Mike Tramp facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mike Tramp
Tramp performing in 2023
Background information
Birth name	Mikkel Trempenau
Born	(1961-01-14) 14 January 1961 (age 64) Copenhagen, Denmark
Genres	Glam metal, hard rock, pop rock
Occupation(s)	Singer musician songwriter
Instruments	Vocals guitar piano
Years active	1976–present

Mikkel Trempenau (born January 14, 1961), known as Mike Tramp, is a singer from Denmark. He is most famous for being the lead singer of the glam metal band White Lion. He was the only member who stayed with the band from beginning to end, until they stopped playing together in 2013. Since 1998, Mike Tramp has also released many albums on his own. In 2012, he went on a special tour where he played his songs using only an acoustic guitar. He released acoustic albums in 2013 and 2014. In 2015, he started performing with a full band again. His 2017 album, Maybe Tomorrow, was a big hit and reached number 1 in Denmark.

Biography

Early Years and First Bands (1976–1982)

Mikkel Trempenau grew up in Copenhagen, Denmark, with his mother and two brothers. He started singing in a youth club. In 1976, he became the lead singer of a pop band called Mabel. They were very popular in Denmark and Spain, and Mike became a "teen idol." In 1978, Mabel won the Danish Song Contest with their song "Boom Boom" and represented Denmark in the Eurovision Song Contest 1978.

Later, Mabel moved to Spain and changed their name to Studs. They released an album in 1981. Then, they moved to New York City and became Danish Lions in 1982. After recording some demo songs, the band went back to Denmark, but Mike Tramp decided to stay in America.

Forming White Lion and Big Success (1983–1992)

In 1983, Mike Tramp met Vito Bratta and together they formed the band White Lion. The band became very successful in the mid-1980s and early 1990s. Their first album, Fight to Survive, came out in 1985.

White Lion became famous with their second album, Pride, which sold over three million copies! This album had two big hit songs: "Wait" (which reached number 8) and "When the Children Cry" (which reached number 3). They continued their success with their third album, Big Game, and their fourth album, Mane Attraction. White Lion broke up in 1992, and soon after, their first collection of hit songs, The Best of White Lion, was released.

New Sound with Freak of Nature (1992–1998)

After White Lion, Mike Tramp started a new hard rock band called Freak of Nature. This band had a darker and heavier sound compared to White Lion. They released three albums between 1993 and 1998: Freak of Nature, Gathering of Freaks, and Outcasts. Freak of Nature played concerts with other famous bands like Helloween and Dio in Europe. The band eventually stopped playing together in 1996.

Starting a Solo Career (1998–2004)

After Freak of Nature, Mike Tramp began his solo career. His first solo album, Capricorn, came out in 1998. Some of his bandmates from Freak of Nature, like guitarist Kenny Korade and bass player Jerry Best, played on this album. Even James LoMenzo, the bass guitarist from White Lion, sang backing vocals.

The song "Better Off" was his first solo single and had a music video. Other songs from the album included "Already Gone," "If I Live Tomorrow," and "Take a Little Time."

It took five years for Mike to release his next album, Recovering the Wasted Years, in 2002. During this time, he moved to Australia to raise his son away from busy city life. This album featured the songs "Living a Lie" and "Endless Highway."

In 2003, he released his third album, More to Life Than This. He produced it himself, but Flemming Rasmussen (who worked with Metallica) helped with the sound. The main song, "More to Life Than This," and "Don't Want to Say Good Night" were released as singles. A music video for "Lay Down My Life for You" was filmed in Australia. Also in 2003, Mike released a live album called Rock 'N' Roll Alive, which had songs from White Lion, Freak of Nature, and his solo work. In 2004, he released another solo album, Songs I Left Behind.

White Lion Returns (2004–2008)

In 2004, Mike Tramp brought White Lion back with new band members. For a while, they were called "Tramp's White Lion" or "White Lion II" because of some legal issues with former members. They played and re-recorded old White Lion songs, touring and releasing a special box set called "The Bootleg Series" in 2004, and a live album called Rocking the USA in 2005.

In 2006, Tramp's White Lion toured Europe. In 2007, a White Lion collection called The Definitive Rock Collection was released. Eventually, Mike was able to use the original White Lion band name again.

White Lion recorded a new studio album called Return of the Pride, which came out on March 14, 2008.

New Solo Music (2009–2011)

After the new White Lion album, Mike Tramp wasn't sure if he should continue his solo career or focus on White Lion. In October 2009, he released a new solo album called Mike Tramp & The Rock 'N' Roll Circuz. This was also the name of his new solo band. The album was very popular in Denmark, reaching number 16 on the music charts. It included the songs "All of My Life" and "Come On," which also had a music video.

In April 2011, Mike released another solo album, Stand Your Ground. This album featured the songs "Distance" and "Hymn to Ronnie," which was a tribute song to Ronnie James Dio, a famous singer who had passed away.

Acoustic Tours and Albums (2012–2014)

In 2012, Mike Tramp started working on another solo album. The album, Cobblestone Street, was released on April 8, 2013, after he had a successful acoustic tour in Europe. During this tour, Mike traveled across Europe, playing 40 shows all by himself.

The album reached number 21 on the Danish music charts. The first song released from it was "New Day," followed by "Revolution." In March 2013, Mike supported singer Beth Hart at some concerts in France. To promote Cobblestone Street, Mike toured many countries in Europe. He also went on his first acoustic tour of the United States in the summer of 2013.

While promoting his album, Mike Tramp announced that there would be no more White Lion bands or reunions.

To end 2013, Mike released a Christmas song called "The Way It Was Before." This song was more serious than typical holiday songs.

Mike Tramp in Idaho Falls, ID (2013)

Mike Tramp returned to the U.S. for another tour in the spring of 2014, starting in Hollywood, California. He also performed on the Monsters Of Rock Cruise.

In June 2014, Mike released the song "Trust in Yourself," which had a music video directed by his son, Dylan. This song was the first from his new solo album, Museum.

The album Museum was released on August 18, 2014, and continued the acoustic style of his previous album. It reached number 3 on the Danish music charts. The song "Freedom" was the second single from the album. Mike played four sold-out concerts in Copenhagen to celebrate the album's release. He then went on a big European tour.

Band of Brothers and More Success (2015–2018)

In February 2015, Mike Tramp signed a new record deal and confirmed again that White Lion would not be returning. He also played his first-ever concerts in Russia.

In March 2015, Mike announced he was working on a new album that would be more like his first solo album, Capricorn, with a full band sound, not just acoustic. He worked with his long-time producer Soren Andersen and his band members.

After successful acoustic tours, Mike Tramp announced his new studio album, Nomad, would be released on August 28, 2015. He said that with Nomad, his vision was very clear, and he just wanted to be himself.

In July 2015, he released the song "High Like a Mountain," and in August, he released "Give It All You Got," which had a music video filmed in Copenhagen.

Nomad was released on August 28, 2015, and reached number 21 on the Danish charts. After the album, Mike toured Europe with the young Danish band Lucer.

In 2016, Mike Tramp played more solo and band shows in Denmark. He also played a charity concert in Germany for people with cancer. In May 2016, following the success of Nomad, Mike released the song "Stay," which was played a lot on Danish radio. The video for "Stay" showed Mike living alone in the Scandinavian woods. He also played at several music festivals in Denmark and Sweden and toured the USA acoustically.

In October 2016, Mike Tramp announced his 10th solo album, Maybe Tomorrow, which was released on February 24, 2017. In January 2017, he released a music video for the song "Coming Home" from the album. "Would I Lie to You" and "Spring" were also released as singles.

Mike and his "Band of Brothers" (Soren Andersen, Claus Langeskov, and Kenny Andy) started a tour in March 2017 after three sold-out concerts in Denmark. They also played for audiences in France, Italy, Ireland, Germany, Belgium, and the UK.

Maybe Tomorrow was a huge success, reaching number 1 on the Danish vinyl chart and number 2 on the physical album chart.

In September 2017, Mike Tramp released a music video for a new song called "Work It All Out." This song was from his upcoming box set, This & That (But A Whole Lot More), released in December 2017.

In February 2018, Mike sang on a song called "One More Chance" for a friend's project in Indonesia, which also had a music video. He toured Europe in the spring of 2018 with his Band of Brothers. In October 2018, Mike announced he was working on a new album for 2019. His first solo album, Capricorn, was re-released on vinyl.

New Albums and Milestones (2019–Present)

On January 8, 2019, Mike Tramp announced his new solo album, Stray From The Flock, would be released on March 1. On January 25, he released the song and video "Dead End Ride" as the first single, which quickly became number 1 on iTunes in Peru.

Stray From The Flock was officially released on March 1, 2019. He also released two more songs, "Homesick" and "Best Days Of My Life," which had a lyric video. These songs came out around the time of his big European tour in the fall of 2019.

In 2020, Mike Tramp released "Second Time Around" on May 1. This album had ten new versions of songs from his 2009 album, The Rock 'N' Roll Circuz. The new versions were produced by Mike Tramp and Soren Anderson. Songs like "The Road" and "Between Good and Bad" were released as singles. A new version of "When She Cries" was dedicated to his daughter.

In 2020, Mike Tramp celebrated 25 years as a solo artist by releasing a "best-of" album called "Trampthology" on December 18. This album included 16 of his biggest solo hits and four brand new songs, including "Take Me Away."

In February 2021, Mike Tramp released a new song, "Everything Is Alright," to compete in the Danish selection for the Eurovision Song Contest. He also released a music video for the song and another compilation album, also titled "Everything Is Alright", in May 2021.

In January 2022, Mike released a new song called "You Only Get To Do It Once," which was about his own life. In September 2022, for the first time, Mike released a full album of songs sung entirely in Danish, called "For Første Gang." This album included music videos for the songs "Min By," "For Første Gang For Altid," and "Vejkort." In October, Mike announced tours in Europe and the USA for 2023 and released another song, "What You Got Left," which featured his son directing the video and former White Lion bassist James Lomenzo playing on it.

In 2023, Mike Tramp announced he was bringing back his version of White Lion with a new album called ‘Songs of White Lion’, released on April 14, 2023. This album featured Mike re-recording some of White Lion's classic songs. "Cry for Freedom" and "Little Fighter" were released as singles from this album.

Mike Tramp toured the USA from May to June with guitarist Marcus Nand, who also played on ‘Songs of White Lion’. He also played at many summer festivals in Europe with his full band. After the European dates, another USA tour with a full band was announced for September to October. Mike also supported the band 'Accept (band)' for some concerts in Germany in December.

In March 2024, Mike Tramp released his second Danish album, Mand Af En Tid. In August 2024, ‘Songs of White Lion Volume 2’ was released, with ten more re-recorded White Lion songs. This album included new singles and music videos for "Lights and Thunder" and "Lonely Nights," "Out With the Boys," "The Road to Valhalla," and "Till Death Do Us Part." Mike will go on a long tour to support Songs of White Lion Volume 2 starting in mid-August 2024, with dates in Europe and the US.

Personal life

Mike Tramp was married to Indonesian actress Ayu Azhari. They have two children together, Isabel and Lennon. Mike also has a third child, his son Dylan, from an earlier relationship. Dylan lives in Denmark.

Images for kids

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  Mike Tramp in Idaho Falls, ID (2013)

See also

In Spanish: Mike Tramp para niños