The Goo Goo Dolls formed in 1986 in Buffalo, New York, and consists of Johnny Rzeznik (vocals and guitar), Robby Takac (bass and vocals), and Mike Malinin (who replaced George Tutuska on drums). With a blend of pop, rock and alternative, the trio found success in the 90s. It took the band nearly a decade to hit it big with a pop ballad, and then only to find some fans and critics accusing the boys of selling out by hitting the mainstream. Rzeznik, orphaned and on his own at the age of 15, played with various local bands in Buffalo while attending vocational school where he studied plumbing. It was the band, the Sex Maggots, which he joined with Takac and Tutuska, that eventually became the Goo Goo Dolls. Takac had played with a band named the Monarchs before hooking up with his friend, Tutuska. The band's name was taken from an ad found in True Detective magazine (after a venue promoter said he would book them if they changed their original name).
1986 The newly named Goo Goo Dolls spent $750 on their first independent release, First Release (later released as Goo Goo Dolls).
1987 The Goo Goo Dolls released the independent LP, Goo Goo Dolls on Metal Blade Records.
1989 The Goo Goo Dolls released Jed.
1991 The Goo Goo Dolls released Hold Me Up.
1993 The Goo Goo Dolls released Superstar Car Wash in February and the band's popularity began to increase with tracks such as "We Are The Normal" and "Fallin' Down." Alternative Press wrote of the band, "...even though they've smoothed out a bit, you can still get drunk and fall over to them..."
1995 Tutuska was asked to leave the group at the beginning of the year. The Goo Goo Dolls released A Boy Named Goo in March and hit the charts for the first time with the Top 5 hit, "Name." Rzeznik said the single "introduced us to a broader audience because there are so many different radio formats that are playing it... but we're definitely not moving into that neighborhood... we're just driving through." Alternative Press said of the LP, "...the Goo Goo Dolls again churn out a workmanlike mix of catchy, angst-ridden retro-Replacements and driving, straight-ahead rock..."
1996 The Goo Goo Dolls had a moderate hit with the track "Naked."
1997 The Goo Goo Dolls can also be found on some soundtracks including Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare ("I'm Awake Now"), Ace Ventura II ("Don't Change"), Tommy Boy ("Wait For The Blackout"), Twister ("Long Way Down"), and Batman & Robin ("Lazy Eye"), and on the compilation, No Alternative with a cover of the Rolling Stones's "Bitch."
1998 The Goo Goo Dolls hit big with a song from the City Of Angels soundtrack called "Iris" went went to #1 during the summer. Rzeznik conquered a bout of writer's block by watching the film, writing "Iris," and eventually writing more songs for a new LP. Rzeznik admitted that he even sought counseling advice for his songwriting problems: "I had to talk to a counselor who deals with musicians and writers and artists." The band could also be found on the ~ Fleetwood Mac tribute LP, Legacy: A Tribute to Fleetwood Mac, with their version of "I Don't Want To Know." In September, the Goo Goo Dolls allegedly decided not to appear on The Howard Stern Radio Show after hearing about his demands (performing while wearing sailor suits), and as a result K-Rock Radio (who produces Stern's radio show) banned the band from their airwaves. But a few days later, the band said they would be performing on the show (which lead many to speculate that the controversy was a publicity ploy to improve embarrassing television ratings). K-Rock had been playing a promo which stated: "We guarantee not to play the Goo Goo Dolls on K-Rock until the band agrees to perform (with Stern) in a sailor suit and (a show writer) in a thong and throngs of gay men parading around..." The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force also spoke against Stern's comments: "I don't know what sounding 'gay' is... I don't know what Howard Stern means by sounding 'gay,' but clearly he meant it in a derogatory way." The band later decided to play on the show.
In October, the Goo Goo Dolls released Dizzying Up The Girl, were nominated for a Billboard Video Music Award: Best Clip (Pop) for "Iris" and they kicked off their North American tour in California. The band also released their next single, "Slide." In November, it was announced that the band would open for the Rolling Stones in March of '99. Rzeznik told MTV that returning to an open-act status will only be temporary: "We wanna go out and play on our own because when you're an opening band, people throw things at you. I don't mind when somebody who loves my band throws a shoe at me, y'know, because it's with love..."
biography
