Robin Zander

Last updated

Robin Zander
Cheap Trick at Gulfstream Park - Robin Zander.jpg
Zander performing in Hallandale Beach, Florida, 2006
Background information
Birth nameRobin Wayne Zander
Born (1953-01-23) January 23, 1953 (age 71)
Beloit, Wisconsin, U.S.
Genres
Occupations
  • Singer
  • songwriter
  • musician
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • guitar
Years active1973–present
Member of Cheap Trick

Robin Wayne Zander (born January 23, 1953) [1] is an American musician, best known as the lead singer and rhythm guitarist for the rock band Cheap Trick, but is also a solo artist. Zander was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2016 as a member of Cheap Trick.

Contents

Zander performing at Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater, Florida - January 31, 2014 Robin Zander - 2014.jpg
Zander performing at Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater, Florida – January 31, 2014

Early life

Zander was born in Beloit, Wisconsin, and grew up in nearby Loves Park, Illinois. [2] He learned to play the guitar by age 12. [3] Zander graduated from Harlem High School in Machesney Park, Illinois. [4] After playing in high school bands in the 1960s, [5] he joined Brian Beebe to form the folk duo Zander & Kent in the early 1970s. [6]

Music career

Cheap Trick

In 1974, Zander accepted an invitation to join Cheap Trick. [7] Along with Zander, the band consisted of guitarist Rick Nielsen, bassist Tom Petersson, and drummer Bun E. Carlos. [8] Cheap Trick's 1979 album, Cheap Trick at Budokan , catapulted the band to stardom. [9] The band reached the Top 10 in the U.S. charts in 1979 with "I Want You to Want Me" and topped the charts in 1988 with "The Flame". [10] As of 2018, Cheap Trick had been a band for over 40 years. [11] Cheap Trick has performed more than 5,000 shows [12] and has sold more than 20 million albums. [5] Zander was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Cheap Trick in 2016. [13]

Other work

Zander released the solo album Robin Zander in 1993. A second solo album, Countryside Blvd, was released online in April 2011 but was withdrawn from online music outlets within hours of being available.

On September 30, 2016, Los Angeles rock band Steel Panther released a cover version of Cheap Trick song "She's Tight" (from Cheap Trick's 1982 album One On One ), which features Zander in the music video. [14]

Influence

Known for his "pin-up good looks", [2] Zander's singing has been described as "jaw-dropping" and "supremely virtuosic". [15] In a 2014 piece titled "Unsung Heroes: The 10 Most Underrated Classic Rock Singers", Dan Tucker of VH1.com described Zander as having "range, style and attitude." [16] Zander is a tenor. [17] [18] [19] [20]

Zander's vocal style has influenced many other rock singers, from 1980s hard rockers (such as Joe Elliott of Def Leppard, Vince Neil of Mötley Crüe, Axl Rose of Guns N' Roses, Bret Michaels of Poison, and Sebastian Bach of Skid Row) to 1990s punk revivalists (such as Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day) to alternative icons (such as Billy Corgan of The Smashing Pumpkins, Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam, Kurt Cobain of Nirvana, and Scott Weiland of Stone Temple Pilots). [21] [22] [23] [2]

The May 2009 issue of Classic Rock magazine published a list of the 50 Greatest Singers in Rock. Zander was voted #23 on the list by readers, Classic Rock critics and a number of singers. [24]

Personal life

Zander performing in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 2008 RobinZander.JPG
Zander performing in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 2008

Zander and his first wife, Karen, had two children: A son named Ian Zander and a daughter named Holland Zander. Ian and Holland Zander are musicians. [25]

As of 2018, Zander lives in Safety Harbor, Florida [26] [27] with his wife, former Playboy Playmate Pamela Stein. [28] Zander and Stein have a son, Robin Taylor Zander, and a daughter, Robin-Sailor Zander; [26] both are singer-songwriters. [27] When Cheap Trick bassist Tom Petersson was sidelined from touring in 2021 due to surgery, Robin Taylor Zander filled in for him on tour. [29]

Solo discography

Albums

Singles

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cheap Trick</span> American rock band

Cheap Trick is an American rock band from Rockford, Illinois, formed in 1973 by guitarist Rick Nielsen, bassist Tom Petersson, lead vocalist Robin Zander and drummer Bun E. Carlos. Their work bridged elements of '60s guitar pop, '70s hard rock, and the emerging punk rock sound, and would help set the template for subsequent power pop artists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bun E. Carlos</span> American musician

Brad M. Carlson, better known by the stage name Bun E. Carlos, is the original drummer for American rock band Cheap Trick. He recorded and performed with the band from 1973 to 2010. Carlos was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2016 as a member of Cheap Trick.

<i>Heaven Tonight</i> 1978 studio album by Cheap Trick

Heaven Tonight is the third studio album by American rock band Cheap Trick. It was produced by Tom Werman and released on April 24, 1978. The album was remastered and released with bonus tracks on Sony's Epic/Legacy imprint in 1998. The album cover features lead singer Robin Zander and bassist Tom Petersson on the front, with guitarist Rick Nielsen and drummer Bun E. Carlos on the back.

<i>Lap of Luxury</i> 1988 studio album by Cheap Trick

Lap of Luxury is the tenth studio album by American band Cheap Trick. Released on April 12, 1988, it is the band's second-most commercially successful studio album, reaching number 16 on the Billboard 200 and being certified platinum in sales. The album contains the band's only US number-one hit, "The Flame", as well as the additional hit singles "Don't Be Cruel" and "Ghost Town".

<i>The Doctor</i> (Cheap Trick album) 1986 studio album by Cheap Trick

The Doctor is the ninth studio album by Cheap Trick, released in 1986. It was produced by Tony Platt and reached No. 115 on the Billboard 200 Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Flame (Cheap Trick song)</span> 1988 single by Cheap Trick

"The Flame" is a power ballad released in 1988 by the American rock band Cheap Trick and the first single from their tenth album Lap of Luxury. It was written by songwriters Bob Mitchell and Nick Graham.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">You Send the Rain Away</span> 1986 single by Rebbie Jackson with Robin Zander

"You Send the Rain Away" is a song by the American singer Rebbie Jackson with Cheap Trick lead vocalist Robin Zander, released in 1986 as the second single from her second studio album Reaction. It was written by Preston Glass, Gloria Sklerov and Lenny Macaluso, and produced by Reggie Lucas. The song reached No. 50 on the Billboard Hot Black Singles Chart.

<i>The Latest</i> 2009 studio album by Cheap Trick

The Latest is the sixteenth studio album by the American hard rock and power pop band Cheap Trick, released on June 23, 2009. The album was produced by Cheap Trick, Julian Raymond, and Howard Willing and was issued on CD, as well as limited pressings on vinyl and 8-track tape. The Latest is the final studio album by the band to feature original drummer Bun E. Carlos who left the band in 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Can't Stop Fallin' into Love</span> 1990 single by Cheap Trick

"Can't Stop Fallin' into Love" is a song by the American rock band Cheap Trick, which was released in 1990 as the lead single from their eleventh studio album Busted. It was written by guitarist Rick Nielsen, lead singer Robin Zander and bassist Tom Petersson, and Fred Nesbit, and was produced by Richie Zito.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">If You Want My Love</span> 1982 single by Cheap Trick

"If You Want My Love" is a song by American rock band Cheap Trick, released in 1982 as the lead single from their sixth studio album One on One. It was written by guitarist Rick Nielsen and produced by Roy Thomas Baker. It reached number 45 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 2 on the Australian Kent Music Report chart.

<i>Robin Zander</i> (album) 1993 studio album by Robin Zander

Robin Zander is the debut solo album from American singer Robin Zander of Cheap Trick, released in 1993 by Interscope.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Auf Wiedersehen (song)</span> 1978 single by Cheap Trick

"Auf Wiedersehen" is a song co-written by Cheap Trick guitarist Rick Nielsen and bassist Tom Petersson and first released on the band's 1978 album Heaven Tonight. It was also released as a single as the B-side of "Surrender". Since its original release, it has also been released by Cheap Trick on several live and compilation albums, including Budokan II; Sex, America, Cheap Trick; The Essential Cheap Trick, and the 30th Anniversary Edition of Cheap Trick at Budokan, which also includes a DVD with a video performance of the song. Allmusic critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine described the song as one of the peaks of Heaven Tonight and as one of Cheap Trick's "stone-cold classics." It has often been used by the band to close their concerts. Since its original release, it has been covered by Anthrax, Cell, John Easdale, and Steel Pole Bath Tub.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tonight It's You</span> 1985 single by Cheap Trick

"Tonight It's You" is a song by American rock band Cheap Trick, which was released in 1985 as the lead single from their eighth studio album Standing on the Edge. It was written by Rick Nielsen, Robin Zander, Jon Brant and Mark Radice, and produced by Jack Douglas. "Tonight It's You" reached No. 44 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and No. 8 on the Billboard Top Rock Tracks Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Woke Up with a Monster (song)</span> 1994 single by Cheap Trick

"Woke Up with a Monster" is a song by American rock band Cheap Trick, released in 1994 as the lead single from their twelfth studio album Woke Up with a Monster. It was written by Rick Nielsen, Robin Zander and Tom Petersson, and produced by Ted Templeman. The song was released by Warner Bros. Records as a promotional-only single in the United States, aimed at generating radio play. It reached No. 16 on the Billboard Album Rock Tracks and remained on the chart for six weeks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Never Had a Lot to Lose</span> 1989 single by Cheap Trick

"Never Had a Lot to Lose" is a song by the American rock band Cheap Trick, which was released in 1989 as the fifth and final single from their tenth studio album Lap of Luxury (1988). It was written by lead vocalist Robin Zander and bassist Tom Petersson, and produced by Richie Zito. The song reached No. 75 on the Billboard Hot 100.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Way of the World (Cheap Trick song)</span> 1980 single by Cheap Trick

"Way of the World" is a song by American rock band Cheap Trick, which was released in 1980 as a single from their fourth studio album Dream Police (1979). The song was written by Rick Nielsen and Robin Zander and produced by Tom Werman. In February 1980 it was released as a 7" vinyl single in the UK only, backed by "Oh, Candy," from the first Cheap Trick album, and peaked at #73. It attempted to capitalize on the success of the mid-1979 single "I Want You to Want Me" and the live album Cheap Trick at Budokan which both entered the top 30.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">When I Wake Up Tomorrow</span> 2016 single by Cheap Trick

"When I Wake Up Tomorrow" is a song by American rock band Cheap Trick, which was released in 2016 as the second and final single from their seventeenth studio album Bang, Zoom, Crazy... Hello. It was written by Julian Raymond, Robin Zander, Rick Nielsen and Tom Petersson, and produced by Raymond and Cheap Trick. Released as a promotional single in the United States, "When I Wake Up Tomorrow" reached No. 24 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Long Time Coming (Cheap Trick song)</span> 2017 single by Cheap Trick

"Long Time Coming" is a song by American rock band Cheap Trick, which was released in 2017 as the only single from their eighteenth studio album We're All Alright!. It was written by Robin Zander, Rick Nielsen, Tom Petersson and Julian Raymond, and produced by Raymond and Cheap Trick. Released as a promotional single in the United States, "Long Time Coming" reached No. 36 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart. The song also reached No. 1 on the Mediabase Classic Rock Airplay chart.

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References

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