Description
Goo Goo Dolls founder and frontman John Rzeznik sits down with Graham Bensinger to reflect on his remarkable journey from a troubled childhood to more than three decades of international stardom. Rzeznik opens up about losing both parents at a young age, enduring bullying, and battling alcohol addiction. He also reflects on why modern day songwriting isn’t for him and how his relationship with social media has evolved given the recent revival of the band’s 1998 mega hit ‘Iris.’
#music #interview #googoodolls
0:00 - Introduction
1:51 - Behind the Scenes: Tour Production & Moving Parts
3:28 - Getting Pneumonia on Tour: The Show Must Go On?
5:32 - 100 Shows a Year: Life on the Road & Family Balance
8:20 - Building a Studio & the Magic of Recording
10:24 - Advice for Young Artists: "Art by Committee Is Garbage"
14:24 - Songwriting: 99% Perspiration, Self-Doubt & Songs That Take Years
22:29 - Writer's Block Before "Iris" & the City of Angels Inspiration
26:41 - How "Iris" Became Bigger Than Ever 25 Years Later
31:06 - Fatherhood: Missing His Daughter While on Tour
34:24 - First Marriage, Divorce & Learning About Yourself
37:48 - Meeting Melina & Starting Over on the East Coast
39:28 - Loneliness, Friendship & Keeping One Foot Out
44:39 - Rock Bottom: The Drinking, the Pills & the Bar Story
48:01 - Addiction as a Disease: His Father's Legacy
53:04 - Recovery: 15 Years of Relapsing Before Getting Sober
58:01 - Growing Up in Buffalo: Five Siblings & a Turbulent Home
59:57 - His Parents: Lost Dreams & Learning to Forgive
1:01:11 - His Father's Dream: "I Bought You the Bar Back"
1:04:57 - Losing Both Parents: His Mother Dying in His Arms
1:09:01 - Orphaned at 16: Bullies, Survival & Finding Music
1:16:01 - Meeting Robbie: "I Want What He Has"
1:19:11 - Therapy, PTSD & Using Trauma to Create
1:20:06 - Money: The Fear of Losing Everything
1:24:36 - Performing at Demi Lovato's Wedding
1:26:23 - Taylor Swift: "I Was in the Presence of Someone Special"
1:29:03 - Bon Jovi: Generosity & Opening Doors in South America
1:32:16 - Opening for The Rolling Stones & Meeting Keith Richards
1:34:18 - Being 60: Conquering Fear & Facing Anxiety Head-On
1:36:03 - Taking a Year Off? The Fear of Stopping
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Episode debuted nationwide in 2026.