 First rising to prominence as the frontman for platinum-selling hard rock combo
Foreigner,
Lou Gramm later
mounted a successful solo career, cracking the Top Five in 1987 with "Midnight
Blue." Born in Rochester, NY on May 2, 1950,
Lou Gramm first surfaced as the drummer with the band
Black Sheep, assuming lead vocal duties prior to recording the group's
self-titled 1975 Capitol debut; although neither the album nor its follow-up
Encouraging Words earned much mainstream notice, they did capture the attention
of journeyman guitarist Mick Jones, best known for his stint with a latter-day
incarnation of
Spooky Tooth. Jones soon tapped
Lou Gramm to front his new group
Foreigner, and together they began writing songs, co-authoring the smash
"Cold as Ice" from their best-selling 1977 eponymous debut LP.
Lou Gramm's powerfully distinctive vocals were inescapable in the years to
follow as
Foreigner reeled off an impressive series of pop radio hits including "Hot
Blooded," "Double Vision," "Urgent," and "Waiting for a Girl Like You,"
culminating in 1984's chart-topping power ballad "I Want to Know What Love Is."
With
Foreigner on hiatus,
Lou Gramm made his solo debut in 1987 with Ready or Not, scoring a major hit
with "Midnight Blue"; that same year,
Foreigner issued Inside Information, but with the success of the 1989 solo
effort Long Hard Look and its attendant single "Just Between You and Me," the
singer left the group to form his own band,
Shadow King, which released its self-titled debut on Virgin in 1991.
Shadow King proved short-lived, however, and in 1994
Lou Gramm and Jones revived
Foreigner for Mr. Moonlight. In the spring of 1997, on the eve of the band's
planned Japanese tour,
Lou Gramm was diagnosed with a benign brain tumor; surgery preceded a year of
rehabilitation and radiation treatment, although the singer made a full recovery
and resumed touring in 1999. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide
Contact Grabow for more information or to book
Lou Gramm for your next corporate or private event.
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