- READ MORE: Guess who! The Australian icon looks completely unrecognizable in breathtaking images from his heyday
He’s the ’90s rocker whose band toured the Billboard Hot 100 with seven top 40 singles.
The rocker was considered a heartthrob in his heyday and was known for his signature blonde locks and chiseled jaw.
Before achieving mainstream success, he and his team first found work as a cover band.
Stardom soon beckoned, though, and thanks to chart-toppers like Iris, Slide and Black Balloon, the band has sold 15 million albums worldwide and received four Grammy nominations.
But fans may have found it difficult to recognize Goo Goo Dolls frontman John Rzeznik when he made a rare appearance on Aussie TV this week.
The 58-year-old appeared on Today Extra on Wednesday to promote the Goo Goo Dolls slot at the 2025 Yours and Owls festival.
The rocker looked almost unrecognizable with a very scholarly face and sculpted nose compared to the height of his fame.
Although John has never confirmed or denied that he went under the surgeon’s knife, he has long been the subject of media speculation about his changing face.
Fans may have had a hard time recognizing Goo Goo Dolls frontman John Rzeznik when he made a rare appearance on Aussie TV this week
Speaking to presenters David Campbell and Lizzie Pearl, the rocker admitted that despite the success, he wasn’t too fond of the name The Goo Goo Dolls.
“I think it’s a funny name,” he laughed. ‘If I had five more minutes, I would have come up with a better name.
David then asked the star about the inspiration behind the name and John struggled to find an answer.
The 58-year-old appeared on Today Extra on Wednesday to promote the Goo Goo Dolls slot at the 2025 Yours and Owls festival
The rocker looked almost unrecognizable with a very schooled face and sculpted nose that suggested multiple plastic surgeries to maintain his youthful appearance
“I just think it’s ridiculous,” he said.
“You just have to be careful with the name of your band because now I’m stuck with it. I can never get rid of it.’
John, who was propelled into the stratosphere with the single Iris, a song that spent 11 months on the Billboard Hot 100, also revealed that fame was something he never actively pursued.
“It was enough trouble just to be a little bit famous,” he said.
Speaking to presenters David Campbell and Lizzie Pearl, the rocker admitted he wasn’t too keen on the name The Goo Goo Dolls despite their success, saying: ‘I think it’s a funny name’
“That was never my goal, and that’s okay. I actually found it a little awkward because we had been a band for so long and traveled around the United States in a van for years.”
John formed the Goo Goo Dolls in Buffalo, New York in 1985 with bassist Robby Takac and drummer George Tutuska, who left before the release of their breakthrough album A Boy Named Goo.
The band started life as a covers act before developing a more punk sound with the rather unique name The Sex Maggots.
They rose to prominence in the 1990s thanks to a polished power pop sound reflected on the likes of Iris, Name and Black Balloon.
Drummer Mike Malinin joined the band in 1995, but left in 2013 under dire circumstances.
