Lou Gramm | |
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Background information | |
Birth name | Louis Andrew Grammatico |
Born | Rochester, New York, U.S. | 2 May 1950
Genres | |
Occupation(s) |
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Instruments | Vocals, drums, percussion |
Years active | 1974–present |
Labels |
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Formerly of | |
Website | lougrammofficial |
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. In 2024, Gramm was selected as an inductee for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Foreigner.
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. [1] [2] [3] He attended Gates-Chili High School in Rochester, graduating with the class of 1968, and majored in education and art at Monroe Community College. [4]
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. [5]
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. [6]
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. [7]
Foreigner's first eight singles cracked the Billboard Top 20, making them the first band since The Beatles to achieve this milestone. [8] 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". [9] 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. [6]
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.[ citation needed ] Gramm has called the 4 album (1981) the high point of his work with Foreigner.[ citation needed ] Foreigner's next album, Agent Provocateur (1984), took three years to release due to the ongoing creative differences between Jones and Gramm. [10] The band released Inside Information in 1987. [11]
Gramm released his first solo album, Ready or Not , in January 1987 to critical acclaim. [12] The single "Midnight Blue" reached the top five. [13]
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), that 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 . [14]
Gramm announced his departure from Foreigner in May 1990 due to differences with Jones, and to focus on his solo career. [15]
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 . [16]
Gramm rejoined Foreigner in May 1992 after working out his differences with Jones during the Los Angeles riots. [17] 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. [18]
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 . [19]
In April 1997, on the eve of a Japan tour, Gramm was diagnosed with a benign brain tumor and underwent surgery. [20] He continued to work with Jones throughout his illness. By 1998, Gramm was back touring with Foreigner. [21]
In early 2003, Gramm departed from Foreigner for good. [22]
The Lou Gramm Band released a Christian rock album in 2009. [23]
In May 2013, Lou released his autobiography Juke Box Hero - My Five Decades in Rock 'n' Roll. [24]
Gramm was inducted to the Songwriters Hall of Fame on 13 June 2013. [25] On 20 July 2017, Gramm joined Foreigner for three songs during an encore at Jones Beach Theatre in Long Island, New York. [25] On 29 December 2018, Gramm announced on stage in Schenectady, New York that he was retiring from touring. [26] However, he stated that he would continue to release studio music and perform occasional live shows [22] including The Lopen, [27] a celebrity concert [28] produced by Howard Perl Entertainment [29] 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 back-up group. [30] Gramm performed lead vocals on the track "Sometimes" on the 2019 album The Secret by Alan Parsons. [31]
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'm gonna be releasing 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 gonna be three more new songs released. So that could be going on for six or eight months, and we'll see what happens." [32]
Gramm also said that he is "thinking about" releasing a greatest-hits package of his non-Foreigner works. [32]
In 1992, Gramm, after having completed a stint in drug rehabilitation, became a born again Christian. [23]
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. [20]
As of 2023, Gramm is back on tour with his band the Lou Gramm Allstars. [25] He has new music in the works to be released in the near future. [22] He enjoys spending time with his five children during his downtime. [15] 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.
Title | Details | Peak chart positions | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
US [33] | CAN [34] | AUS [35] [36] | ||
Ready or Not |
| 27 | 24 | 34 |
Long Hard Look |
| 85 | 44 | 56 |
Lou Gramm Band |
| — | — | — |
"—" denotes releases that did not chart |
Year | Song | U.S. Hot 100 | U.S. MSR | U.S. A.C. | UK singles | Dutch singles | AUS [35] | Album |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1987 | "Midnight Blue" | 5 | 1 | — | 82 | 29 | 8 | Ready or Not |
"Ready or Not" | 54 | 7 | — | — | — | 97 | ||
"Lost In The Shadows" [37] | — | — | — | — | — | — | The Lost Boys Soundtrack | |
1989 | "Just Between You and Me" | 6 | 4 | 4 | — | — | 31 | Long Hard Look |
1990 | "True Blue Love" | 40 | 23 | — | — | — | — | |
"—" denotes releases that did not chart |
(note: These are actually releases of much older recordings)
(note: one track only)
Timeline
4, also known as Foreigner 4, is the fourth studio album by the British-American rock band Foreigner, released on July 3, 1981 on Atlantic Records. Several singles from the album were hits, including "Urgent", "Waiting for a Girl Like You" and "Juke Box Hero".
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 of more than 80 million records, including 37.5 million in the US.
Foreigner is the debut studio album by British-American rock band Foreigner, released on 8 March 1977. It spun off three hit singles, "Feels Like the First Time", "Cold as Ice" and "Long, Long Way from Home". It also features album tracks such as "Headknocker" and "Starrider", the latter of which features a rare lead vocal from lead guitarist and co-founder Mick Jones.
Head Games is the third studio album by the British-American rock band Foreigner, released on 11 September 1979 by Atlantic Records. Recorded at Atlantic Studios in New York, with additional recording and whole mixing taking place at Cherokee Studios in Los Angeles, it was the only Foreigner album co-produced by Roy Thomas Baker, best known for working on Queen's classic albums. It marked the first appearance of new bass guitarist Rick Wills who replaced Ed Gagliardi, and was the last album with founding members Ian McDonald and Al Greenwood, who would leave the band after the recording. Head Games is also the last Foreigner album to feature a lead vocal by guitarist Mick Jones.
Inside Information is the sixth studio album by the British-American rock band Foreigner, released on December 7, 1987. The album debuted at 15, on the Billboard 200 Albums Chart and was certified Platinum in the U.S. for sales exceeding one million copies. Although a huge standard by any country's charting method, the band's sales were certainly plummeting since the release of 4 in 1981. It was the last album to feature the '80s core lineup of Gramm, Jones, Wills, and Elliott.
Shadow King was an American hard rock supergroup. It was formed in 1990, by former Foreigner lead singer Lou Gramm, future Def Leppard guitarist Vivian Campbell, drummer Kevin Valentine of Donnie Iris and the Cruisers, and bass player Bruce Turgon who later joined Foreigner with Gramm after the split of Shadow King.
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.
"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
"Urgent" is a song by the British-American rock band Foreigner, and the first single from their album 4 in 1981.
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.
"Cold as Ice" is a 1977 song written by Lou Gramm and Mick Jones that was first released by British-American rock band Foreigner from their eponymous debut album. It became one of the best-known songs of the band in the US, peaking at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was initially the B-side of some versions of the "Feels Like the First Time" 45 rpm single.
"Feels Like the First Time" is the debut single by British-American rock band Foreigner. It was written by Mick Jones and released in 1977 from the band's eponymous debut album. It reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100.
"Midnight Blue" is a song by American rock singer-songwriter Lou Gramm, issued as a 7" single in the United States in January 1987 by Atlantic Records. It was the lead-off single from Gramm's debut album, Ready or Not, released in February 1987. An extended remix of the song was available as a 12" single.
Ready or Not is the debut solo studio album by American rock singer-songwriter Lou Gramm, released in February 1987 by Atlantic Records.
"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.
"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.
"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.
40: Forty Hits From Forty Years 1977-2017 is a two-disc compilation album by British-American rock band Foreigner, released on May 19, 2017. The album includes two new recordings: a rerecording of "I Don't Want to Live Without You", and the new song "Give My Life for Love".