Gogo (musician)
Gogo | |
|---|---|
Gogo (back) Trooper ROAD GOLD 2018 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Paul Roland Gogo |
| Born | April 24, 1965 Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada |
| Genres | Rock, progressive rock, pop, psychedelic rock |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, author |
| Instrument(s) | Keyboards, piano, vocals, electric violin |
| Years active | 1983–present |
Paul Roland Gogo (born April 24, 1965), known as Gogo, is a Canadian rock-and-roll keyboard player, and multi-instrumentalist, best known for being the keyboardist of the Canadian rock band Trooper. His career has also included stints with rock vocalist Paul Laine.
He is also the author of Frank Ney: A Canadian Legend, a biography about British Columbia legislator, and longtime Nanaimo mayor Frank Ney.
In 2004, Gogo played a major role in the creation of Joyride!, the debut album of his psychedelic rock group, The Super Groovy Band. The album has received positive acclaim from reviewers around the world.
He was featured in the 2008 documentary film, Mellodrama: The Mellotron Movie. Gogo has an extensive collection of vintage electronic musical instruments which were on display in 2005 at the Royal British Columbia Museum in Victoria, British Columbia. Musical instruments collection included a rare early rev Sequential Circuits Prophet V synthesizer which he donated to the National Music Centre in Calgary for perpetuity
As part of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics festivities, Gogo was featured when Trooper performed on February 21, 2010. Coverage of the event was broadcast in Canada and around the world on networks such as CTV and MuchMusic.
During the Winter of 2013, he gained international attention having had a stolen heirloom Framus banjo returned to him by the unusual tactic of offering friendship as a reward.
He ran in an unsuccessful bid for Nanaimo City Council in 2014 suggesting partnerships on Civic projects and predicting a looming low-income seniors housing crisis. With Trooper, he received a White Hat from Tourism Calgary, a symbol of Western hospitality. 24th Sep, 2015 and Canadian Independent Music Association ROAD GOLD in the summer of 2018.
In May 2023, Trooper was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame and Gogo received the Juno statuette as one of the inducted members.
He is also the cousin of award-winning blues guitarist David Gogo and brother of Folk/roots musician John Gogo and brother of Marie Gogo Singer/Entertainer and original member of Juno Award winning Jerry Alfred The Medicine Beat.