John Lombardo

John Lombardo
John Lombardo, founding member of 10,000 Maniacs, in 2015
Background information
Born	(1952-09-30) September 30, 1952 (age 64) Jamestown, New York, United States
Origin	Buffalo, New York, United States
Genres	Folk rock, alternative rock
Occupation(s)	Musician, songwriter, producer
Instruments	Guitar, bass, vocals
Years active	1981–present
Labels	Christian Burial, Elektra, Rykodisc, Geffen, Bar/None
Associated acts	John & Mary, 10,000 Maniacs

John Lombardo (born 30 September 1952) was one of the founding members of the American alternative rock band 10,000 Maniacs and one of the band's most influential members, writing much of its early material. He is also a member of folk rock duo John & Mary.

Called by the Buffalo News "a dominant force" in the Maniacs, Lombardo was in the group from its inception in 1981 until he left in 1986 after the release of their first major-label album, The Wishing Chair. Lombardo cited "creative and political differences" as his reason for leaving the band.

Lombardo formed the folk rock duo John & Mary with the classically trained Mary Ramsey, who played violin and viola for 10,000 Maniacs and sang backing vocals on the 1993 album MTV Unplugged. The pair made two recordings under the name John & Mary, Victory Gardens in 1991 and 1993's The Weedkiller's Daughter, called "a garden of shimmering delights" by the Atlanta Constitution. Both albums were released on Rykodisc and are out of print.

Lombardo returned to the Maniacs in 1994 after Natalie Merchant's departure, with Ramsey joining as the new lead singer. The duo released two albums with the Maniacs, 1997's Love Among the Ruins, which contained a cover of the Roxy Music song "More Than This" that did well in the U.S. charts, and 1999's The Earth Pressed Flat. In 2002, after leaving the Maniacs following the death of guitarist Rob Buck, John and Mary released The Pinwheel Galaxy. With their current band, the Valkyries, they recently released Peace Bridge (2007).