Johnny Rzeznik
Soundtrack

Johnny Rzeznik Net Worth

John Rzeznik was born in Buffalo, New York in 1965 to Polish and German parents. His father's drinking problem and his mother's sudden death left him to be raised by his four older sisters. He was introduced to the guitar at a young age and formed the Goo Goo Dolls with Robby Tacak and George Tutuska. After nine years of releasing five records and touring, the band's 1995 album "A Boy Named Goo" went double platinum and they wrote the hit song "Iris" for the movie City of Angels. They have since released the album "Gutterflower" in 2003 and John has written and performed a song for the Disney movie "Treasure Planet".
Johnny Rzeznik is a member of Soundtrack

Age, Biography and Wiki

Who is it? Soundtrack, Music Department, Actor
Birth Day December 05, 1965
Birth Place  Buffalo, New York, United States
Age 57 YEARS OLD
Birth Sign Capricorn
Birth name John Joseph Theodore Rzeznik
Genres Rock alternative rock pop rock punk rock
Occupation(s) Musician singer-songwriter producer
Instruments Vocals guitar
Years active 1981–present
Labels Metal Blade Warner Warner Bros.
Associated acts Goo Goo Dolls Les Paul
Website googoodolls.com

💰 Net worth

Johnny Rzeznik, widely recognized for his contributions as a songwriter and musician, is estimated to have a net worth ranging from $100K to $1M in 2024. With a successful career spanning decades, Rzeznik has earned his prominence as a member of the acclaimed rock band, the Goo Goo Dolls. His immense talent has also led him to work in various capacities such as composing soundtracks, contributing to the music department, and even trying his hand at acting. With his diverse skill set and continued success in the industry, Johnny Rzeznik remains a highly regarded figure in the United States music scene.

Biography/Timeline

1980

Most of the music Rzeznik listened to while growing up was influenced by his sisters, and consisted of classic rock such as The Rolling Stones and The Kinks. The youngest of his four older sisters moved towards punk music and Rzeznik became interested in bands such as the Ramones and The Clash. Rzeznik attributes his gift for melody to listening to bands such as Kiss, Cheap Trick, The Cure and Rush in the early 1980s. Rzeznik also cites Paul Westerberg as an "obvious influence" on his music. Westerberg co-wrote the 1993 Goo Goo Dolls song "We Are the Normal" with Rzeznik, who reflected on the experience by stating "To some people, Keith Richards is their hero. I feel that way about Westerberg. Keith Richards got to do his thing with Chuck Berry, and I got to do it with Westerberg. That was amazing to me."

1981

Rzeznik's father died on February 2, 1981, from a diabetic coma at the age of 55, when Rzeznik was 15 years old. On October 26, 1982, his mother died from a sudden heart attack in the family's living room at the age of 53. Having lost both of his parents, he was brought up by his four older sisters, Phyllis, Fran, Gladys and Kate, with help from their cousin John Guljas. He paid for his own apartment using Social Security Survivor Benefit checks. It was during this period and while attending McKinley Vocational High School that Rzeznik began playing the guitar. Rzeznik briefly attended Buffalo State College, dropping out after his first year.

1985

In 1985, he formed the band that became the Goo Goo Dolls with Robby Takac. Previously John had been in a band with Takac's cousin, called The Beaumonts. It is thought the band was originally called The Sex Maggots, however Rzeznik admitted this was a joke on stage one night, and he was "never actually in a band called The Sex Maggots". They got the name Goo Goo Dolls from an ad in a True Detective magazine when a concert promoter asked them.

1989

After having their equipment stolen from a van in New York City (which included Rzeznik's Marshall JCM 800 amplifier and his only guitar at the time), following the recording of their 1989 album, Jed, a custom, yellow Stratocaster-style guitar (later nicknamed "Boing") was made for Rzeznik by ESP. Now without an amplifier, Rzeznik borrowed a near-identical Marshall JCM 800 from a mutual friend of the band, Charles Root. This Marshall JCM 800 was then used to record Hold Me Up and Superstar Car Wash. Since the late '90s, Rzeznik has used Fender electric guitars. He has used many variations such as the Stratocaster, Telecaster, Jaguar and a "Halfcaster" (a Stratocaster cut in half). He also used Guild acoustic guitars on the "Dizzy Up the Girl" and "Gutterflower" tours. Rzeznik in a 2003 interview noted that "No matter what guitar I have it seems that anything with strings makes music to my ears." Guild Models used include several D-55s (unusually, most of his D-55s were built in Fender's Corona, California Shop), a black F65CE, multiple Peregrine/S7CE Customs (a Guild Custom Shop Model), a black Songbird/S4CE, and a black F47M. Live performances of this time sometimes showed the auxiliary Guitarist, Greg Suran, using some Guild acoustics such as the DV-52 and F-47M in natural finishes.

2004

On July 4, 2004, Rzeznik and his bandmates returned home to Buffalo and played a free show to give back to their loyal fans, over 60,000 of whom attended. The day quickly became a city triumph when rain came pouring down during their performance. It turned out to be one of the strongest rain storms of the year in Buffalo, but the Goo Goo Dolls did not stop playing. Rzeznik declared, "We're going to keep going until this shit stops". This performance was captured on DVD and CD for the public in the Goo Goo Dolls release Live in Buffalo: July 4, 2004.

2007

From October to December 2007, Rzeznik was a judge alongside Sheila E. and Australian Idol judge and marketing manager Ian "Dicko" Dickson on the Fox network's The Next Great American Band.

2008

On June 19, 2008, John Rzeznik was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and was awarded the Hal David Starlight award.

2013

Rzeznik met former model Laurie Farinacci in 1990, married her in 1993 but got a divorce in 2003; they did not have any children. He started dating Melina Gallo in 2005 and married her in Malibu, California, on July 26, 2013. On December 22, 2016, he and Gallo had their first child, a daughter, Liliana.

2014

On March 24, 2014, Cash Cash released their new single "Lightning" which features John Rzeznik on vocals and was written by Cash Cash and Rzeznik together.

2015

On April 18, 2015, he participated in the Toyota Celebrity/Pro Race where he finished 12th to actor and former two-time winner of the event Alfonso Ribeiro for which he donated $5,000 to charity.

Some Johnny Rzeznik images

About the author

Lisa Scholfield

As a Senior Writer at Famous Net Worth, I spearhead an exceptional team dedicated to uncovering and sharing the stories of pioneering individuals. My passion for unearthing untold narratives drives me to delve deep into the essence of each subject, bringing forth a unique blend of factual accuracy and narrative allure. In orchestrating the editorial workflow, I am deeply involved in every step—from initial research to the final touches of publishing, ensuring each biography not only informs but also engages and inspires our readership.