Domenic Troiano

Singer, songwriter, and famed guitarist Domenic Troiano is probably best known for the time he served as a member of the famed rock group, the Guess Who. Over more than three long decades in the music world, Troiano did a lot of other work with different bands, blues style and rock, including the James Gang, the original Bush, and Mandala. He later composed tunes for both film and television. He even completed several solo albums in the '70s, earning himself a spot in the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. Some of the solo numbers Troiano recorded so long ago, became available on CD just before the new millennium rolled around, proving that many fans still hold interest in his music. Domenic Troiano was born in 1946 in Modugno, Italy. When he was little more than a baby, his family picked up and moved to Toronto, Canada. He was raised with a love for music, both rhythm & blues and good ol' rock & roll. When he was in his mid-teens, his desire to learn to play the guitar resulted in him teaching himself. Maybe that's why his style became so much his own and was later imitated by many other artists. One of the early influences on Troiano was a guitarist by the name of Robbie Robertson. In a twist of fate, Troiano started his professional career by replacing Robertson in a band that performed with Ronnie Hawkins, a fellow Canadian singer. Troiano worked with the band for less than a year, then moved on to other groups. One of those early bands was Five Rogues, which changed its name to Mandala. It was with Mandala in 1967 that Troiano made his first recordings and began to climb the ladder to fame. Some of that fame started from negative press, complaints from parents about the group's corrupt music style, the way the guys dressed, and even the length of their hair. Of course,...