1971-2024: Musical genius Dominic Gaudious created name for himself on didgeridoo, double-neck guitar.

With his bright and wild shirts and his otherworldly music on his didgeridoos and double-neck guitars, Dominic Gaudious wowed the crowds just as much with his bright smile and genuinely charming personality. The talented musician performed all over the world but was just as happy sharing his music and singing on an outdoor stage at Disney Springs or in downtown Winter Garden.

The musician — who has been called an innovative and passionate musical virtuoso — died April 2 after lapsing into a coma following a motorcycle crash March 11. He was 52. Gaudious had been a Winter Garden resident since 2004.

Following his death, Gaudious’ family wrote this post on Facebook:

“Dominic was a beacon of love, a beloved father, a loving brother, a faithful friend, a cherished musician, and a treasured soul embraced by a family and community that adored him beyond measure. His guitar conveyed deep emotions, his music a beautiful reflection of his passion and talent. Through joy, sorrow and love, Dominic's melodies forged unbreakable bonds and left indelible marks on our hearts.”

Immediately following the announcement of Gaudious’ passing, hundreds of close friends and fans began sharing on social media selfies taken with the musician, photos of his performances and their experiences with him:

“Dominic Gaudious was an innovative artist and a phenomenal guitar player. He brought his joy of life and good energy to thousands of people from all around the world.”

“The joy he expressed in his music and the love he had sharing it with his audience was undeniable.”

“The sky is fortunate enough to add another bright star in its midst.”

“Our planet has lost another light.”

“He was a bright light, a kind soul, a great musician and a terrific performer. The love pouring out (toward) him tonight is indicative of the impact he made on not only the people he played for, but also those he played with.”

“(Dominic’s) CD pile is bigger than Bon Jovi’s in our house.”

A MUSICIAN IN THE MAKING

Gaudious was born May 26, 1971, in Neptune, New Jersey, and moved to Winter Garden from Atlanta in 2004.

Called a musical genius by many, Gaudious took a few guitar lessons when he was young but was mostly self-taught. He turned professional in the 1980s after a chance meeting with members of the rock band Saboteur while he was walking down the street in Smyrna, Georgia. They struck up a conversation because Gaudious, then 15, looked like a “rocker,” and his fate as the newest band member was sealed when he showed them his guitar riffs.

After successfully recording and touring with Saboteur, Gaudious found his passion in the contemplative world of classical/World Beat music. He worked mainly with six- and 12-string acoustic guitars and incorporated exotic instruments such as the Australian didgeridoo, creating a uniquely intricate playing style that blends the sounds of classical, jazz, flamenco, rock and world-beat.

He performed at the 1996 Summer Olympics, the Australian Embassy, Montreux Music Festival and National Geographic; he opened for the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Pat Benatar and Kip Winger; he appeared with the well-respected jazz ensemble Acoustic Alchemy, The Rippingtons and world-renowned guitarists such as Pierre Bensusan, Adrian Legg and Eric Johnson; and he performed at the after-show party for John Petrucci, Joe Satriani and Steve Vai.

He often was compared to Michael Hedges, Eddie Van Halen and Al DiMeola.

Friend Jeremy Birdsall shared an experience with Gaudious that left quite an impression:

“Fourteen years ago, my friend … and I came up with the hair-brained idea to create a local, all-instrumental music festival called Shut Up & Play to showcase some of Orlando's instrumental talent. We were both solely in instrumental bands at the time and looking for more stages to play, so we decided to just create our own! … We had ZERO budget but knew we had to get several more acts to truly call it a festival.

“I knew of Dominic Gaudious, the incredible guitarist and didgeridoo player of Orlando, but I didn't know him personally yet. It was 2010, and he was already an established and well-respected performer at Disney Springs … with a strong fan base. His career was well past the point of playing for ‘exposure.’ But as a Hail Mary, I reached out to him and said, ‘Hey, wanna play our new, grassroots all-instrumental music festival? We have no money!’ And without missing a beat, Dom said ‘Absolutely!!!’ That's just the kind of person he was.

“The following year, we presented an encore of the Shut Up & Play festival, which had grown from six acts in 2010 to 21 acts in 2011, and Dom was right back there again to perform and support our grassroots festival and his fellow musicians of Orlando.”

POSITIVE FEEDBACK

Gaudious was a finalist on FOX TV's "30 Seconds to Fame," a finalist and Honor Award winner in the Great American Song Contest for his song "Far East Fusion," nominated as Best Instrumental Artist, Best Performing Artist by campusawards.com and nominated by SSA as National Radio Recording Artist of the Year.

Through the years, Gaudious was the subject of many articles and reviews in publications ranging from 20th Century Guitar Magazine to Guitar Nine Records to Rolling Stone:

“Gaudious is tastefully masterful at merging genres like jazz, flamenco, classical, folk and world beat … a creative blend of divergent musical genres … artistic, forward-thinking musicianship.”

“The man is hot … an acoustic guitar wizard.”

“Every song overflows with texture, ingenuity and superb craftsmanship.”

“His compositions come roaring out of the speakers with brilliant clarity, and you find yourself intricately woven into the song's melodic message.”

A FAMILY MAN

Despite his rise to fame, Gaudious remained grounded and dedicated to his family, which included his 16-year-old son, Dominic III (“Nic”), and his former wife and trusted co-parent, Rebecca Lanterman Bradford, both of Winter Garden.

Bradford said the relationship between father and son was a special one, and they always had an adventure brewing, whether it was attending Orlando Magic or Solar Bears games, NFL games or any other sports-related activity.

“They always had this bond,” Bradford said. “And it was always based on doing something. He knew that when he was with his dad, they were going to do something.”

The three frequently took family vacations together.

Bradford said his biggest musical achievement was playing guitar and didgeridoo at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta.

“He wrote a song called ‘Global’ that was played, and he was very proud of that accomplishment,” she said. “He also was just very proud to play at what was originally Downtown Disney and then became Disney Springs for more than a decade.”

On occasion, he invited his son up on stage, and Nic accompanied his dad on didgeridoo and drums, sometimes both at the same time.

Bradford said Gaudious, who was always working on and trying to improve his craft, was creating a new song track the day of his crash.

Gaudious was predeceased by both parents and one brother, Frank.

In addition to Nic and Bradford, Gaudious is survived by a brother, Marc, and his wife, Lora, and sons, Marc and Max; Frank’s children, Cassie and Jared; and a half-brother, Richard Boynton.