Lou Gramm

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Lou Gramm
Lou Gramm 1979 8x10.jpg
Gramm performing in 1979
Background information
Birth nameLouis Andrew Grammatico
Born (1950-05-02) May 2, 1950 (age 74)
Rochester, New York, U.S.
Genres
Occupations
  • Singer
  • songwriter
Years active1974–present
Formerly of
Website lougrammofficial.com

Louis Andrew Grammatico (born May 2, 1950), known professionally as Lou Gramm, is an American singer and songwriter. He is best known as co-founder and lead vocalist of the rock band Foreigner from 1976 to 1990 and again from 1992 to 2003, during which time the band had numerous successful albums and singles.

Contents

He is considered among the greatest and most successful rock vocalists of the late 1970s and 1980s. He co-wrote most of Foreigner's hits with bandmate Mick Jones. Together, they are inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame class of 2013. [1] In 2024, Gramm was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Foreigner. [2]

Early life

Gramm was born on May 2, 1950, in Rochester, New York, the son of Nikki (born Masetta), a singer, and Bennie Grammatico, a band leader and trumpeter. [3] [4] [5] He attended Gates-Chili High School in Rochester, graduating with the class of 1968, and majored in education and art at Monroe Community College. [6]

Career

1970s

Gramm became front man for the band Black Sheep. Black Sheep was the first American band signed to the Chrysalis label, which released their first single, "Stick Around" (1974). Soon after this initial bit of success, Black Sheep signed with Capitol Records, releasing two albums in succession: Black Sheep (1975) and Encouraging Words (late 1975). They were the opening act for Kiss when an accident with their equipment truck on the ice-covered New York State Thruway suddenly ended the band's tour on Christmas Eve, 1975. Unable to support its albums with live performances, Black Sheep disbanded. [7]

A year earlier, Gramm met his future bandmate Mick Jones. Jones was in Rochester New York performing with the band Spooky Tooth, and Gramm had given Jones a copy of Black Sheep's first album (S/T). It was early in 1976, not long after Black Sheep's truck accident, when Jones, in search of a lead singer for a new band he was assembling, expressed his interest in Gramm and invited him to audition. [8]

Gramm traveled to New York to audition and got the job. Lou Grammatico then became Lou Gramm. The band, which was initially known as "Trigger," was later renamed "Foreigner". With Foreigner, Gramm became one of the most successful rock vocalists of the late 1970s and 1980s. [9]

1980s

Lou Gramm performing with Foreigner on November 25, 1979 Lou Gramm Foreigner November 1979.jpg
Lou Gramm performing with Foreigner on November 25, 1979

Foreigner's first eight singles cracked the Billboard Top 20, making them the first band since The Beatles to achieve this milestone. [10] Gramm performed vocals on all of Foreigner's hits including "Urgent", "Juke Box Hero", "Break It Up", "Say You Will", and "I Don't Want to Live Without You". [11] He co-wrote most of the band's songs, including the hit ballads "Waiting for a Girl Like You", which spent ten weeks at #2 on the 1981/82 American Hot 100, and "I Want to Know What Love Is", which was a number one hit in eight countries. [8]

Gramm and Jones had a volatile chemistry. Gramm wanted the band to remain true to its purer rock origins, favoring music with a solid drum and guitar structure, whereas Jones embraced the 1980s style of synthesizer ballads. [12] Gramm has called the 4 album (1981) the high point of his work with Foreigner. [13] Foreigner's next album, Agent Provocateur (1984), took three years to release due to the ongoing creative differences between Jones and Gramm. [14] The band released Inside Information in 1987. [15]

Gramm released his first solo album, Ready or Not , in January 1987 to critical acclaim. [16] The single "Midnight Blue" reached the top five. [17]

Also in 1987, Gramm contributed the song "Lost in the Shadows" to the soundtrack for the comedy horror film The Lost Boys .

A second solo effort, Long Hard Look (October 1989), included the top ten hit "Just Between You and Me" as well as "True Blue Love", reached the Top 40. The album also included "Hangin' on My Hip", which was featured in the 1990 film Navy SEALs . [18]

1990s

Gramm announced his departure from Foreigner in May 1990 due to differences with Jones, and to focus on his solo career. [19]

Gramm also formed Shadow King with close friend and former Black Sheep bassist Bruce Turgon; their 1991 self-titled album was released by Atlantic Records. Despite positive reviews, the group did not enjoy the level of marketing and promotional support necessary to sustain a new project and soon disbanded. Also in 1991, Gramm contributed the song "One Dream" to the movie Highlander II: The Quickening . [20]

Gramm rejoined Foreigner in May 1992 after working out his differences with Jones during the Los Angeles riots. [21] In 1994, Foreigner released the album Mr. Moonlight on the Rhythm Safari label which, although relatively successful in Europe, was not as widely marketed or distributed in the U.S. Still, "Until the End of Time" made inroads at adult contemporary radio, peaking at number 8. [22]

In 1996, Jones invited Gramm to perform backing vocals on a cover version of "I Want to Know What Love Is" he was producing for the Australian singer Tina Arena. The song went on to become a major hit again throughout Europe.[ citation needed ]

In 1997, Gramm provided vocals for Christian rock band Petra's album entitled Petra Praise 2: We Need Jesus . [23]

In April 1997, on the eve of a Japan tour, Gramm was diagnosed with a benign brain tumor and underwent surgery. [24] He continued to work with Jones throughout his illness. By 1998, Gramm was back touring with Foreigner. [25]

2000s to present

In early 2003, Gramm departed from Foreigner for good. [26]

The Lou Gramm Band released a Christian rock album in 2009. [27]

In May 2013, Lou released his autobiography Juke Box Hero - My Five Decades in Rock 'n' Roll. [28]

Gramm was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame on June 13, 2013. [29] On July 20, 2017, Gramm joined Foreigner for three songs during an encore at Jones Beach Theatre in Long Island, New York. [29] On December 29, 2018, Gramm announced on stage in Schenectady, New York that he was retiring from touring. [30] However, he stated that he would continue to release studio music and perform occasional live shows [26] including The Lopen, [31] a celebrity concert [32] produced by Howard Perl Entertainment [33] to benefit children at Akron Children's Hospital.

In 2019, Gramm toured on a bill with Asia Featuring John Payne, where they also acted as his backup group. [34] Gramm performed lead vocals on the track "Sometimes" on the 2019 album The Secret by Alan Parsons. [35]

Gramm in 2009 Lou Gramm (Foreigner).jpg
Gramm in 2009

Gramm told RockBandReviews.com in 2019 that he was planning to release some new solo material later that year. "I'm working on some things now that were extra songs on my solo albums," he said. "If there's 10 songs on the album, you usually record 13 and pick the best 10, or the 10 that are finished. So the other three have been sitting around for 25, 30 years, and I went back recently and listened to them, and they sounded so good that I finished them. Starting in about two months, maybe three months, I will release three songs on downloads and see how that works out. So those songs will be heard for the first time. And then in another three or four months, there's going to be three more new songs released. So that could be going on for six or eight months, and we'll see what happens." [36]

Gramm also said he is "thinking about" releasing a greatest-hits package of his non-Foreigner works. [36]

In 2024, Gramm was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Foreigner alongside Mick Jones, Ian McDonald, Al Greenwood, Dennis Elliott, Ed Gagliardi, and Rick Wills. [37] Coinciding with their upcoming induction, Foreigner released their new song "Turning Back the Time" with Gramm on the vocals which was recorded from the early 2000s. Gramm told Billboard earlier this year. “There were about eight or nine of them. We didn’t have a record company then, so we were waiting to see what happened. Then Mick and I had a huge falling out, and I left the band…. So now Mick’s got the copy and I don’t have one and I don’t know if he’s ever gonna do anything with them. I kind of doubt it, but I would like to at least listen to those roughs that we did. Those were great ideas.” [38]

Legacy

Gramm is considered one of the greatest and most successful rock vocalists of all-time. Circus magazine in 1978 upon the release of Hot Blooded commented that Lou Gramm had a voice that Robert Plant might envy. [39] Variety noted that Gramm is one of rock and roll's premier vocalists. [40] Gramm is ranked the second greatest Album-oriented Rock vocalists of all-time in a Louder article published on January 14, 2024. [41]

Personal life

In 1992, Gramm, after having completed a stint in drug rehabilitation, became a born again Christian. [27]

In April 1997, Gramm was diagnosed with a type of brain tumor called a craniopharyngioma. Although the tumor was benign, the resulting surgery damaged his pituitary gland. In addition, the recovery program had caused Gramm to gain weight and likewise affected his stamina and voice. [24]

As of 2023, Gramm is back on tour with his band the Lou Gramm Allstars. [29] He has new music in the works to be released soon. [26] He enjoys spending time with his five children during his downtime. [19] He is also touring under "Lou Gramm, The Original Voice of Foreigner" with John Payne's Asia as his backing band playing solo and classic Foreigner hits.

Discography

Solo albums

TitleDetailsPeak chart
positions
US
[42] 		CAN
[43] 		AUS
[44] [45]
Ready or Not 272434
Long Hard Look
  • Release date: October 9, 1989
  • Label: Atlantic Records
  • Formats: CD, cassette
854456
Lou Gramm Band
  • Release date: June 2, 2009
  • Label: Spectra Records
  • Formats: CD, music download
———
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

Solo singles

YearSong U.S. Hot 100 U.S. MSR U.S. A.C. UK singles Dutch singles AUS [44] Album
1987"Midnight Blue"51—82298Ready or Not
"Ready or Not"547———97
"Lost In The Shadows" [46] —————— The Lost Boys Soundtrack
1989"Just Between You and Me"644——31Long Hard Look
1990"True Blue Love"4023————
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

With Black Sheep

With Foreigner

With Poor Heart

(note: These are releases of much older recordings)

With Shadow King

With Liberty N' Justice

(note: one track only)

Lou Gramm Band/The Voice of Foreigner Band members

Timeline

Lou Gramm

Related Research Articles

<i>4</i> (Foreigner album) 1981 studio album by Foreigner

4, also known as Foreigner 4, is the fourth studio album by the British-American rock band Foreigner, released on July 3, 1981, by Atlantic Records. The album's name signifies that it is the band's fourth studio album and also the fact that the band's membership had reduced from six to four members. Musically, it showed Foreigner shifting from hard rock to more accessible mainstream rock and pop music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Foreigner (band)</span> British-American rock band

Foreigner is a British-American rock band formed in New York City in 1976 by guitarist Mick Jones, vocalist Lou Gramm, drummer Dennis Elliott, keyboardist Al Greenwood, bassist Ed Gagliardi, and multi-instrumentalist Ian McDonald, the last of whom was also a founding member of King Crimson. Foreigner is one of the world's best-selling bands of all time, with worldwide sales exceeding 80 million records, including 37.5 million in the United States.

<i>Inside Information</i> (album) 1987 studio album by Foreigner

Inside Information is the sixth studio album by the British-American rock band Foreigner, released on December 7, 1987.

<i>Mr. Moonlight</i> (album) 1994 studio album by Foreigner

Mr. Moonlight is the eighth studio album by British-American rock band Foreigner, released by Arista Records in Europe on 24 October and by BMG Entertainment in Japan on 23 November 1994. In the United States and Canada, it appeared in early 1995 on the Rhythm Safari label. Recorded at seven different studios across the States, the album was produced by Mick Jones, Lou Gramm, and Mike Stone, with an additional production by Phil and Joe Nicolo. It was Foreigner's last studio release until Can't Slow Down (2009).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mick Jones (Foreigner guitarist)</span> English rock guitarist (born 1944)

Michael Leslie Jones is an English musician, songwriter and record producer, best known as the founder and leader of the British-American rock band Foreigner. Prior to Foreigner, he was in the band Spooky Tooth.

John Douglas Edwards is an American rock singer who sang for the bands Buster Brown, Montrose, King Kobra, Wild Horses, Northrup, Royal Jelly and is best known as the second lead singer of the rock band Foreigner.

Black Sheep was an American, Rochester, New York-based, 1970s rock music band, one of vocalist Lou Gramm's early working bands. The group released the single "Stick Around" in 1974, the album Black Sheep in 1975, and the album Encouraging Words in late 1975. They were invited to open for Kiss on tour, but a truck accident destroyed their equipment. The band was no longer performing when Gramm was invited by Mick Jones to join the band Foreigner in 1976. Don Mancuso and Ron Rocco were later members of Cheater, a local hard rock band from Rochester that released a 10-inch record entitled Ten Cent Love Affair in 1980 on Mallard Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Juke Box Hero</span> 1981 single by Foreigner

"Juke Box Hero" is a song by British-American rock band Foreigner written by Lou Gramm and Mick Jones from their 1981 album 4. It first entered the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart in July 1981 and eventually reached #3 on that chart. Released as the album's third single in early 1982, it subsequently went to #26 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Urgent (song)</span> 1981 single by Foreigner

"Urgent" is a song by the British-American rock band Foreigner, and the first single from their album 4 in 1981.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dennis Elliott</span> British musician and artist

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Bruce Turgon is an American bass guitarist, guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and producer. Bruce has played in several bands throughout his career including: Foreigner, The Lou Gramm Band, Shadow King, Steve Stevens, Warrior, Black Sheep and Showcase.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hot Blooded</span> 1978 single by Foreigner

"Hot Blooded" is a song by the British-American rock band Foreigner, from their second studio album Double Vision. It was released as a single in June 1978 and reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart that September. The single was also certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. It is also the theme song to the truTV scripted series Tacoma FD.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Feels Like the First Time</span> 1977 single by Foreigner

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<i>Ready or Not</i> (Lou Gramm album) 1987 studio album by Lou Gramm

Ready or Not is the debut solo studio album by American rock singer-songwriter Lou Gramm, released in February 1987 by Atlantic Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dirty White Boy (song)</span> 1979 single by Foreigner

"Dirty White Boy" is a song recorded by British-American rock band Foreigner, written by Lou Gramm and Mick Jones, and produced by Roy Thomas Baker, Jones, and Ian McDonald. It was the first single taken from the band's third studio album, Head Games (1979). The B-side, "Rev on the Red Line" has also proven to be very popular among fans, but was never released as an A-side. Lou Gramm's trademark scream at the end of the song is missing from this abbreviated version of "Dirty White Boy". The song spent nine weeks in the Top 40.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blue Morning, Blue Day</span> 1978 song by Foreigner

"Blue Morning, Blue Day" is a song written by Lou Gramm and Mick Jones that was first released as the third single on Foreigner's second album, Double Vision, reaching #15 on the Hot 100, the band's sixth top 40 single in two years, and #45 in the U.K. The song was backed with the Mick Jones song "I Have Waited So Long". "Blue Morning, Blue Day" is also available as downloadable content for the Rock Band series and was released on clear blue vinyl.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Long, Long Way from Home</span> 1977 single by Foreigner

"Long, Long Way from Home" is a song written by Mick Jones, Lou Gramm & Ian McDonald that was initially released on Foreigner's debut album. It was the third single taken from the album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luanne</span> 1982 single by Foreigner

"Luanne" was the fifth and final single taken from the album 4 by the band Foreigner, and the second to feature a B-side that was not available on one of their albums, a controversial live version of their hit, "Hot Blooded". The song was written by Lou Gramm and Mick Jones and reached number 75 in the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart, but was a live staple for years to come. The live version of "Hot Blooded" was later placed on the international release of their retrospective, Records, but in subsequent re-releases has been dropped in favour of the original album version due to a couple of choice words spoken in ad lib during the song's performance by its singer, Lou Gramm.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">That Was Yesterday (Foreigner song)</span> 1985 single by Foreigner

"That Was Yesterday" is the second single taken from the album Agent Provocateur by the band Foreigner. This song was available in four versions, as a remixed single, an extended remix, an orchestral version, and the original mix. The song was written by Lou Gramm and Mick Jones, and the B-side "Two Different Worlds" is also of note for being the first solo-written Lou Gramm song to appear on a single.

References

  1. ↑ "Lou Gramm Songwriter Hall of Fame". songhall.org. June 13, 2013. Retrieved October 19, 2024.
  2. ↑ "Foreigner Rock & Roll Hall of Fame". rockhall.com. Retrieved October 16, 2024.
  3. ↑ "Jamaica Gleaner News – Family connections at Jazz and Blues – Entertainmen". Jamaica-gleaner.com. January 28, 2009. Archived from the original on March 3, 2009. Retrieved November 3, 2013.
  4. ↑ "A 'Foreigner' no more, Gramm loves the hometown crowd". Archived from the original on January 29, 2013. Retrieved December 18, 2012.
  5. ↑ "Hall of Fame". Rochester Music Coalition. January 29, 2009. Archived from the original on November 5, 2013. Retrieved November 3, 2013.
  6. ↑ Hendricks, Matt (November 29, 2011). "'Just Between You and Me' – by Lou Gramm – Classic Hit or Miss". Greatest Hits 98.7 WFGR.
  7. ↑ "Lou Gramm Rock Block". houstonseagle.com. Cox Media Group. May 2013. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
  8. 1 2 Wildsmith, Steve. "Now more than two decades sober, Foreigner's Lou Gramm reflects on the dark days of his addiction". thetiesthatbindus.org. The Ties That Bind Us. Retrieved March 4, 2021.
  9. ↑ "Interview with Juke Box Hero Lou Gramm, The Original Voice of Foreigner". foxvalleymagazine.com. April 3, 2019.
  10. ↑ "Lyrical Genius". Associated Press. September 5, 2018. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
  11. ↑ Peake, Steve. "Top Foreigner and Lou Gramm Solo Songs of the '80s". Thoughtco. dotDash. Retrieved February 5, 2021.
  12. ↑ "The Foreigner Strut: Mick Jones and Lou Gramm's Sweet Science of Swagger". October 16, 2024. Retrieved October 16, 2024.
  13. ↑ "Lou Gramm recalls Foreigner's hits and forging 'arena rock'". woub.org. April 17, 2024. Retrieved October 16, 2024.
  14. ↑ "Allmusic: Review of Agent Provocateur by Bret Adams". AllMusic . Retrieved June 27, 2015.
  15. ↑ "Inside Information". rhino.com. December 27, 2018. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
  16. ↑ "Allmusic: Review of Ready Or Not by Bret Adams". AllMusic . Retrieved September 27, 2011.
  17. ↑ "Lou Gramm Chart History". Billboard.
  18. ↑ "Lyrical Genius". Associated Press. September 5, 2018. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
  19. 1 2 Gramm, Lou; Pitoniak, Scott (May 1, 2013). Juke Box Hero: My Five Decades in Rock 'n' Roll. Chicago, Illinois: Triumph Books. p. 119. ISBN   978-1623682057 . Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  20. ↑ Rosenthal, Nicole (August 11, 2020). "The Real Reason Singer Lou Gramm Quit Foreigner". grunge.com. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
  21. ↑ Renzi, David (June 25, 1999). "With Foreigner relations repaired and the double vision working again". Las Vegas Sun . Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  22. ↑ "Foreigner". Billboard. Retrieved February 2, 2021.
  23. ↑ "Petra Praise 2: We Need Jesus". christianmusicarchive.com. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
  24. 1 2 Barton, Geoff (May 13, 2009). "Gramm: Why My Foreigner Affair Turned Sour". Classic Rock. Archived from the original on May 17, 2009. Retrieved June 18, 2009.
  25. ↑ Sculley, Alan. "Grandstand concert preview: Foreigner celebrates 40 years". The State Journal-Register. Gannett Co. Retrieved February 2, 2021.
  26. 1 2 3 "Lou Gramm Details Why He Retired from the Road". 102.9 WMGK. January 17, 2019.
  27. 1 2 Ackerman, McCarton (May 16, 2013). "Foreigner Frontman Is Born Again Sober". The Fix.
  28. ↑ Gramm, Lou (September 24, 2019). Juke box hero : my five decades in rock 'n' roll. Triumph Books. ISBN   978-1-62937-758-2. OCLC   1090198368.
  29. 1 2 3 "Lou Gramm finally sang again with Foreigner Thursday, but not expected to at Darien". Democrat and Chronicle. July 21, 2017. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  30. ↑ [ dead link ]
  31. ↑ "2015 LOPen Charity Event Weekend". CoolCleveland. May 19, 2015. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
  32. ↑ "LOPen delivers smiles, rocks the night away". Inside Children's Blog. June 30, 2015. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
  33. ↑ "Howard Perl/LOPen Presents.... (the voice of Foreigner) LOU GRAMM & STARSHIP (with original frontman Mickey Thomas) - DONATIONS ONLY!!!". allevents.in. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
  34. ↑ "LOU GRAMM Performs FOREIGNER Classics With ASIA FEATURING JOHN PAYNE in Collingswood, New Jersey (Video)". blabbermouth.net. January 29, 2019. Retrieved February 2, 2021.
  35. ↑ "Alan Parsons teams up with Lou Gramm for new track Sometimes". loudersound.com. April 12, 2019.
  36. 1 2 "LOU GRAMM Is Planning To Release Six New Songs This Year". Blabbermouth.net. March 7, 2019.
  37. ↑ "Foreigner Rock & Roll Hall of Fame". rockhall.com. Retrieved October 16, 2024.
  38. ↑ "Foreigner shares unreleased Turning Back the Time' Song". billboard.com. Retrieved October 16, 2024.
  39. ↑ "LOU GRAMM The Original Voice of Foreigner". wfmj.com. Retrieved October 16, 2024.
  40. ↑ "Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Highlights: Cher, Peter Frampton and More". variety. October 20, 2024. Retrieved October 22, 2024.
  41. ↑ "The 40 best AOR vocalists of all time". loudersound.com. January 31, 2024. Retrieved October 16, 2024.
  42. ↑ "Lou Gramm Album & Song Chart History - Billboard 200". Billboard . Prometheus Global Media . Retrieved April 30, 2011.
  43. ↑ "Results - RPM - Library and Archives Canada - Top Albums/CDs". RPM . Archived from the original on October 22, 2012. Retrieved April 30, 2011.
  44. 1 2 Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 128. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  45. ↑ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (pdf ed.). Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
  46. ↑ "Lou Gramm - Lost In The Shadows (1987, Vinyl)". Discogs . September 18, 1987.
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