George Tutuska

George Tutuska (born in February 1965) is a drummer and former member of the alternative rock band Goo Goo Dolls.^[1] He is from Buffalo, New York. He is of Irish descent.^[2]

Goo Goo Dolls career and departure

Tutuska played drums with the Goo Goo Dolls from 1985 to 1994, and parted from the band due to disputes with long-time friend and singer/guitarist John Rzeznik. His departure came only a few months before the release of their breakthrough album, A Boy Named Goo. In December 1994, he was fired over a non-payment dispute for his contribution to the writing of the Superstar Car Wash single "Fallin' Down".

During the completion of A Boy Named Goo, Tutuska had told band management that he wouldn't tour behind the album unless royalties were to be split evenly among the three members, a practice Tutuska claimed the band had engaged in since the release of their 1987 self-titled debut. Tutuska had been alarmed by rumors that Rzeznik was hoarding royalties for "Fallin' Down":

"I said, 'John, I'm kinda interested. I talk to friends all over the country and everyone tells me they hear ["Fallin' Down"] on the radio,' and I said, 'John, I haven't gotten one [royalty] check for that.' And he said, 'I got a confession to make. I've been getting checks for the last two years on this song.' And obviously, at that point, the shit hit the fan."^[3]

Just shy of A Boy Named Goo's release, Tutuska was formally fired from the band by Rzeznik, and replaced by Mike Malinin. Tutuska has been quoted as stating he has no resentment toward the band's ongoing success. In a 1999 interview, Tutuska commented that "The only thing that bothers me to this very day is I never got my due as a songwriter [...] if I could give people a list of songs I wrote, I think it would shock them... A lot of the songs that had gotten airplay I'd written the lion's share of, but I had taken my third and now [Rzeznik] wanted everything."^[3] The Goo Goo Dolls had no comment on these allegations.

Tutuska has subsequently received royalties for songs he co-wrote and recorded with the band.

Post-Goo Goo Dolls

Tutuska is married with two children and continues to live in Buffalo, New York. During the 2000s, he was drumming for a local South Buffalo based Celtic Rock band named Jackdaw, until their break-up in 2009.

References

1. Strong, Martin C. (2006-10-10). The Essential Rock Discography: Complete Discographies Listing Every Track Recorded by More Than 1,200 Artists. Canongate U.S. pp. 446–. ISBN 9781841958606. Retrieved 6 September 2012.
2. "Billboard - Google Books". Books.google.com. 2000-01-01. Retrieved 2015-11-23.
3. "From Rolling Stone 8". Googoodolls.iwarp.com. 1999-08-10. Retrieved 2015-11-23.