Lou Gramm

Having first gained widespread recognition as the lead singer of Foreigner, Lou Gramm launched a thriving solo path throughout the 1980s, reaching the upper reaches of the charts in 1987 via “Midnight Blue” and again in 1989 with “Just Between You and Me.” Born in Rochester, New York, on May 2, 1950, he initially performed as drummer for Black Sheep before shifting to lead vocals ahead of the band’s self-titled 1975 Capitol album. Though neither that record nor its follow-up, Encouraging Words, achieved broad commercial traction, they drew the ear of guitarist Mick Jones, whose résumé included time with a later version of Spooky Tooth. Jones recruited Gramm to front the newly formed Foreigner; together they penned “Cold as Ice,” a standout from the group’s self-titled 1977 debut. Gramm’s commanding and distinctive voice soon dominated airwaves as Foreigner delivered a string of radio staples—“Hot Blooded,” “Double Vision,” “Urgent,” and “Waiting for a Girl Like You”—that peaked with the 1984 chart-topping ballad “I Want to Know What Love Is,” which topped the lists in the United States, Norway, Sweden, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom.

During a brief pause in Foreigner’s schedule, Gramm issued his first solo effort, Ready or Not, in 1987 and scored a major success with “Midnight Blue.” The band later reassembled to complete the platinum-certified Inside Information, yet Gramm continued his individual momentum with 1989’s Long Hard Look before departing to launch Shadow King, whose self-titled Virgin Records debut appeared in 1991. The project proved short-lived, prompting Gramm and Jones to reactivate Foreigner in 1994 for the album Mr. Moonlight.

Toward the close of the decade, Gramm confronted serious health setbacks. A benign brain tumor was discovered just before the band’s scheduled 1997 tour of Japan; subsequent surgery impaired his pituitary gland. Following a year of rehabilitation and radiation therapy, he regained full strength and returned to the road in 1999. In 2003, however, he parted ways with Foreigner once more, choosing instead to focus on touring behind his own material.