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.
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]
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
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]
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 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.
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.
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