Here's a little something about the only Johnny like him in the world. It's not a life story or anything, just a little bit of Johnny. Enjoy!
Johnny's childhood---he was born on December 5, 1965. Him and his family moved to Buffalo, New York when he was 4. He grew up on the streets in a family of 7...both parents (Joseph and Edith), and his four older sisters, Phyllis (44), Fran (42), Glad (39), and Kate (38). His father, Joe Rzeznik, was a mailman and liked to bowl. He was an alcoholic and suffered diabetes. He spent most of his time at the local bars, such as the Three Deuces. He passed away in his 50's. Edith was a school teacher at Johnny's Catholic grade school. Johnny was a shy kid who got beat up a lot. He was excluded from the other stuff in the neighborhood and didn't have many friends. He says that he was a punk kid and he took up work-shop to fit in. In the Rzeznik home, Edith and Joe fought quite badly, especially when Joe came home drunk. Edith got so tired of it, that she divorced him. However, she did let him move into an apartment above their garage. Joe would still beat up on his wife and children. Johnny had had enough by the time he was 14, and when his father came home drunk and hit his mother, Johnny hit him. Then, Edith hit Johnny! She said, "you respect your father." Johnny became a rebel, a punk. He got into vandalism (once smearing blacktop fluid all over a funeral parlor) and stole money from his father's wallet. With the money his father gave him for guitar lessons, he bought alcohol. Johnny and his friends would get together and drink and play their guitars....and they'd often end up passed out on the floor. When Johnny was a Sophomore at Buffalo's McKinley High School, his father caught pneumonia and fell into a diabetic coma. Due to complications of alcoholism and diabetes, Joe Rzeznik died at 53. Instead of grieving, Johnny became angry. A little over a year later, Johnny's mother, Edith Rzeznik, suffered a heart attack and died right infront of Johnny. Johnny came home from school one day and found her in the living room, he took her into the kitchen and she died in his arms. Though the doctor's say that since she was a smoker and overweight, she died of a massive heart attack, he says that she died of loneliness. He was an orphan at age 15. Johnny's oldest sister became his legal guardian and helped him move into an apartment and his girlfriend got him into Buffalo State College. He dropped out his freshman year.
Jobs before he became a rockstar---he worked as a hotdog vendor for a while and says that he would park his cart next to a phonebooth and talk to his friends while making hotdogs. Johnny also studied to be a plumber and on his first day of digging ditches he said; "forget this, I'm goin' to college."
Beginnings of a rockstar---When he was 7, his mother bought him an accordian...unfortunately, the neighborhood bullies beat him up because of it. Johnny started to the play the drums but his mother didn't like all the noise, so he got his first guitar at 12. In college, Johnny played the guitar in a band with Robby's cousin, and was soon introduced to Robby himself. Johnny claims that Robby was immediately enduring and he helped Johnny out of his shell. Robby and Johnny soon formed the Sex Maggots (which Johnny often denies). Johnny's now very embarrassed about that and they're current name is Goo Goo Dolls, which they found in the back of True Detective magazine when they were drunk. Johnny says that it was an add for a little doll that "you stick your fingers in the back and it makes this ugly face." At first, Johnny didn't sing but Robby encouraged him to write and sing. So Johnny wrote and sang 2 songs on their second album, Up Yours and James Dean. But his drinking got out of control and he was worried about falling under addiction so he quit drinking and didn't have another drink until 5 years later. Sober, Johnny gained confidence in his singing and songwriting and the Goos went back into the studio to record their third album, Hold Me Up...where Johnny first started singing a lot. He says that Hold Me Up was their first real record. The Goos continued their singing and songwriting and didn't gain fame until Johnny wrote the most amazing song ever written...Name. It became a #1 hit on radio stations and was one of the most played songs of 1995. A Boy Named Goo became double platinum and gained the Goo Goo Dolls a whole new audience of top 40 fame. But their old, loyal fans turned on them and gave the Goos shit for all their hardwork and success. Johnny fell under deep depression because of writer's block, and didn't finish a song in over a year. But Johnny recieved a phone call that would change everything. In January of 1998, the Goo Goo Dolls' manager asked them to write a song for the City Of Angels movie...so Johnny saw the movie and wrote a beautiful song in just 1 hour. He called it Iris, and now the Goos are more famous than ever before. Johnny says that he loves Robby very much and they're still at what they've been doing for 18 long years.
What I think about Johnny---Johnny is one of the sweetest guys and he seems very devoted to his work and his fans. He's really talented at the guitar and his voice is awesome! He has the most unique and even beautiful guitar sounds in his songs. He writes very meaningful songs that could change your life. He is, I have to admit, very hot and I think he was blessed with great hair. He's always had a different hair style from record to record which makes you wonder what his next one's gonna be. He seems very friendly and very sweet to Robby. I know that he loves his sisters very much and I think that's so nice! He never complains and has such a great sense of humor! He can turn the worst things into something good or funny! Johnny really is a sweetheart!
More Johnny---Johnny's favorite colors are aqua and orange, as strange as that may sound...notice the colors on this page?! Johnny has a bunch of kick ass tattoos! He has one that's of a Picasso painting on his right shoulder, caled "The Dream", and if you've ever noticed, he used to have a tattoo right there that said Goo Goo Dolls...he must've had it burnt off and has the Picasso one put in it's place. I'm sure he got it burnt off because now he hates that name! He also has this weird-looking person with question marks all around him on his left shoulder called "The Thinker". On his right inner wrist he has a tattoo of the Interlocking Celtic Hearts. He has a tattoo of the "Sacred Heart of Jesus" on his left inner wrist and on his left inner arm, he has the "Self Help" tattoo, which consists of the Japanese Kanji Symbols (center=love, and the ones around it stand for dreams, self-discipline, faith, trust, and greatness). On his right calf he has the "Atlas" tattoo and on his left leg he has a big question mark. He recently got a new tattoo around October 1 of 2002. It's of a black crown with five red stars surrounding it and it's located on his upper back. He also has a couple of holes in his ears that he got pierced. He always wears the coolest earrings! Johnny has 4 older sisters and he used to have a female yellow lab named Chloe (how cute), which I hear he really loves. He said that when she was a puppy, he used to wrap her in a blanket and sneak her into the hotels, pretending she was his baby. He also has two tabby cats named Sophie and Bob, which I hear he also loves. Johnny's 37 and I'm not sure how tall he is. He's taller than Robby but smaller than Mike.
Johnny's full name---John Joseph Theodore Rzeznik...but he likes to be called Johnny most of the time.
Note; If you notice any false information or know something about Johnny that I don't have up here, please contact me at the address above. And I know about Laurie but I didn't say anything because it's no one else's business but Johnny's and Laurie's. Thank you!
March 9, 2003
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