John Joseph Theodore Rzeznik was born in Buffalo, New York, to Edith (Pomeroy) and Joseph Rzeznik, a bar proprietor and postal clerk, who were the proud parents of five children, John being the youngest. His parents, who had a diverse ancestry of Polish, English, and German, instilled in him a strong sense of family and community from a young age.
Unfortunately, John's childhood was marked by turmoil, as his parents were constantly arguing due to his father's drinking problem. The situation took a devastating turn when his father passed away at the age of 55 due to complications related to his addiction. Just over a year later, John's life was shattered once again when his mother died suddenly of a heart attack, leaving him orphaned at the age of 16.
John was raised by his four older sisters, who did their best to provide for him during this difficult time. During his teenage years, John's friend introduced him to the hobby that would become a lifelong passion - playing the guitar. After graduating from high school, John attended Buffalo State College, but he dropped out after his freshman year to pursue his music career.
It was during this time that John met fellow musician Robby Tacak, and together with drummer George Tutuska, they formed the band that would become known as the Goo Goo Dolls. The trio signed with Celluloid Records in 1985, but it took them nine years to gain success. During this period, they released five albums and toured extensively.
John also met his future wife, Laurie Farinacci, during this time, and the couple married in 1993. The band's 1995 album, "A Boy Named Goo", went double platinum, and their song "Name" caught the attention of music producers, who asked them to write a song for the upcoming film City of Angels. The result was "Iris", which became their most successful hit.
The Goo Goo Dolls' next album, "Dizzy up the Girl", featured the hit single "Iris", and the band continued to tour and release new music. In 2003, they released their most recent album, "Gutterflower", and John has also written and performed a song for the Disney movie "Treasure Planet".
