| Lawrence Gowan | |
|---|---|
Lawrence Gowan performing with Styx on July 2, 2010 at Memorial Park in Omaha, Nebraska |
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Lawrence Gowan |
| Also known as | Gowan, Larry Gowan |
| Born | November 22, 1956 Glasgow, Scotland |
| Origin | Scarborough, Ontario, Canada |
| Genres | Hard rock, progressive rock |
| Occupations | Musician, songwriter |
| Instruments | Vocals, keyboards, guitar |
| Years active | 1976–present |
| Labels | Anthem Entertainment Columbia Records |
| Associated acts | Styx, Rhinegold |
| Website | gowan.org |
Lawrence Gowan (born November 22, 1956) is a Scottish-born Canadian musician. Gowan has been both a solo artist and the current lead vocalist and keyboardist of the band Styx, since May 1999. His musical style is usually classified in the category of progressive rock.
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At the age of nineteen, he earned an ARCT in classical piano performance from the Royal Conservatory of Music, in Toronto, Ontario. Upon graduation, he enjoyed modest local success with the band Rhinegold in 1976.
After the band broke up five years later, Gowan began what was to become a successful solo career under the stage name Gowan, releasing his first album under that name in 1982, which was produced by Rob Freeman and featured Kim Mitchell of Max Webster on guitar. This album contained the singles "Victory", "Give In" and "Keep Up the Fight". His 1985 album Strange Animal was his commercial breakthrough in Canada, produced by British producer David Tickle and featuring a more 'theatrical' Gowan, backed by Peter Gabriel's rhythm section players Tony Levin and Jerry Marotta. The album spawned the hit singles "A Criminal Mind", "(You're a) Strange Animal", "Guerilla Soldier" and "Cosmetics". His 1987 follow up Great Dirty World gave him another hit single with "Moonlight Desires," featuring Jon Anderson (from Yes) on backing vocals as well as the fan favourite "Dedication".
1990's Lost Brotherhood had a harder rock sound, and featured such players as Red Rider member Ken Greer, ex Coney Hatch guitarist Steve Shelski and Rush's Alex Lifeson. It produced the singles "Lost Brotherhood", "All the Lovers in the World", and "Out of a Deeper Hunger". This was Gowan's first album for Anthem Records and his first US release.
He released the more acoustic, adult contemporary ...but you can call me Larry in 1993 under his full name, returning to the Canadian pop charts with "When There's Time for Love", "Soul's Road" and "Dancing on My Own Ground". He subsequently released The Good Catches Up in 1995, which featured the single "Guns and God", which received moderate airplay in Canada. Also that same year, Gowan was part of an all-star lineup at Toronto's Massey Hall to celebrate Ronnie Hawkins' 60th birthday, as documented on the album Let It Rock, sharing the stage with veteran rockers Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and The Band. In 1997, Gowan released two live CDs: Sololive - No Kilt Tonight containing a rendition of Ragtime's classic "King Chanticleer Rag", and Au Québec with a cover of Harmonium's "Pour un instant" as well as his first composition in French, "Stéphanie", for his fan base in Quebec.
In 1997, Gowan released "Healing Waters" as a tribute to Diana, Princess of Wales after her death. "Healing Waters" was officially an unreleased song from Gowan, though it was used in its original form, in the 1995 Jeff Wincott movie, When the Bullet Hits the Bone.
His song "A Criminal Mind" was covered in 2005 by Canadian hip-hop artist Maestro; Gowan appears in the video and his vocals are sampled on the track. The song was also sampled in a song performed by Akon and Freck Billionaire.
He also guest-starred on the Canadian animated comedy series Chilly Beach.
In February 2006, Gowan did four orchestra-accompanied concerts in London, Ontario and Kitchener, Ontario. Also in 2006, his home was featured on MTV's Cribs.
In March 2010, Gowan released "Return of the Strange Animal", a remastered version of 1985's "Strange Animal" plus a making-of documentary and music videos on DVD.[1] In May 2010, Gowan performed two solo shows in support of the 25th anniversary of the "Strange Animal" album.
In 1996 during Styx's "Return to the Paradise Theatre" tour, Gowan performed as a supporting act for Styx at Montreal's Molson Centre and Quebec City's Colisée.
Tommy Shaw admired his talent and vibrant stage charisma, and called him in May 1999 asking him to tour with them for 53 dates, replacing their lead singer Dennis DeYoung. Since then, Gowan's classic hit, "A Criminal Mind", is often played by Styx.
DeYoung's absence proved a convenient opportunity for a more permanent restructuring of Styx – which had long been plagued by differences in artistic inclination. Gowan subsequently became the band's permanent vocalist. He says "I was in after the third gig".
Styx's 2003 album Cyclorama was Gowan's first studio album with the band. Gowan sings two songs on Cyclorama, "Fields of the Brave" and "More Love for the Money", both of which have an easily recognizable Gowan signature. He then continued recording with Styx for their 2005 album, Big Bang Theory.
The following are Gowan's Juno nominations:
On November 16, 1998, Gowan received the prestigious National Achievement Award from the Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN).
In 2003, Gowan was presented with the SOCAN award (along with three other musicians) for songs that have surpassed the 100,000 radio airplay mark for his song, "Moonlight Desires".
In 2011, Gowan was presented with a star on the Scarborough Walk of Fame-Entertainment.
| Year | Title | Chart positions | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAN | CAN AC |
Album | ||
| 1982 | "Keep Up the Fight" | — | — | Gowan |
| 1982 | "Make It Alone" | — | — | |
| 1985 | "A Criminal Mind" | 5 | 14 | Strange Animal |
| 1985 | "(You're a) Strange Animal" | 15 | — | |
| 1985 | "Guerilla Soldier" | 40 | — | |
| 1985 | "Cosmetics" | 41 | — | |
| 1987 | "Moonlight Desires" | 10 | 2 | Great Dirty World |
| 1987 | "Awake the Giant" | 36 | — | |
| 1987 | "Living in the Golden Age" | 78 | — | |
| 1990 | "All the Lovers in the World" | 6 | 6 | Lost Brotherhood |
| 1990 | "Lost Brotherhood" | 44 | — | |
| 1990 | "Out of a Deeper Hunger" | 36 | 17 | |
| 1993 | "When There's Time (For Love)" | 6 | 11 | ...but you can call me Larry |
| 1994 | "Dancing on My Own Ground" | 15 | 17 | |
| 1994 | "Soul's Road" | 13 | 15 | |
| 1994 | "Your Stone Walls" | 46 | — | |
| 1995 | "Heart of Gold" | 88 | 46 | Borrowed Tunes: A Tribute to Neil Young |
| 1995 | "I'll Be There in a Minute" | 41 | — | The Good Catches Up |
| 1995 | "Guns and God" | 14 | 20 | |
| 1996 | "Laura" | — | 33 | |
| 1996 | "The Good Catches Up" | 18 | 21 | |
| 1997 | "Get It While You Can" | 21 | — | |
| 1997 | "Healing Waters" | — | 13 | Best of... |
| Release date | Title | Chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| Canada RPM Album charts |
||
| September 1982 | Gowan | #82 |
| January 1985 | Strange Animal | #5 |
| March 1987 | Great Dirty World | #4 |
| July 1990 | Lost Brotherhood | #26 |
| September 1993 | ...but you can call me Larry | #60 |
| November 1995 | The Good Catches Up |
| Release date | Title | Chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| Canada RPM Album charts |
||
| October 1997 | Best of... | #87 |
| April 2010 | Return of the Strange Animal (remastered reissue of Strange Animal with bonus tracks + DVD) |