Accomplished guitarist, composer and singer, John Hitzroth has succeeded in building a robust portfolio of live performances and recorded works that reflect his unique style and message.

After picking up his first guitar at age 11, Hitzroth began a love affair with music that is as passionate today as it was then. Self-taught, John began writing songs in his early teens and went on to establish his first band - Dorian Gray - playing all of the bars around Toronto and Southern Ontario, culminating in a cross-Canada tour.  As lead singer, songwriter and guitarist, Dorian Gray’s first single, “Perfect Killing Machine” debuted in 1985 followed by their album, "Dangerous Times".  Dorian Gray proudly shared the stage with such iconic bands and performers as Iggy Pop, Steppenwolf, MOEV, The Dead Milkmen, Alta Moda, Barney Bentall and The Spoons.

Dorian Gray, the band, ended in late 1990.  After a 2-year intensive songwriting collaboration with Al McMullan, John’s second major band, Strawman, formed in 1992, almost immediately amassing a number of accolades including a FACTOR Album grant, the 1995 launch of which garnered a HTZ-FM Top-Five Canadian Single “Yeah Yeah Yeah, Whatever”.  Strawman was the first band to hit the stages of bars with a large video screen behind them that ran conceptual video for each of the songs.  The band was a force to be reckoned with, as their hyper-energetic live shows were the furthest thing possible from shoe-gazing.  Strawman grew a loyal following and played to audiences in Quebec, Ontario, New York State, Pennsylvania and Ohio.

As a creator, John has leveraged his musical career to explore his fascination with the darker side of the human condition.  Oscar Wilde’s famous story, The Picture of Dorian Gray, became the impetus behind much of his early original songs, culminating in the writing of a full-scale musical based on the novel.