Born on December 5, 1965

Guitarist, Singer, Songwriter, Producer

Father was a Postal Clerk and a three times Champion.

Mother was a Teacher.

By the age of 15, he was an orphan.

Has 4 older Sisters: Phyllis, Gladys, Fran and Kate.

When he was a teenager, he wanted to be a plumber.

After digging ditches for just a few weeks, he quit and enrolled at Buffalo State University.

His favorite movie is, "The Godfather Trilogy", in chronological order.

Favorite book is, "The Cider House Rules".

His favorite drink is Bourbon & Ginger Ale.

His fans refer to him as, "Johnny".

Favorite snack food is Almond Hershey Kisses.

His favorite record by another band is, the first Clash record.

Moved to LA to hide, versus being noticed like everyone else.

He worked at a pizza shop in Buffalo called "Poochies Pizza".

His favorite thing to wear to bed is, his "Home of the Whopper" boxer shorts.

The closest he has ever come to dying, was when he fell off the roof of a 4th story apartment building.
[He fell onto garbage cans on his back]

John and Robby thought of the name Goo Goo Dolls when they saw an ad for a doll with a moveable head in True Detective Magazine.

He grew up in what they describe as a "tightly knit ethic community" on Buffalo's working-class East Side.

Loves to wear jewelry, especially crosses.

He grew up on the corner of Clark and Kent Streets. And as kids, he and his siblings would call it "Superman's Corner".

When his Mother & Father died within a year of each other, his life suddenly took a dramatic turn.
[his Dad of Alcoholism, his Mom of Loneliness]

He rented an apartment on his own, and started hanging out with very shady people.

Rzeznik was the only "punk" [his quotes] at Buffalo's McKinley Vocational High School, where he studied to be a plumber.

He made himself a target with a mohawk and a penchant for everything from the Cure to Depeche Mode to the Damned and the Replacements.

He's been smoking since the age of 13, and regrets starting, as it's been too hard to quit.

Purchases most of his stage clothes at Fred l.

He is quoted in Request magazine:
"I was little skinny kid with no athletic prowess. I got beat up for listening to an Echo and the Bunnymen record. I brought it to lend to a friend. And, you know, the usual idiots in high school: "Ah, what kind of fucking fag! Fag-the teenage-boy definition of fag is anything I don't understand or anyone I don't understand. From my background, if you become a plumber or a carpenter, then you've done a lot for yourself. Not that it's something to aspire to, that's real work 'cause it takes your back and your brains. But you just followed along, did what everybody else did. I just decided it was a bunch of ."

He says the words "You know" alot when he talks/being interviewed.

Artists that influenced them are: Cheap Trick, Plimsouls and The Replacements.

He met Robby while playing in a band with Robby's cousin, and they became instant friends. They formed the band, "Sex Maggots" which would eventually change to The Goo Goo Dolls.

He hates cheese, but will eat it on pizza.

Can play the accordian very well.

Has 7 tattoos, the latest one on his back stars/crown.

Has said he has weird hair, no matter what style he gets, it tends to stickup.

Had a cyst removed from his throat a few years ago, thus hiring a singing coach to help him - he had been told he was not singing correctly/warming up. Now it's a must to do before every show.

The album "Gutterflower" was his break-up record.

He says it's all about the music, not the fame.

Does not believe in sex on the road. Says he likes to get to know someone before taking them to bed.

Would have been a plumber or counselor, had he not been doing music for a living.

He remodeled the house he lives in, and did alot of the plumbing himself.

Never leaves home without his gym bag.

Has 2 cats named Sophie & Bob, he's allergic to them.

Rzeznik in Polish, actually means Meatcutter.

He wrote "Iris" in a hotel room, in about an hour.

Can swear proficiently in Polish.

Johnny has various stickers on his guitars.

SI PREFERISCE L'ITALIANO GRAZIE