Born in San Diego, Goffeney was raised in a musical family. By the age of nine he was attempting to create his own music despite his handicap, but choosing an instrument proved to be a challenge. For a while he played trombone in the school band, and then his father brought home an old guitar he had found at a garbage dump. Goffeney asked a guitar-playing neighbourhood friend for instruction. The guitar had only four strings. With his friend's help, Goffeney developed his own technique, learning guitar and bass. He would lay the guitar on the ground, supporting the neck .