Music has been a part of Lou Gramm's life from day one. Gramm says "That I would choose a career in music is hardly a mystery because I come from a family of musicians. In fact, it was music that brought my mom and dad together in the first place." Gramm's birth name is Grammatico, and his father and mother met through their mutual interest in music. Gramm's father, Ben Grammatico, met his mother Nikki Masetta while playing a concert in a jazz band in the early 1940s. Later, Ben Grammatico started a band called "The Sonny James Orchestra". Nikki Grammatica sang in the band.
Gramm's grandparents were Italian immigrants who came to New York State. They picked cabbage under very difficult living and working conditions. Gramm says "He and the other immigrants were hardy souls and were thrilled just to be in a land where opportunities seemed boundless." Gramm is justifiably proud of what his grandparents and others from that generation had to overcome.
Although, Gramm's father was in a band, he worked a very demanding and difficult day job. Gramm worked at a company in Rochester called "Yarman and Erba." His father built file cabinets for the company in a very difficult environment. The building was hot and the work was exhausting. Gramm admired his father's work ethic.
Gramm grew up in a blue collar neighborhood. As a youth, Gramm developed an interest in baseball because of his father. Gramm says "My dad was the one who got me interested in baseball. One of the first things he would do when he got home from work was plop himself down in his easy chair and read the paper." Gramm's father would read the sports pages and the box scores.
Gramm, a fan of the Brooklyn Dodgers, was sad when the team moved to Los Angeles. However, he continued to root for them and Duke Snider, his favorite player. However, Gramm became a fan of the Mets when they began play in New York in 1962.
When he was growing up, Gramm loved baseball. Gramm says "Baseball was definitely my first love, and my summer routine revolved around playing ball." Gramm spent a lot of time in the summers playing baseball with friends and family. Gramm also rooted for the Buffalo Bills because he was living in upstate New York.
While Gramm played baseball, music would soon take center stage. Gramm's parents encouraged their three sons to play musical instruments. Gramm took up the drums because "it looked like a lot of fun banging away with those sticks." Gramm was a good drummer who earned a spot in the All-Country scholastic orchestra. At this time, Gramm liked playing the drums, but had little interest in singing.
While he was playing in the school band and orchestra, he developed an interest in rock and roll music. He remembers the first time he heard a rock and rol song. When his father was driving Gramm and his older brother around in a 1953 Pontiac, they heard Elvis Presley's song "Hound Dog." Gramm says "That was my introduction to rock and roll - Elvis' "Hound a Dog" blasting out of the dashboard speakers of my dad's '53 Pontiac. I didn't realize it at the time, but that would wind up being a life altering experience. A whole new world was about to open up for me." When rock and roll music entered Gramm's life, he entered a new phase of life. It represented a new beginning for him.
Many bands influenced Gramm, but The Rolling Stones and the Beatles stand out as the biggest influences in his musical career. Gramm still recalls seeing The Rolling Stones live on November 1st, 1965 in Rochester, NY. He remembers the excitement of the evening and the anticipation of the concert.
The Beatles had a profound effect on him as well. Gramm says "I was a huge Beatles' fan. No group before or since ever impacted me the way they did, and I know I have plenty of company when I say that because the Fab Four revolutionized music and the industry." Gramm still remembers meeting John Lennon for the first time in 1972 when they were recording at nearby studios in New York City. After they met in a nearby coffee shop, they played pool together and talked about music. Gramm said he was honored when he played at a memorial concert in Liverpool England after Lennon died. Gramm also remembers meeting Paul McCartney.
Gramm also recalled his first playing gig as a 15 year old. He filled in for a country western band named "Danny, Tony and the Knighthawks." Gramm was grateful for the opportunity to perform before a live audience. Gramm said "Although country wasn't my thing, it was a cool experience and I'll always be grateful to them for giving me the opportunity to feel what it was like to play a gig in front of a crowd." Gramm played about a dozen shows with the band. The experience taught him what it was like to perform in front of a live audience.
After these dozen shows, Gramm joined a band in high school that played cover tunes. Gramm says "I was the lead singer as well as the drummer, and I found it difficult to do both at first." Gramm played in a couple more cover bands in high school. One of his bands had a good following in Rochester, Buffalo and Syracuse.
Eventually, Gramm formed a band with other musicians from upstate New York called "Black Sheep." The band featured Gramm, Gramm's brother, Ron Rocco, Bruce Turgon and Don Mancuso. The band was the first American act to sign with Chrysalis records- an English record company. They recorded two albums and toured for two years across the United States.
Gramm says that they wanted to write and perform their own songs. They wanted to find their own niche in the upstate New York music scene and eventually the national scene. Gramm says "We didn't want to be just a cover band; we wanted to be distinctive, carve out our own niche. And my dream was to eventually land us a record contract, cut our album and expand our audience beyond upstate New York." Gramm and the other members of Black a Sheep had goals, hopes and aspirations. They dedicated themselves to making those goals come true.
Black Sheep worked hard to write and perform their own music. The band accepted the challenge of writing and performing their own music, but it was not easy. Gramm says "It was a huge struggle at first; it always is when you're a new band. But it was more so for us because we were trying to create a sound that was all our own at a time when club owners and a lot of fans expected local groups to stick to covering the national acts." Black Sheep were going against the grain in their attempt to make their own mark in the music world. They wanted to contribute something that was unique and distinctive.
Black Sheep became popular in cities like Rochester, Buffalo and Syracuse. While playing in a Buffalo club, the band met Jim Taylor who had worked for "A&M" records. The company represented acts like Humble Pie and Free, two bands that played music that was similar to Black Sheep. Taylor supported them and helped them to believe that they could succeed in the music industry.
One evening, Black Sheep played a show at a club called "Orange Monkey." The patrons stood the whole time as if they were at a concert. The patrons liked the music so much that they did not sit down and buy drinks. So, the bar owners did not ask Black a Sheep to return. It was clear from their local following, that Black Sheep had a successful future. They were making progress in the local music scene. Their popularity came from the quality of their music.
Eventually, Jim Taylor helped the band play gigs beyond western New York. So, the band's following expanded to include other areas. Soon, Black Sheep became the first American band to sign with Chrysalis Records- a European based record company. Up until this time, Chrysalis records had signed bands from England and other European countries. However, Black Sheep impressed the executives at Chrysalis enough to earn a contract. Gramm says "The game plan called for us to produce a song they could heavily promote and market here in the states, and that wouldn't be followed by a few more singles and an album." Black Sheep had the support that they needed. They had found their musical niche and were becoming more popular.
Black Sheep released their first single entitled "Stick Around." Gramm thought that it was a good single to release because it had a good opening guitar riff by Don Mancuso. It is a catchy song and it represented the band's music well. Gramm says "It was a pretty cool, simplistic song with catchy lyrics." However, Chrysalis would develope financial problems and were unable to promote the song. So, the single was not sent out to enough record stores. Gramm says "People went to record stores in hopes of purchasing it and the album it was from, but there was no album, and in many instances even the single wasn't available." The band had experienced an unexpected road block, but it remained undeterred. It did not give up.
When Chrysalis and Black Sheep parted ways due to Chrysalis' financial problems, the band was signed to a contract by Capitol Records. They recorded two albums with Capitol Records. One album was entitled "Song and Dance", while the other one was called "Encouraging Words." The first album was not promoted well and did not sell well. However, according to Gramm, their second album "was more polished. You could tell we were more focused, the songs held up better and there was an identity, stylistically, that the first album lacked." Their songs from the second album were played on the radio and they began a national tour.
However, their national tour did not last long. After one of the shows, the band drove back to Rochester, New York, and the vehicle carrying the band's equipment went off the side of the road. Thankfully, no one was hurt. However, the band's equipment was ruined in the accident. The band members did not have the money to purchase new equipment. So, the group had to stop touring. Soon after that, Capitol Records decided not to renew the band's record contract. The band's musical hopes were dashed.
One summer in Rochester, Gramm saw a concert involving Mick Jones- the guitarist who would become the founder of the band Foreigner. Gramm gave Jones copies of two of Black Sheep's albums. Later, Jones called Gramm and told him he was founding a band, and wanted Gramm to audition for the role of lead vocalist. Originally, he said "no", but his parents and the other members of Black Sheep encouraged him to audition.
Gramm flew to New York City and sang vocals over a demo tape that the band had recorded. Gramm met Keyboardist Al Greenwood and guitarist Ian McDonald. On the second day, Gramm met Bud Prager - the band's manager. After two days of auditioning, the band informed Gramm that he had the job. Greenwood told Gramm "We knew you were the one after the first two lines you sang the first two days you were here." So, the band Foreigner was born.
Gramm says "The original Foreigner was a sextet with three Brits and three Americans. And that's how we came up with the group's name. Because we had a mix, we said that no matter where we played , in the States or Canada, or abroad, there would always be someone performing on foreign soil." This mix of nationalities became part of Foreigner's identity. However, the most important part of their identity was their good rock and roll music.
Gramm said that Foreigner played well together from the very beginning. They rehearsed 8 hours a day, and then they wrote songs until midnight. When Gramm joined the band, the group had already wrote four songs for their debut album. Gramm helped write more songs for the album.
Thanks to the help of Bud Prager, the band's manager, the group signed a deal with Atlantic records. Gramm says "I was thrilled with the news of our deal with Atlantic because they were one of the heavy hitters in the music business." Gramm's musical career had been rejuvenated by joining Foreigner. Gramm was the voice of a band that would soon become one of the most popular rock bands in the music business.
Their first album produced the hit song "Feels Like the First Time," which appropriately enough was also the first single that they released. The album also produced "Long Way from Home." The album was successful. After the first album was released, Foreigner toured with the Doobie Brothers. Gramm says "During that first tour, we'd play an average from 45 minutes to an hour each show." The band also would play 4 concerts in 5 nights. While the tour was rewarding and fun, it effected Gramm's singing voice. Consequently, as the band experienced more success, Gramm asked management to alter the concert schedule.
As Gramm grew as a vocalist, he learned how to preserve his voice. Gramm says that on day she when the band performed, "I wouldn't t talk during the day, I cut out carbonated drinks, and I stuck to room temperature water." This routine helped Gramm to sing to the best of his ability every night.
Gramm was also writing songs for Foreigner. He was always prepared to write a new song or apply a life lesson or experience to music. Gramm says "As a songwriter , you're always in search of that memorable phrase and theme that will resonate with listeners-words that prompt people to sing the songs out loud. You never know where you might find the inspiration you need, which is why I always carried a notebook with me." Gramm was dedicated to writing and performing music. He did the best he could to help Foreigners thrive and become successful.
In 1978, Foreigner released "Double Vision", their second album. The album featured the title track and the song "Hot Blooded." After this album was released, Foreigner toured as an opening act for Heart. Foreigner had become so popular during the tour, that the concert promoter made Foreigner the headline act. The band members of Heart were understandably upset. However, the tour continued. Foreigner had to adjust their set from 45 minutes to two hours. Foreigner was becoming more popular throughout the country. The band was experiencing a lot of success.
Foreigner's third album was entitled "Head Games." The album sold two million fewer copies than the first two albums. Gramm believes that the songs were good, but not as good as the songs on the first two albums. After touring to promote their third album, Gramm and Mick Jones decided that the band needed some changes.
Jones and Gramm decided to make changes that they believed were in the best interest in the band. Gramm says "We each realized that Foreigner was at a crossroads, and after several long and hard discussions, we decided that we needed to dramatically shake things up and remake the band." So, Gramm reduce the numbers of musicians in the band from 6 to 4. Jones and Gramm asked Ian Mc Donald and Al Greenwood to leave the band.
Foreigner called their next album "4" because it was their fourth album and because there were now four members in the band. Gramm liked the name of the album and the cover of the record. Gramm says "We had the No.4 frozen and placed on our cover. It was simple, but very sharp looking; my favorite cover of all the albums I've done." So, although the band was going through changes, the group was confident about the future.
Atlantic Records put out a press release acknowledging some of the changes that the band was going through. Perhaps the label wanted the fans of the band to be prepared for the different sound and look of the band. However, while the band was going through changes, the sound was still distinctive and good.
After the success of "4", the band members of Foreigner discussed the future of the band. After a long tour, the band wanted a break from recording. So, they would not record their fifth album, "Agent Provacateur" for another 3 years. Atlantic Records was hoping that the band would embark on another tour because they had four albums worth of material. Their shows had good attendance and they were a popular band. So, if they had the energy, another tour made sense.
After the tour promoting "4", the band reassessed it's direction. Gramm wanted Foreigner to remain true to it's rock and roll roots, whereas it appeared that Jones wanted to write and record more ballads. Gramm felt that they may lose their base of fans who wanted the band to perform rock music, whereas Jones may have felt that the band benefited from a variety of songs. It's also possible that the ballads were a priority because they made the band money.
Gramm expressed his concern to Jones. However, Jones maintained that that Foreigner was simply going through a common phase that all bands go through. Gramm disagreed and thought the band was going through permanent changes. Gramm did not agree with those changes.
It was clear to Gramm that Jones had decided that ballads would be a part of the band's future. In fact, "I Want to know what love is", the ballad on the "Agent Provacateur" album, would become one of the band's most successful songs. Gramm, who helped write the song says "although it was his (Jones) idea and he did a lot of work on the song, I devoted a lot of time to it and made some tweaks here and there that helped bring out the soulfulness." Gramm also points out that the choir that the group added to sing back up vocals on the song added a different dimension to the song.
"I Want to Know what Love is" is one of Foreigner's signature songs. It became a mainstay on FM radio and has been heard by millions of people.
Three years after "Agent Provacateur" was released, Foreigner put out an album entitled "Inside Information." The album went platinum, but for the first time in their career the album did not finish in the top five selling albums for the year. Gramm did not contribute to the song writing for this album like he did for the previous albums. He sensed that he was becoming less of a part of the band. Although he was respected as a singer, his writing was not being called upon by the band anymore. Gramm wondered if it was time to move onto other musical ventures.
At this point, Gramm decided to record a solo album entitled "Ready or Not." The album featured the hit song "Midnight Blue." The song made it to No.5 on the billboard chart in 1987, and it "was the most played song on the radio that year." Gramm toured with his own band as an opening act for The Steve Miller Band.
Gramm did not want the music to sound like Foreigner. He wanted the music to have it's own personality and character. Guitarist Neil Lofgren and bassist Bruce Turgon played on the album. Gramm says "I was able to pull together a solid studio band to record the album. In addition to Lofgren's magnificent guitar playing, I relied on Turgon to help in the writing of eight of the 10 songs." Additionally, Gramm's father played a trumpet solo on the song "She's Got to Know." Gramm was glad that his father played trumpet on the album.
In addition to recording albums and playing tours, Gramm also made music videos as a solo artist and as a member of Foreigner. Gramm says "MTV videos were pretty primitive when they started out in the early 1980's. The first ones just showed the musicians on stage performing at a concert. But as time went on, the videos became more and more sophisticated, almost like short films." MTV and VH1 figured prominently in Gramm's career, both as a member of Foreigner and as a solo artist.
The rock and roll lifestyle kept Gramm away from his family. That is the part of the lifestyle that he regrets. However, in the late 1980's Gramm moved back to his home city of Rochester, NY to be close to his friends and family. Additionally, at this time Gramm was dealing with substance abuse issues - a common problem in the rock and roll world.
Gramm had a benign tumor removed from his brain in the late 1990s. Though the tumor was benign, it still effected his memory and thought process. The surgery took a toll on his memory and his thought process. He still toured with Foreigner after the surgery. He showed great courage in touring while he was overcoming the illness. He also shows great courage in overcoming his substance abuse struggle.
After leaving Foreigner, Gramm wanted to record a Christian album. He felt gratitude towards God for helping him to overcome illness and substance abuse struggles. Regarding the album, Gramm says "My references to the Lord were subtle. My intent wasn't to do a bible thumping beat you over the head Christian album. But I did want to convey how God helped me through some pretty difficult times and how he became a driving force in my life." Gramm felt gratitude and thankfulness towards God.
Gramm also feels very proud of his family. Gramm says the following about his two grown sons: "One is a sous chef and has his own restaurant, and the other is a computer wiz who's experiencing with a number of different products." Gramm's family and his faith have helped him to put life into perspective.
In 2013, Gramm and Jones were both inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Gramm was honored by the induction, which recognized his contributions to the Foreigner. Gramm says " I was chosen along with Mick Jones for the music we created with Foreigner, and I was tickled pink when I found out because it was another indication that many of our songs have stood the test of time." Indeed, this is true. Foreigner's songs continue to be played on FM radio stations. Their songs and Gramm's soulfully singing voice continue to be a part of the American musical scene.
Gramm's musical career has featured hardship, challenge and difficulty. However, it has also involved success, achievement and recognition. Gramm's family gave him a foundation that helped him achieve much musical success. He was fortunate to be surrounded by other talented musicians and appreciated by many listeners. The American musical scene is better because of the contributions of Lou Gramm.
Note: All of Lou Gramm's quotes come from his autobiography "Juke Box Hero."
