Gigi Gonaway

Gregory "Gigi" Gonaway is an American drummer and percussionist, born in Phoenix, Arizona. His father, Eldridge Gonaway was an attorney and city developer and his Mother, Lois (née Warrior) is a retired registered nurse. Gonaway has been making music since the 1970s and has played drums on recordings with artists such as Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin, George Benson, Natalie Cole, and Steve Winwood[1] among others and toured extensively with Mariah Carey and Clarence Clemons.

Gregory Gigi Gonaway
Greg "Gigi" Gonaway at the Tempe Center for the Arts in 2015
Background information
Birth nameGregory Gonaway
BornPhoenix, Arizona, U.S.
Genres
Instruments
  • Drums
  • Percussion
Associated acts

He was a protégé of Narada Michael Walden's in the 1980s and 1990s and worked at Tarpan recording studio with Walden on most of the major label acts he produced. Walden was an established music producer and drummer and took Gonaway under his wing as he said he reminded him of himself when he was a young drummer just starting out. Gonaway attributes much of his success to Walden.[2][3]

Early Years

Gonaway began playing drums at ten years old. His parents relocated from Arizona to the San Francisco Bay Area in California where he attended a Catholic high school, Saint Mary's College High School where he learned to read, write, and arrange music under the guidance of Bob Barrett and played in the school's jazz band.

Gonaway's first band was called Sapphire and they played the nightclub scene in Oakland. Later he formed the jazz fusion band, Iz Kidz who performed regularly in the San Francisco Bay Area.

While performing in the jazz fusion band, Iz Kidz in Oakland, California, Gonaway was introduced to Narada Michael Walden who took an interest in his drumming skills and shortly afterwards Walden hired him at his recording studio. Walden would later open Tarpan studio in San Rafael, California. Part of Gonaway's job was running errands and providing transportation to recording artists to and from the recording studio. Before long Walden was teaching him how to create beats on the drum machine and letting him play drum tracks on albums with Aretha Franklin and George Benson.

Session Work and Touring

Walden mentored Gonaway in many areas of his musicianship including becoming a more diverse drummer developing programming skills and understanding the importance of production in the studio. Eventually, Gonaway was participating in Walden's recording projects for projects including recording artists Aretha Franklin, George Benson, Kenny G, George Michael and others.[4]

Mariah Carey

In early 1990, Mariah Carey and producer Walter Afanasieff formed the original Mariah Carey band, which included Gonaway, Randy Jackson, Vernon Black, Ren Klyce, Dan Shea (producer), Peter Michael Escovedo and engineer Dana John Chappelle. Gonaway's first televised performances with Carey were on The Arsenio Hall Show and later on her controversial appearance on Oprah on which she discussed her racial makeup. Gonaway toured with Carey from 1990-2005.[5]

The Aaron Hendra Project

Gonaway began playing drums with singer-songwriter, Aaron Hendra in 2009 which would later be named The Aaron Hendra Project.

Hendra is married to reality TV actress, Tiffany Hendra of The Real Housewives of Dallas. Tiffany organized a charitable event on at The House of Blues in Dallas, Texas, where Gonaway performed with The Aaron Hendra Project, at the Light Up Tomorrow event to raise funds that were used to build state-of-the-art off grid solar farms in the various East African orphanages, schools and facilities. The project was built and managed by Sam Childers, the Machine Gun Preacher, through the Angels for East Africa organization. The live performance aired in Season 1, Episode 7 on The Real Housewives of Dallas.

Hendra and Gonaway also appeared in the romantic comedy film, Slightly Single in L.A. in 2013, performing live as The Aaron Hendra Project. [6][7][8][9]

Film Appearances

Gonaway appeared in the Whitney Houston music video, I Get So Emotional playing percussion in 1987 and in Mariah Carey's MTV Unplugged (Mariah Carey EP) live recording as Carey's drummer in 1992. Aaron Hendra and Gonaway appeared in the quirky romantic comedy, Slightly Single in L.A. in 2013 and on Bravo (U.S. TV network)'s The Real Housewives of Dallas in 2016 performing live as The Aaron Hendra Project.[10][11][12][13]

Product Endorsements

Discography
  • 2017 - Scorpio - Blaine Long - drums[16]
  • 2016 - Elvis Monroe - Elvis Monroe - drums
  • 2014 - Face the Music - Nils Lofgren - drums
  • 2013- Octobersong - The Aaron Hendra Project - drums[17]
  • 2012 - Knew You Were Waiting: The Best of Aretha Franklin 1980-1998 - Aretha Franklin - percussion
  • 2009 - The Collection 2009 - Whitney Houston - electronic percussion
  • 2007 - Best When Lived (Life Is) - Greg Johnson - producer, drums, percussion
  • 2006 - Destination You - Linda Imperial - drums, percussion
  • 2005 - Favorites 1990-2005 - Nils Lofgren - drums
  • 2004 - Kathi McDonald - Kathi McDonald - drums
  • 2004 - Very Best of George Benson: The Greatest Hits of All - George Benson - drums, cymbals, and percussion
  • 2003 - The Greatest Hits of All - George Benson - drums, cymbals, and percussion
  • 2002 - Life and Love - Philip Bailey - drums, writer
  • 2000 - The George Benson Anthology - George Benson - cymbals, electronic percussion
  • 1998 - Best Kept Secret - Positive ID - drums, percussion
  • 1998 - Phoenix Rising - The Temptations - cymbals[18]
  • 1998 - VH1 Divas Live - drums
  • 1997 - Junction Seven - Steve Winwood - MIDI drums, percussion[19]
  • 1995 - Chill - Lenny Williams - producer, arranger, drums, percussion
  • 1995 - The Best of George Benson (Warner Bros.) - George Benson - cymbals
  • 1994 - Greatest Hits: 1980-1994 - Aretha Franklin - percussion
  • 1992 - MTV Unplugged - Mariah Carey - drums [20]
  • 1991 - Time, Love and Tenderness - Michael Bolton - timbales[21]
  • 1991 - Retrogroove Artifact - Rhythmtown Jive - percussion
  • 1991 - Silver Lining - Nils Lofgren - drums[22]
  • 1990 - It's Supposed to Be Fun - Lou Rawls - percussion[23]
  • 1989 - Stay With Me - Regina Belle - drums - gold record
  • 1989 - D'Atra Hicks - D'Atra Hicks - cymbals
  • 1989 - Good to Be Back - Natalie Cole - cymbals
  • 1989 - Night with Mr. C - Clarence Clemons - cymbals, percussion, performer, primary artist
  • 1989 - So Happy - Eddie Murphy - percussion[24]
  • 1989 - Through the Storm - Aretha Franklin - percussion, cymbals[25]
  • 1989 - Pia Z - Pia Zadora - cymbals, percussion
  • 1987 - Whitney - Whitney Houston - percussion[26]
  • 1986 - Aretha 1986 - Aretha Franklin - percussion, vocals (background)
  • 1986 - Duotones - Kenny G - drums, percussion
  • 1986 - Frantic Romantic - Jermaine Stewart - percussion, electronic drum fills
  • 1986 - While the City Sleeps - George Benson - synthesizer, drums, cymbals, percussion, drum fills
  • 1985 - Hero - Clarence Clemons & the Red Bank Rockers - percussion
  • 1985 - Who's Zoomin' Who? - Aretha Franklin - percussion
  • 1980 - Aretha 1980 - Aretha Franklin - percussion
  • 1980 - Life Is Good - Jimmy Mac - drums

References
  1. Sullivan, Chuck (10 January 2018). About Time - The Unsung Genius of Steve Winwood - Gigi Gonaway. ISBN 9781483477466.
  2. "All Music - Greg (Gigi) Gonaway".
  3. "2018 NAMM Show-Gigi Gonaway Gonaway".
  4. "Drummerszone - Greg "Gigi" Gonaway releases".
  5. "Variety Magazine - The full-court marketing press of Mariah Carey - Drummer Gigi Gonaway - November 23, 1993".
  6. "91.3 Capital FM - Aaron Hendra Project - Kampala, Uganda - Gigi discusses Mariah Carey, Randy Jackson - April 23, 2014".
  7. "Ditty TV - Aaron Hendra Live Broadcast - with Gigi Gonaway - October 10, 2014".
  8. "All Access Hot/Mod/AC - Aaron Hendra Live with interview - live Broadcast - with Gigi Gonaway - October 10, 2014".
  9. "IMDB - The Real Housewives of Dallas - Season 1, Episode 7 - The Aaron Hendra Project performs at charitable event, Light Up Tomorrow - May, 2016".
  10. "MTV Whitney Houston Music Video -I Get So Emotional - Drummer, Gigi Gonaway - 1987".
  11. "Slightly Single in L.A. - Gigi Gonaway credit - Drummer - 2013".
  12. "MTV Unplugged Mariah Carey - I'll Be There - Gigi Gonaway - Drummer - 1992".
  13. "IMDB - Film Credits - Gigi Gonaway".
  14. "Drummerszone- Gigi Gonaway Gear".
  15. "Paiste Artists -Gigi Gonaway".
  16. "East Valley Tribune - Blaine Long recalls 'The Voice' stint with 'Scorpio' album - Drummer Gigi Gonaway".
  17. "WKYC - Channel 3 Cleveland - Aaron Hendra – Octobersong 5/9/14 Drummer Gigi Gonaway".
  18. "audio-music - The Temptations: Phoenix Rising".
  19. "Junction Seven Album Credits- Steve Winwood Official Website".
  20. "IMDB - Mariah Carey - I'll Be There - MTV Unplugged Version (1992) - Gigi Gonaway".
  21. "Discogs - Time, Love, and Tenderness Album Credits".
  22. "Silver Lining - Barnes & Noble - Album Credits - Drums: Gigi Gonaway".
  23. "Amoeba Records- Lou Rawls - It's Supposed To Be Fun - Album Credits".
  24. "Tidal - Eddie Murphy - So Happy - Album Credits - Percussion".
  25. "All Music - Aretha Frankin - Through The Storm - Cymbals, Percussion - Gigi Gonaway".
  26. "Album Liner Notes - Whitney Houston - "Whitney" - Percussion Gigi Gonaway".
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