David Gogo

Blues guitarist David Gogo was born in Nanaimo, British Columbia, and received his first guitar at the age of five (having been given a ukulele the year before). He honed his skills for the next decade and, by the age of 16, he was gaining work as a professional musician. Inspired by a meeting with Stevie Ray Vaughan, Gogo became even more committed, forming a the Persuaders, which went from a post-high school band to one that was soon opening for acts like Johnny Winter, Buddy Guy, and Albert Collins. Following a stint in Europe which found the Persuaders opening for the Fabulous Thunderbirds, Gogo signed a solo deal with EMI Records. While writing material for his debut, Gogo managed to find time to appear on Tom Cochrane's highly successful Mad Mad World album. When David Gogo arrived in 1994, it was a critical success and Gogo earned a Juno nomination. However, due to shifting label personnel, the record was not given a U.S. release and Gogo was being pressured to pursue a more commercial route. Choosing to strike out on his own, Gogo released Dine Under the Stars, which had been recorded live in his hometown, on his own. A distribution deal in France led to a record deal with Canadian independent label Cordova Bay and the subsequent release of Change of Pace, a more rock-oriented affair, and the acoustic Bare Bones, which was a return to his blues roots. In 2002, Gogo issued his fifth album, Skeleton Key, which combined both electric and acoustic arrangements as well as a mixture of original material and covers of songs by artists like Stevie Wonder and Depeche Mode.