end product was "Iris". This song propelled the band to stardom, as it stayed on top of
Billboard Hot 100 AirplayThe Hot 100 Airplay chart is a chart released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States. It measures radio airplay, and is one of the three component charts, along with the Hot Singles Sales and the Hot Digital Songs charts, that determine the chart positions of singles on the Billboard...
charts for a record-breaking 18 weeks, and was nominated for three Grammys that year. According to several interviews with Rzeznik, he was experiencing serious bouts of writer's block when he was approached, and was on the verge of quitting the band days before he wrote the song that would launch the band to worldwide fame.
"Iris" was included on the triple-platinum
Dizzy Up the GirlDizzy Up the Girl is the sixth album by Goo Goo Dolls, released in 1998.-History:In most parts of the world, Dizzy Up the Girl is the Goo Goo Dolls' most successful album to date, selling over 3 million copies...
, and was among Top-Ten hits "
Slide"Slide" is the title of a song recorded by The Goo Goo Dolls. It was released in September 1998 as the first commercial single release from their sixth studio album, Dizzy Up the Girl....
", "Black Balloon", "
Broadway"Broadway" is the title of a song recorded by the Goo Goo Dolls. The song was released in September 2000 as the last single from their hit album Dizzy Up the Girl...
", and "
Dizzy"Dizzy" is a song by the Goo Goo Dolls, written by lead vocalist and guitarist Johnny Rzeznik. It was released as a single from their sixth studio album, Dizzy Up The Girl. The song peaked at #9 on Billboard's Modern Rock Tracks chart on January 5, 1999...
" from the same album. The new, polished sound garnered legions of new fans, many of whom had not followed the band before their mainstream success. Most of the Goo Goo Dolls concerts feature few, if any, songs the band wrote before 1995, reflecting the band’s more mainstream sound. In 2001, the Goos released their first ever compilation CD,
What I Learned About Ego, Opinion, Art & CommerceWhat I Learned About Ego, Opinion, Art & Commerce is a Goo Goo Dolls album. It is more commonly known as Ego, Opinion, Art and Commerce or EOAC. It was released in 2001 by Warner Bros. Records and is a compilation of Goo Goo Dolls songs released from 1987-2000.Tracks 1-4 are from the album Dizzy Up...
. Next,
GutterflowerGutterflower is the seventh studio album by Goo Goo Dolls, released in 2002.-Track listing:All songs by Johnny Rzeznik except when noted.# "Big Machine" – 3:10# "Think About Me" – 3:59# "Here Is Gone" – 3:58# "You Never Know" – 3:07...
(2002) — the last longplay in spirit of America, with dark lyrical undertones from Rzeznik's divorce—achieved gold certification, producing the hits "
Here Is Gone"Here is Gone" is the title of a song recorded by the Goo Goo Dolls. It was released in March 2002 as the lead single from their seventh studio album, Gutterflower. It reached number 18 on the U.S...
", "Sympathy", and "
Big Machine"Big Machine" is a song by the Goo Goo Dolls, first released on their Gutterflower album in 2002. It was written by lead vocalist/guitarist Johnny Rzeznik, who calls it his "disco song" and describes its meaning as "a propulsive tale of unrequited love". This song's drums were on a drum machine,...
". On July 4, 2004, the band performed a free concert in their hometown of Buffalo, continuing through a deluge of rain that can be seen on the DVD released later that year. The DVD also contained a studio version of the Goo Goo Dolls' cover of "
Give a Little Bit"Give a Little Bit" is the opening song on Supertramp's 1977 album Even in the Quietest Moments.... The song was released as a single that same year and became an international hit for the band, peaking at number 15 on the Billboard Pop Singles chart...
" by
SupertrampSupertramp are a British rock band formed in 1969 under the name Daddy before renaming to Supertramp in early 1970. Though their music was initially categorised as progressive rock, they have since incorporated a combination of traditional rock and art rock into their music...
. The single reached the top of the Adult Top 40 chart in 2005.
Let Love In (2006–2007)
In 2006, the Goo Goo Dolls marked their 20th anniversary with their new album
Let Love InLet Love In is the Goo Goo Dolls' eighth studio album. "Better Days", which was released as a single late in 2005, appears on the album, along with a cover of the Supertramp song, "Give a Little Bit".-Track listing:...
, which included the studio recording of "
Give a Little Bit"Give a Little Bit" is the opening song on Supertramp's 1977 album Even in the Quietest Moments.... The song was released as a single that same year and became an international hit for the band, peaking at number 15 on the Billboard Pop Singles chart...
" as well as other top 10 radio singles "Better Days," "Stay With You," and "Let Love In". With their third consecutive single ("Let Love In") from the album, the Goo Goo Dolls hit a record 12 Top 10 hits in Adult Top 40 history, beating
Matchbox TwentyMatchbox Twenty is an American rock band, formed in Orlando, Florida in 1995...
and
Sheryl CrowSheryl Suzanne Crow is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, musician, and actress. Her music incorporates elements of rock, folk, hip hop, country and pop...
until Matchbox Twenty's release of
Exile on MainstreamThe Best Buy version of the CD has the following bonus tracks, which are also on the "How Far We've Come" CD single:-Charts:-Singles:-References:...
and the Goo Goo Dolls' release of "
Before It's Too Late"Before It's Too Late " or simply "Before It's Too Late" is a song from the Transformers soundtrack, Transformers: The Album, and the 25th single by the Goo Goo Dolls. It was released on June 5, 2007...
" from the Transformers Soundtrack, which left both groups with 13 Top 10 hits in the Adult Top 40. Goo Goo Dolls plan to release another single from Let Love In, "Without You Here", as well as a song from the July 2007
Transformers movie called "Before It's Too Late", originally titled "Fiction". To promote the new single, the Goo Goo Dolls performed "Before It's Too Late" at both The Tonight Show with
Jay LenoJames Douglas Muir "Jay" Leno is an American stand-up comedian and television host.From 1992 to 2009, Leno was the host of NBC's The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Beginning in September 2009, Leno started a primetime talk show, titled The Jay Leno Show, which aired weeknights at 10:00 p.m. ,...
on June 8, 2007, and again at
The Late Late ShowThe Late Late Show, sometimes referred to as The Late Late, or in some cases by the acronym LLS, is the world's longest-running chat show by the same broadcaster and the official flagship television programme of Irish broadcasting company RTÉ...
with
Craig FergusonCraig Ferguson is a Scottish American television host, stand-up comedian, writer, actor, director, author, and producer. He is the host of The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, an Emmy Award-nominated, Peabody Award-winning late-night talk show that airs on CBS...
on June 22, 2007. In July 2007 the band discussed their career as a whole and gave a live performance on
A&E's Private Sessions. Rzeznik has stated that after the release of "Without You Here" and their summer tour with
LifehouseLifehouse is an American rock band from Los Angeles. The band came to mainstream prominence in 2001 with the hit single "Hanging by a Moment" from their debut studio album, No Name Face. The single won a Billboard Music Award for Hot 100 Single of the Year, beating out Janet Jackson and Alicia...
and
Colbie CaillatColbie Marie Caillat is an American pop singer-songwriter and guitarist from Malibu, California. She debuted in 2007 with Coco, which included hit singles "Bubbly", "Realize", and "The Little Things". In 2008, she recorded a duet with Jason Mraz, "Lucky", which won a Grammy. Caillat released her...
, the band will return to the studio to begin work on their next album, their ninth overall.
April 13, 1996 and July 4, 2004 were proclaimed "Goo Goo Dolls Day" in their hometown of
Buffalo, New YorkBuffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
.
On June 27, 2007, the Goo Goo Dolls performed to a sold out crowd at
Red Rocks AmphitheatreRed Rocks Amphitheatre is a rock structure near Morrison, Colorado, where concerts are given in the open-air amphitheatre. There is a large, tilted, disc-shaped rock behind the stage, a huge vertical rock angled outwards from stage right, several large outcrops angled outwards from stage left and a...
in
MorrisonThe historic Town of Morrison is a Home Rule Municipality in Jefferson County, Colorado, United States. The population was 430 at the 2000 census...
,
ColoradoColorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
. The performance premiered on HDNet in high–definition on Sunday, September 30. The entire concert was released as a DVD on the Limited Edition version of their 2008 release,
Vol.2.
The Goo Goo Dolls and the NHL
Buffalo SabresThe Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League .-Founding and early success: 1970-71—1980-81:...
came together to create a video for the Sabres 2007 Playoff run. The video was a compilation of shots from the Buffalo area and Sabres players played to the song "Better Days". It was played on jumbotron and at the HSBC Arena before every playoff game.
Though not certified by the
Recording Industry Association of AmericaThe Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
(RIAA), the album is said to have gone Gold by various Music sites.
The song "Better Days" was used in the trailer for the 2009 film
Love Happens. It was also used in the pilot episode of the CBS TV show,
JerichoJericho is an American action/drama series that centers on the residents of the fictional town of Jericho, Kansas, in the aftermath of nuclear attacks on 23 major cities in the contiguous United States...
.
Greatest Hits albums (2007–2008)
On November 13, 2007, the Goo Goo Dolls released a greatest hits album entitled
Greatest Hits Volume One: The SinglesGreatest Hits Volume One: The Singles is the eleventh album by The Goo Goo Dolls and is a greatest hits album containing fourteen previously released tracks, including their newest, "Before It's Too Late", from the Transformers motion picture. The album also contains a newly recorded version of...
, which includes a new version of "Name" recorded and mixed by Paul David Hager, and a remix of "Feel the Silence" by Michael Brauer. On August 19, 2008, a second greatest hits album was released entitled
Vol.2, which includes b-sides, rarities, and a live performance at
Red Rocks AmphitheatreRed Rocks Amphitheatre is a rock structure near Morrison, Colorado, where concerts are given in the open-air amphitheatre. There is a large, tilted, disc-shaped rock behind the stage, a huge vertical rock angled outwards from stage right, several large outcrops angled outwards from stage left and a...
from their "Let Love In" tour.
The band performed "Better Days" and "Stay With You" at the halftime of the
Detroit LionsThe Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
' 2007 Thanksgiving Day game at
Ford FieldFord Field is an indoor American football stadium located in Detroit, Michigan, USA, that is the current home field of the NFL's Detroit Lions. It is owned by the Detroit/Wayne County Stadium Authority. It regularly seats 65,000, though it is expandable up to 70,000 for football and 80,000 for...
, which focused on the United Way and the
NFLThe National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
's commitment to youth health and fitness.
Something for the Rest of Us (2008–present)
The Goo Goo Dolls have announced recording sessions for a new album, on their official website, unrelated to their
Volume Two in 2008. In addition, the band performed as part of the O2 Wireless Festival in London's Hyde Park in the summer of 2008, at the
Miller LiteMiller Lite is a 4.2% abv pale lager brand sold by MillerCoors of Chicago, Illinois, United States. Sibling beers include Miller Genuine Draft and Miller High Life.-History:...
Rock 'N Racing show at the
Indianapolis Motor SpeedwayThe Indianapolis Motor Speedway, located in Speedway, Indiana in the United States, is the home of the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race and the Brickyard 400....
during qualifying for the 2008
Allstate 400 at the BrickyardThe Brickyard 400 is an annual 400-mile NASCAR Sprint Cup points race held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana. The event, when first held in 1994, marked the first race other than the Indianapolis 500 to be held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway since 1916...
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race, as well as performing a four show tour across England.
On July 2, 2008, the Goo Goo Dolls released a new single called "
Real"Real" is a song by the Goo Goo Dolls that is featured on the AT&T Team USA Soundtrack, a compilation containing exclusive tracks by different artists to benefit and encourage the U.S. Olympic Team. The song was also released on to iTunes stores, with the exception of stores in the U.S., Canada,...
" to select iTunes stores, while it was released on the
AT&TAT&T Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications corporation headquartered in Whitacre Tower, Dallas, Texas, United States. It is the largest provider of mobile telephony and fixed telephony in the United States, and is also a provider of broadband and subscription television services...
USA Olympic Team soundtrack to the remaining iTunes stores on August 8, 2008, coinciding with the start of the
Beijing OlympicsThe 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
. "Real" is also the theme song for
World Wrestling Entertainment'sWorld Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
"Tribute to the Troops 2008".
On June 12, 2009, the band mentioned on their Facebook page that the producer for their new album is
Tim PalmerTim Palmer is a British music producer, audio engineer and songwriter of rock and alternative music.-1980-1990:Palmer worked as an assistant engineer at Utopia Studios in London, England in the early 1980s...
. On August 15, 2009,
Robby TakacRobert Carl Takac, Jr., known as Robby Takac is one of the founding members of the Goo Goo Dolls, along with Johnny Rzeznik. He is the band's bassist and was formerly the lead singer on the Goo Goo Dolls' earlier albums....
posted an update on his
TwitterTwitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
account stating that the recording for the new album had been completed, and the mixing of the album is yet to be done. Then on September 18, 2009, John Rzeznik stated in an interview on
Good Day L.A.Good Day L.A. is a television talk show aired on KTTV , the Fox Broadcasting Company-owned and operated station in Los Angeles, California. The show airs Monday through Friday mornings from 7:00 AM to 10:00 AM and is simulcast live on myfoxla.com...
, that the new album had tentatively been titled
Something for the Rest of UsSomething for the Rest of Us has received mixed to favourable reviews. Collating 8 reviews, the review aggregator website Metacritic gave the album an average score of 59%, which indicated a "mixed or average" response....
.
Something for the Rest of UsSomething for the Rest of Us has received mixed to favourable reviews. Collating 8 reviews, the review aggregator website Metacritic gave the album an average score of 59%, which indicated a "mixed or average" response....
was released on August 31, 2010. While the album is full of the pop-rock that has sustained the band for decades, lead singer/guitarist Rzeznik's songwriting takes on a more somber, serious tone.
The band performed a live mini concert at the Apple Store in Manhattan, New York on December 2, 2010. The show was recorded and will be released sometime in 2011 as a part of Apple's "Live at SoHo" collection which is sold online at the
iTunes StoreThe iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
. On January 3, 2011, the band performed the halftime show at the
Orange BowlThe Orange Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. It has been played annually since January 1, 1935 and celebrated its 75th playing on January 1, 2009...
played between the Stanford Cardinals and the
Virginia Tech HokiesThe Virginia Tech Hokies are the athletic teams officially representing Virginia Tech in college sports. The Hokies participate in the NCAA's Division I Atlantic Coast Conference in 19 varsity sports. Virginia Tech's men's sports are football, basketball, baseball, cross country, golf, soccer,...
. On January 30, 2011, they performed before the start of the
Pro BowlIn professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
in
HawaiiHawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
. On February 7, 2011 they performed at the Delta Ballroom in St. John's Newfoundland, beginning their 2011 Canadian tour.
During an interview with [UpVenue] on February 16, 2011, Rzeznik confirmed that he is writing new material for a new album: "I've actually been experimenting, in this last week, while we've been out on this tour, just writing lyrics and then figuring out the melodic structures," says Rzeznik. "We can't wait another four years to put another album out; that's just a ridiculous waste of time."
On May 23, 2011, it was announced that the band had recorded a song for the 2011 film Transformers: Dark of the Moon called "
All That You Are"All That You Are" is the title of a song recorded by American alternative rock band the Goo Goo Dolls included in the Transformers: Dark of the Moon soundtrack, which was released on June 14, 2011. "All That You Are" was released to the Apple iTunes Store on June 14, 2011, the same day the...
", and was released on the film's soundtrack on June 14, 2011.
In
SeptemberSeptember is the 9th month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian Calendars and one of four months with a length of 30 days.September in the Southern Hemisphere is the seasonal equivalent of March in the Northern Hemisphere....
2011, the band's famous single, Iris, hit the number three spot in the Top 40 in the UK 13 years after its original release.
Band members
Current members
- John Rzeznik – lead and backing vocals, lead guitar
Lead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
(1986–present)
- Robby Takac
Robert Carl Takac, Jr., known as Robby Takac is one of the founding members of the Goo Goo Dolls, along with Johnny Rzeznik. He is the band's bassist and was formerly the lead singer on the Goo Goo Dolls' earlier albums....
– lead and backing vocals, bass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, (1986–present)
- Mike Malinin
Michael Theodore Malinin joined the Goo Goo Dolls in January 1995, after a brief jam session with founding members Johnny Rzeznik and Robby Takac, who were seeking to replace drummer George Tutuska.-Background:...
– drumsA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, percussionA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
(1995–present)
Former members
- George Tutuska
George Tutuska is a former member of the alternative rock band Goo Goo Dolls.He played drums from 1986 to 1995, and parted from the band only a few months before the release of their breakthrough album, A Boy Named Goo due to disputes with long-time friend and singer/guitarist John Rzeznik...
– drums, percussion (1986–1995)
Current touring musicians
- Brad Fernquist
Brad Fernquist is a professional touring and studio guitarist based out of Los Angeles, California. Fernquist is primarily known for his work with Buffalo, New York based rock band the Goo Goo Dolls. At 17 years old Fernquist began touring with regional cover bands where he was able to develop his...
– rhythm guitar, mandolin (2006–present)
- Korel Tunador
Korel Tunador is a multi-instrumentalist, singer, and songwriter living in Los Angeles, California. He plays a number of instruments including: guitar, keyboards, saxophone, and accordion. Tunador is originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He graduated with a degree from Berklee College of Music...
– keyboardsA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, guitar, saxophoneThe saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
, backing vocals (2006–2009, 2010–present)
Former touring musicians
- Nathan December
Nathan December is an American rock guitarist, best known for his work as a side musician with R.E.M. and the Goo Goo Dolls during the 1990s. He lives in Los Angeles, California.-Music:...
– guitars (1998–2000)
- Dave Schulz
Dave Schulz is an American keyboardist, songwriter, producer and recording artist well known for his world tours in the late 90s with his fellow Buffalonians The Goo Goo Dolls....
– keyboards (1998–2000)
- Greg Suran – guitars (2002–2006)
- Jason Freese
Jason Freese is an American musician, songwriter, record producer, and recording engineer. As a professional studio musician he has performed on over 50 albums by more than 35 different artists, including multiple albums by the Goo Goo Dolls, Green Day, Jewel, NOFX, and Zebrahead...
– keyboards, saxophone, backing vocals (2001–2004)
- Paul Gordon
Paul Christian Gordon is a musician. He has worked with Natasha Bedingfield, Danielle Brisebois, Charles and Eddie, The B-52's, The Devlins, Eran DD, Jeffrey Gaines, Goo Goo Dolls, John Gregory, Nona Hendryx, Carly Hennessy, The Juliet Dagger, Jill Jones, Chaka Khan, Prince, Lila McCann, Mandy...
– keyboards, backing vocals (2004–2006)
- Scott Eric Olivier – keyboards, guitar (2009)
Discography
- Goo Goo Dolls
Goo Goo Dolls, also known as First Release,is the first album by the Goo Goo Dolls. All of the songs are sung by bassist Robby Takac, who was originally the band's lead vocalist. It is the hardest to find of all the band's studio albums, being only an LP, out of print, and not in wide circulation...
(1987)
- Jed
Jed is the second album by the Goo Goo Dolls. It is the first studio album in which John Rzeznik sung vocals for some of the tracks. The majority of the songs are sung by Robby Takac, with Rzeznik taking over for two...
(1989)
- Hold Me Up
Hold Me Up is the third professional album release of the Buffalo-born Goo Goo Dolls, released under Metal Blade Records in 1990. This is considered to be their true major label debut, as previous albums had been organized by the band themselves. It features their first single, "There You Are",...
(1990)
- Superstar Car Wash
Superstar Car Wash is the fourth studio album by the Goo Goo Dolls, released in February, 1993 on Warner Bros.. John Rzeznik wrote the song "We Are the Normal" with his idol, The Replacements' singer Paul Westerberg. The two corresponded by mail but never sat in a studio together. The song "Fallin'...
(1993)
- A Boy Named Goo
A Boy Named Goo, sometimes referred to as ABNG, is the fifth studio album by the Goo Goo Dolls, released in 1995 on Warner Brothers.-History:...
(1995)
- Dizzy Up the Girl
Dizzy Up the Girl is the sixth album by Goo Goo Dolls, released in 1998.-History:In most parts of the world, Dizzy Up the Girl is the Goo Goo Dolls' most successful album to date, selling over 3 million copies...
(1998)
- Gutterflower
Gutterflower is the seventh studio album by Goo Goo Dolls, released in 2002.-Track listing:All songs by Johnny Rzeznik except when noted.# "Big Machine" – 3:10# "Think About Me" – 3:59# "Here Is Gone" – 3:58# "You Never Know" – 3:07...
(2002)
- Let Love In
Let Love In is the Goo Goo Dolls' eighth studio album. "Better Days", which was released as a single late in 2005, appears on the album, along with a cover of the Supertramp song, "Give a Little Bit".-Track listing:...
(2006)
- Something for the Rest of Us
Something for the Rest of Us has received mixed to favourable reviews. Collating 8 reviews, the review aggregator website Metacritic gave the album an average score of 59%, which indicated a "mixed or average" response....
(2010)
Awards and nominations
| Year |
Award ceremony |
Award |
Won/nominated |
| 1998 |
Grammy Awards |
Record of the Year – "Iris" |
Nominated |
| Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals – "Iris" |
Nominated |
| Song of the Year – "Iris" |
Nominated (John Rzeznik) |
| 2000 |
Grammy Awards |
Best Rock Performance By a Duo or Group With Vocals – "Black Balloon" |
Nominated |
| 2008 |
The Average Lives of Students Music Awards |
2008 Excellence Award |
Won |
| Songwriters Hall of Fame The Songwriters Hall of Fame is an arm of the National Academy of Popular Music. It was founded in 1969 by songwriter Johnny Mercer and music publishers Abe Olman and Howie Richmond. The goal is to create a museum but as of April, 2008, the means do not yet exist and so instead it is an online...
|
Hal David Harold Lane "Hal" David is an American lyricist. He grew up in Brooklyn, New York. David is best known for his collaborations with composer Burt Bacharach.-Career:...
Starlight Award |
Won (John Rzeznik) |
The band also got the radio music award in 2000 and in 2005
Main sites
Interviews