Lawrence Gowan
| Lawrence Gowan | |
|---|---|
 Lawrence Gowan performing with Styx on July 2, 2010 at Memorial Park in Omaha, Nebraska | |
| 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, synthesizers, guitar |
| Years active | 1974–present |
| Labels |
Anthem Entertainment Columbia Records |
| Associated acts | Styx, Rhinegold |
| Website | gowan.org |
Lawrence Henry 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,[1] since May 1999.[2] His musical style is usually classified in the category of progressive rock.
Career
At the age of 19, he earned an ARCT in classical piano performance from the Royal Conservatory of Music, in Toronto, Ontario.[3] Upon graduation, he enjoyed modest local success with the band Rhinegold in 1976.[4][5]
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[6] 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".[5] His 1987 follow up Great Dirty World gave him another hit single with "Moonlight Desires," featuring Jon Anderson (from Yes) on backing vocals[7] 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, former 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.[8]
A few bars from "The Dragon" was heard playing on a car radio in the 1990 movie "Navy Seals" and appears on the original motion picture soundtrack.[9]
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.[10] "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.[11] The song was also covered by Canadian gypsy jazz music group The Lost Fingers.[12] The song was 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.[13] In May 2010, Gowan performed two solo shows in support of the 25th anniversary of the "Strange Animal" album.
In May 2012, Gowan re-issued a remastered version of 1987's "Great Dirty World".[14][15]
As of 2012, Gowan is currently recording a new solo album which he hopes to have completed sometime in 2013.[15]
Gowan appeared on the October 11, 2012 episode (#29) of John Wants Answers.[16]
On October 13, 2013 Gowan played a solo concert, titled 'In Kilt Tonight' at the Glenn Gould Studio in Toronto, Canada. All proceeds were donated to McDermott House Canada, a charitable organization.[17]
Styx
In 1997 during Styx's tour, Gowan performed as a supporting act for Styx at Montreal's Molson Centre and Quebec City's Colisée.[5]
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.[5]
Styx had long been plagued by differences in artistic inclination. DeYoung's absence created an opportunity for a more permanent restructuring of Styx. Gowan subsequently became the band's permanent vocalist.[18]
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.
Awards and nominations
The following are Gowan's Juno nominations:[19]
- 1983 - Nominated - "Most Promising Male Vocalist of the Year"
- 1985 - Winner - "Best Video" for "Criminal Mind" with director Rob Quartly Animation & Direction by Greg Duffell / Lightbox Studios Inc.[20]
- 1985 - Winner - "Best Album Graphics" for Strange Animal (awarded to designers Rob MacIntyre and Dimo Safari)[20]
- 1985 - Nominated - "Male Vocalist of the Year"
- 1985 - Nominated - "Album of the Year" for Strange Animal
- 1985 - Nominated - "Best Selling Single" for "A Criminal Mind"
- 1985 - Nominated - "Best Video" for "You're a Strange Animal" Animation by Greg Duffell / Lightbox Studios Inc.
- 1986 - Nominated - "Best Video" for "Cosmetics" (director: Rob Quartly)
- 1987 - Nominated - "Male Vocalist of the Year"
- 1987 - Nominated - "Album of the Year" for Great Dirty World
- 1987 - Nominated - "Canadian Entertainer of the Year"
- 1991 - Nominated - "Male Vocalist of the Year"
In 1995, Gowan was presented with the SOCAN award for songs that have won major airplay in 1995 for his song, "Dancing on My Own Ground".[21]
On November 16, 1998, Gowan received the National Achievement Award from the Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN).[22]
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".[23]
In 2011, Gowan was presented with a star on the Scarborough Walk of Fame-Entertainment.[24]
Members
- Lawrence Gowan – lead vocals, keyboards, guitar
- Danny J. Ricardo – guitar
- Pete Nunn – keyboards
- Terry Gowan – bass
- Todd Sucherman – drums, percussion
- Taylor Mills – backing vocals
Discography
Singles
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | A | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAN | CAN AC | |||
| 1982 | "Keep Up the Fight" | — | — | Gowan |
| "Make It Alone" | — | — | ||
| 1985 | "A Criminal Mind" | 5 | 14 | Strange Animal |
| "(You're a) Strange Animal" | 15 | — | ||
| "Guerilla Soldier" | 40 | — | ||
| "Cosmetics" | 41 | — | ||
| 1987 | "Moonlight Desires" | 10 | 2 | Great Dirty World |
| "Awake the Giant" | 36 | — | ||
| "Living in the Golden Age" | 78 | — | ||
| 1990 | "All the Lovers in the World" | 6 | 6 | Lost Brotherhood |
| "Lost Brotherhood" | 44 | — | ||
| "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 | |
| "Soul's Road" | 13 | 15 | ||
| "Your Stone Walls" | 46 | — | ||
| 1995 | "Heart of Gold" | 88 | 46 | Borrowed Tunes: A Tribute to Neil Young |
| "I'll Be There in a Minute" | 41 | — | The Good Catches Up | |
| "Guns and God" | 14 | 20 | ||
| 1996 | "Laura" | — | 33 | |
| "The Good Catches Up" | 18 | 21 | ||
| 1997 | "Get It While You Can" | 21 | — | |
| "Healing Waters" | — | 13 | Best of... | |
Original studio albums
| Release date | Title | Chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| CAN | ||
| 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 |
Compilation albums
| Release date | Title | Chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| CAN | ||
| October 1997 | Best of... | 87 |
| 1998 | Home Field (UK only) (includes four live versions of previously released songs and unreleased bonus track Healing Waters)[25] |
|
| April 2010 | Return of the Strange Animal (remastered reissue of Strange Animal with bonus tracks + DVD) |
|
| May 2012 | Great Dirty World (remastered reissue of Great Dirty World with bonus tracks) |
|
Live albums
- 1996 Sololive: No Kilt Tonight
- 1997 Gowan au Québec
Live DVD
- 2006 Gowan Live in Concert
With Styx
- 2000 Arch Allies - Live with REO Speedwagon
- 2001 Styx World: Live 2001
- 2002 At the River's Edge: Live In St. Louis
- 2002 21st Century Live (CD/DVD set)
- 2002 A Classic Rock Christmas (featuring: "All I Want for Christmas")
- 2003 Cyclorama
- 2005 Big Bang Theory
- 2006 One with Everything: Styx and the Contemporary Youth Orchestra
- 2011 LA County Fair Live with REO Speedwagon
- 2010 Regeneration: Volume 1
- 2011 Regeneration: Volume 2
- 2012 The Grand Illusion, Pieces of Eight Live (DVD set)
References
- ↑ Closterman, Chuck (March 2005). "Ship of Dreams". Spin 21 (3): 63–67.
- ↑ Darr, Deanna (August 5, 2011). "Styx ready to crack Sturgis rally’s ‘secret code’". Rapid City Journal. Retrieved 4 April 2013.
- ↑ "Gowan takes to the Styx ; Scarborough native reinvents himself as prog-rock singer and keyboardist". Toronto Star. October 12, 2000.
- ↑ Krewen, Nick (November 1, 1995). "Still rockin' : but Lawrence Gowan calls his own shots now". Waterloo Region Record.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Law, John (December 30, 2009). "Gowan going strong as Styx frontman". The London Free Press.
- ↑ "Sound Business: Studio Track". Billboard: 54. April 3, 1982.
- ↑ Chambers, Stuart (2002). Yes: An Endless Dream of '70S, '80s and '90s Rock Music. General Story. p. 91. ISBN 1894263472.
- ↑ InMusic (3-10): 20. 1990.
- ↑ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0100232/soundtrack
- ↑ Krewen, Nick (November 7, 1997). "Gowan's Healing Waters now a tribute to Diana". Waterloo Region Record.
- ↑ Spalding, Derek (June 25, 2009). "Reinvented Wes plays Nanaimo Saturday". Nanaimo Daily News.
- ↑ Wilton, Lisa (January 27, 2011). "The Lost Fingers knuckle down for hits". Calgary Sun. Retrieved 2 April 2013.
- ↑ Houle, Nicolas (March 12, 2011). "Gowan: le retour de l'étrange animal". Le Soleil (in French). Retrieved 3 April 2013.
- ↑ Go, Justin (December 7, 2010). "Styx singer Lawrence Gowan is still a strange animal". National Post.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Stevenson, Jane (July 10, 2012). "Gowan just keeps on goin': Between fronting for Styx and a revived solo career, rocker stays busy". Toronto Sun. Retrieved 4 April 2013.
- ↑ Tamaki, Stacie (October 11, 2012). "Hilarity ensues in an interview with Lawrence Gowan". The Flirty Blog. Retrieved 2 April 2013.
- ↑ Graham, Sandy. "Gowan – One Kilt One Name". cashboxcanada.ca. Retrieved 16 November 2013.
- ↑ Iwasaki, Scott (May 12, 2000). "Styx bringing its progressive rock to town". Deseret News.
- ↑ "Gowan Juno Summary". junoawards.ca. Retrieved 4 April 2013.
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 Loewen, David. "Artist: Gowan, Lawrence". Canoe.ca. Retrieved 2 April 2013.
- ↑ "SOCAN Awards honor songwriters". Waterloo Region Record. November 16, 1995.
- ↑ LeBlanc, Larry (December 5, 1998). "SOCAN show marked by politics". Billboard 110 (49).
- ↑ Ricciuto, Tony (October 1, 2008). "Success of Styx no grand illusion". Niagara Falls Review.
- ↑ "Lawrence Gowan". Scarborough Walk of Fame. Retrieved 2 April 2013.
- ↑ Chronis, Grigoris (September 23, 2004). "Gowan - Home Field (CD)". Metal Temple. Retrieved 3 April 2013.
External links
- Official website
- Official website (Styx)
- Lawrence Gowan at AllMusic
- Gowan at AllMusic
- Lawrence Gowan at the Internet Movie Database
- Lawrence Gowan on Facebook
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