Born in Glasgow, Scotland in 1956, Lawrence was raised in Scarborough, the eastern part of the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. As Lawrence said, "My marks in high-school were of a caliber that left me no option but to pursue the occupation of Rockstar." He trained in classical piano at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, and after graduating in 1976, he spent five years playing in his local band "Rhinegold". After the band broke up, he did short stints with the cover band "FUNN", and as keyboard player for Ronnie Hawkins. After submitting a demo tape to CBS Records (Sony Music Canada) in 1982, Gowan was signed to a contract. His self-titled album was released that same year, but it was his second album, "Strange Animal", released three years later, which gained him commercial success. Gowan has won many Canadian musical awards, and high praise from critics and his peers over the years. His acting roles comprise appearances in his own videos; a cameo in a 2005 video cover of his hit single "Strange Animal" performed by Canadian hip-hop artist Maestro; and appearances on MTV's "Cribs" and VH1's "Behind The Music" shows. His musical success continues as lead singer for the band Styx since 1999.