Lou Gramm facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lou Gramm
Gramm performing in 1979
Background information
Birth name	Louis Andrew Grammatico
Born	(1950-05-02) May 2, 1950 (age 75) Rochester, New York, U.S.
Genres	Rock hard rock
Occupation(s)	Singer songwriter
Years active	1974–present

Louis Andrew Grammatico (born May 2, 1950), known as Lou Gramm, is an American singer and songwriter. He is most famous as the main singer and one of the people who started the rock band Foreigner. He was with Foreigner from 1976 to 1990 and again from 1992 to 2003. During these years, the band released many popular albums and songs.

Many people think he is one of the best and most successful rock singers from the late 1970s and 1980s. He helped write most of Foreigner's hit songs with his bandmate Mick Jones. In 2013, they were both recognized in the Songwriters Hall of Fame. In 2024, Gramm also joined the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Foreigner.

Growing Up and Early Life

Lou Gramm was born on May 2, 1950, in Rochester, New York. His mother, Nikki, was a singer, and his father, Bennie Grammatico, led a band and played the trumpet. He went to Gates-Chili High School in Rochester and finished in 1968. Later, he studied education and art at Monroe Community College.

Music Career Highlights

Starting in the 1970s

Gramm became the lead singer for a band called Black Sheep. This band was the first American group to sign with the Chrysalis record label. They released their first song, "Stick Around," in 1974.

After this, Black Sheep signed with Capitol Records. They released two albums: Black Sheep (1975) and Encouraging Words (late 1975). They even opened shows for the famous band Kiss. However, their tour ended suddenly on Christmas Eve, 1975, when their equipment truck crashed on an icy road. Because they couldn't perform live, Black Sheep broke up.

A year before, Gramm had met Mick Jones. Jones was playing with his band, Spooky Tooth, in Rochester. Gramm gave Jones a copy of Black Sheep's first album. In early 1976, after Black Sheep disbanded, Jones was looking for a lead singer for his new band. He remembered Gramm and asked him to try out.

Gramm went to New York for the audition and got the job! Louis Grammatico then changed his name to Lou Gramm. The new band was first called "Trigger," but later they changed it to "Foreigner." With Foreigner, Lou Gramm became one of the most successful rock singers of his time.

Success in the 1980s

Lou Gramm performing with Foreigner in November 1979

Foreigner's first eight songs all reached the Top 20 on the Billboard charts. This was a big achievement, as they were the first band since The Beatles to do this! Gramm sang on all of Foreigner's big hits, like "Urgent", "Juke Box Hero", "Break It Up", "Say You Will", and "I Don't Want to Live Without You".

He also helped write many of the band's songs. This includes popular slow songs like "Waiting for a Girl Like You" (which stayed at #2 for ten weeks in 1981/82) and "I Want to Know What Love Is" (which was a #1 hit in eight countries).

Gramm and Jones sometimes had different ideas about the band's music. Gramm wanted to keep their rock sound, focusing on drums and guitars. Jones, however, liked the new synthesizer sound popular in the 1980s. Gramm felt that the 4 album (1981) was the best work he did with Foreigner. Their next album, Agent Provocateur (1984), took three years to release because of these creative differences. The band then released Inside Information in 1987.

Gramm also started his solo career. His first solo album, Ready or Not, came out in January 1987 and was well-received. The song "Midnight Blue" became a Top 5 hit.

In 1987, Gramm also sang the song "Lost in the Shadows" for the movie The Lost Boys.

His second solo album, Long Hard Look (October 1989), included the Top 10 hit "Just Between You and Me" and "True Blue Love", which reached the Top 40. The album also had "Hangin' on My Hip," featured in the 1990 movie Navy SEALs.

1990s and Beyond

In May 1990, Gramm announced he was leaving Foreigner to focus on his solo music. He also formed a band called Shadow King with his friend Bruce Turgon. Their album came out in 1991, but the band didn't get enough support and soon broke up. In 1991, Gramm also contributed the song "One Dream" to the movie Highlander II: The Quickening.

Gramm rejoined Foreigner in May 1992 after he and Jones worked out their differences. In 1994, Foreigner released the album Mr. Moonlight. It did well in Europe, and the song "Until the End of Time" became popular on adult contemporary radio.

In 1996, Jones asked Gramm to sing backup vocals on a new version of "I Want to Know What Love Is" for Australian singer Tina Arena. This song became a big hit again in Europe.

In April 1997, just before a tour to Japan, Gramm was diagnosed with a brain growth. He had surgery, which affected his energy and voice for a while. Despite this, he continued to work with Jones. By 1998, Gramm was back touring with Foreigner.

In early 2003, Gramm left Foreigner for good. The Lou Gramm Band released a Christian rock album in 2009. In May 2013, Lou published his autobiography, Juke Box Hero - My Five Decades in Rock 'n' Roll.

Gramm was honored in the Songwriters Hall of Fame on June 13, 2013. On July 20, 2017, he joined Foreigner on stage for three songs. On December 29, 2018, Gramm announced he was stopping regular touring. However, he said he would still release new music and do special live shows, like charity concerts for children.

In 2019, Gramm toured with Asia Featuring John Payne, who also played as his backup band. Gramm also sang on the song "Sometimes" for Alan Parsons' 2019 album, The Secret.

Gramm in 2009

Gramm mentioned in 2019 that he planned to release new solo songs. He had extra songs from his past albums that he finished. He planned to release these songs in groups of three. He also thought about releasing a collection of his greatest hits that were not with Foreigner.

In 2024, Gramm was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Foreigner. This included Mick Jones and other past band members. Around the time of their induction, Foreigner released a new song called "Turning Back the Time," which featured Gramm's vocals from the early 2000s.

Lou Gramm's Impact on Music

Lou Gramm is seen as one of the most important and successful rock singers of all time. Circus magazine said in 1978 that Lou Gramm had a voice that even Robert Plant (a famous singer from Led Zeppelin) might admire. Variety noted that Gramm is one of rock and roll's top vocalists. A recent article in Louder magazine (January 14, 2024) ranked Gramm as the second greatest Album-oriented Rock singer ever.

Personal Life and Health

In April 1997, Gramm was diagnosed with a brain growth. Even though it was not harmful, the surgery to remove it affected his pituitary gland. His recovery also caused him to gain weight and impacted his energy and singing voice.

As of 2023, Gramm is touring again with his band, the Lou Gramm Allstars. He is also working on new music. He enjoys spending time with his five children when he is not working. He also performs under the name "Lou Gramm, The Original Voice of Foreigner," with John Payne's Asia as his backing band, playing his solo songs and classic Foreigner hits.

Music Releases

Solo albums

Solo songs

With Black Sheep

• 1974: Stick Around / Cruisin' (For Your Love) – 45 single
• 1975: Broken Promises – 45 single
• 1975: Black Sheep
• 1975: Encouraging Words

With Foreigner

With Poor Heart

• 1988: Foreigner in a Strange Land
• 1993: The Best of the Early Years

(These are older recordings that were released later.)

With Shadow King

• 1991: Shadow King

With Liberty N' Justice

• 2004: Welcome to the Revolution

(He sang on only one song for this album.)

Lou Gramm Band Members

• Lou Gramm – lead vocals, percussion (2003–present)
• Ben Gramm – drums (2003–2016, 2018)
• AD Zimmer – bass guitar, backing vocals (2010–2018)
• Michael Staertow – lead guitar, backing vocals (2012–2018)
• Scott Gilman – saxophone, rhythm guitar, backing vocals (2016–2018)
• Jeff Jacobs – keyboards, backing vocals (2017–2018)

See also

In Spanish: Lou Gramm para niños