Gowan -

Gowan is a Canadian singer, songwriter, and keyboardist who debuted with a 1982 self-titled album on CBS. His 1985 second album Strange Animal produced the Canadian hits “A Criminal Mind,” “You’re a Strange Animal,” and “Cosmetics.” He followed with the 1987–90 albums Great Dirty World and Lost Brotherhood. In 1999, he joined Styx as keyboardist and vocalist.

Background

Gowan was born Lawrence Henry Gowan on Nov. 22, 1956, in Glasgow, Scotland. His parents, Patrick and Susan Gowan, moved the family to Canada in the late 1950s and settled in Scarborough, Ontario. Patrick played piano by ear without formal training; Susan encouraged formal lessons.

Gowan received an acoustic guitar from Patrick at age eight and began piano lessons at age ten under guidance from Susan. He attended Neil McNeil High School in Scarborough and entered the Royal Conservatory of Music at age seventeen in Toronto. Gowan earned a 1976 ARCT in classical piano performance. He studied multiple piano styles and developed parallel interests in rock and ragtime.

In 1976, Gowan formed Rhinegold, a rock quartet with bassist Steve Hogg. Rhinegold mixed originals with covers of The Beatles, Genesis, Supertramp, Queen, and Styx. They played a 1977 Scarborough Town Centre anniversary show and signed a management deal, but no label offer materialized before their 1981 breakup.

Gowan played cover material in Funn with Klaatu members Terry Draper and Dee Long, then toured briefly as keyboardist for Ronnie Hawkins. He financed a solo demo for CBS Canada and secured a multi-album solo contract. Sessions commenced with Hogg, drummer Marty Cordrey, and Max Webster guitarist Kim Mitchell.

Discography: