Goldy McJohn
| Goldy McJohn | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | John Goadsby |
| Born | May 2, 1945 |
| Origin | Toronto, Canada |
| Genres |
Acid rock Hard rock Psychedelic rock Proto-metal |
| Instruments | Keyboard |
| Years active | 1964–present |
| Associated acts | The Mynah Birds, The Sparrows, Steppenwolf, Humble Pie, The Saints, Freddy & the Screamers, Southern Pacific |
| Website |
www |
| Notable instruments | |
| Hammond Organ | |
John Raymond Goadsby (born May 2, 1945), known as Goldy McJohn, is a Canadian keyboard player best known as the original keyboardist for rock group Steppenwolf. Originally a classically trained pianist, he was a pioneer in the early use of the electronic organ (Hammond B3) in heavy metal. He is also an avid golfer.
History
In 1964, Goldy McJohn played with local band, Little John & The Friars before moving on later that year to become a member of the Mynah Birds, which also included Rick James, Bruce Palmer and (after McJohn left) Neil Young. In March 1965, he briefly joined The Diplomats before joining The Sparrows in September of that year. John Kay asked him if he could be known as "Goldy" while riding the bus to Willowdale. Goldy felt "Goldy Goadsby" would not be right, so in honor of his mother, Dorothy (née) McIntyre, Goldy added the "Mc" to his legal first name, creating his stage name. The band (with various changes) went on to become Steppenwolf and he remained with the group from 1967 to early 1975 when he was fired by Kay.
During Steppenwolf's hiatus in the early 1970s, he and Steppenwolf drummer Jerry Edmonton formed Manbeast with Rod Prince and Roy Cox of Bubble Puppy, during which time the band penned at least one song that would appear on Steppenwolf's 1974 release, Slow Flux, Goldy's last with the band.
McJohn helped reform Steppenwolf in 1977 with Nick St. Nicholas and Kent Henry and played in several incarnations of the band. He also played with Steve Marriott in a reconstituted version of Humble Pie.
McJohn lives in West Seattle, Washington where he performs and records locally. His solo releases include New Visions, Fugue in D, Goldy McJohn & Friendz, Rat City in Blue, Set the World on Fire and Osmosis.