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Lawrence Gowan

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Lawrence Gowan is a Canadian musician, born in Glasgow, Scotland on November 22. Gowan has been both a solo artist and a member of the band Styx. His musical style is usually classified in the category of progressive rock.

His Career

At the age of nineteen, he earned an ARCT in classical piano performance from the Royal Conservatory of Music, in Toronto. Upon graduation, he enjoyed modest local success with the band Rheingold in 1976.

After the band broke up five years later, Gowan began what was to become a very long and successful solo career under the stage name Gowan, releasing his first album under that name in 1982. This album contained the singles "Victory" and "Keep Up The Fight". His 1985 album Strange Animal was his commercial breakthrough in Canada, spawning the hit singles "A Criminal Mind", "(You're A) Strange Animal" 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 favorite "Dedication".

1990's Lost Brotherhood featuring Rush's Alex Lifeson on guitar', however, was a commercial disappointment, and Gowan pursued a change of direction. 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. In 1997, Gowan released two live CDs: "Sololive - No Kilt Tonight" containing an amazing rendition of Ragtime's classic "King Chanteclerc Rag" and "Au Québec" with a cover of Harmonium's "Pour Un Instant" as well as his first composition in french "Stéphanie" for his dedicated fan base in the province of Quebec.

In 1997, Gowan released "Healing Waters" as a tribute to Diana, Princess of Wales after her death. However, despite what many believe, this song was not originally written for this purpose. It was, in fact, used in its original form in the movie When the Bullet Hits the Bone (starring Jeff Wincott) from 1995, two years prior to the accident that killed Diana. This song is not listed in the credits for the movie, however, it is very prominent in the film. After her death, the lyrics were modified into the version that Gowan fans have come to know.

In 1998, Gowan toured as a supporting act for Styx, and was enlisted as the band's live vocalist the following year when Dennis DeYoung was unable to tour because of illness. Since then, Gowan's classic "A Criminal Mind" is played by Styx on each show perofrmed in Canada. DeYoung's illness 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; their 2003 album Cyclorama was his first studio album with the band. Gowan sings two songs on Cyclorama: "Fields Of The Brave" and "More Love For The Money" which, as the fans will see, have an easily recognizable Gowan signature.

On November 16, 1998, Gowan received the prestigious National Achievement Award from the Canadian Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers.

His classic "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.

He also guest starred on Chilly Beach

Discography

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