Lou Gramm Interview: Foreigner Lead Singer Sets the Record Straight on 'Love'
Written by Marc Parker and Melissa Benefield Parker, Posted in Interviews Musicians
Image attributed to Lou Gramm
Powerhouse vocalist/songwriter Lou Gramm is best known as the lead vocalist and co-writer of the multi-platinum selling band Foreigner. He is a successful solo artist in his own right and remains one of the most recognizable performers in music today.
Gramm is the vocalist on 20 Top 40 singles, which continue to drive sales of nearly 80 million albums worldwide. He exploded onto the international music scene with Foreigner on the chart topper, “Feels Like the First Time,” in 1977. The stats are impressive – eight top 5 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and five top 5 albums on the Billboard Top Album Chart in the U. S. alone.
"He wanted that song to be his signature song and was determined to cut me out of any piece of it"
Even though Gramm survived the removal of a non-cancerous tumor, the after affects of the disease took its toll on his overall health. He split from Foreigner in 2002 because of rifts with band mate Mick Jones, but in 2004 returned to the music scene with a new band and a dynamic live show featuring 90 minutes of his own unique brand of rock ‘n roll.
Whether they are rocking out on classics like “Hot Blooded” or “Juke Box Hero,” or rolling out a new extended groove on Gramm’s massive solo hit, “Midnight Blue,” Lou and his band have been pleasing enthusiastic audiences since January of 2004 with a show that captures the essence of Gramm’s talent. Making up The Lou Gramm Band, in addition to Lou, are brothers Richard Grammatico on bass and guitar and Ben Grammatico on drums, guitarist Don Mancuso, and keyboardist Andy Knoll.
The Lou Gramm Band is releasing their first Christian album on June 2, 2009.
Melissa Parker (Smashing Interviews Magazine): Lou, did you do anything special for your birthday a few days ago?
Lou Gramm: Just spent time with the family. That’s special enough.
Melissa Parker (Smashing Interviews Magazine): I love the a cappella ending on the single, “So Great,” off the new Christian album.
Lou Gramm: Oh, thank you so much. Yeah, that really gave me the chills when I first heard that.
Melissa Parker (Smashing Interviews Magazine): Was the ending your idea?
Lou Gramm: It was my idea, yep.
Melissa Parker (Smashing Interviews Magazine): You mention “single vision” in the song so I have to ask, does that have anything to do with “double vision?”
Lou Gramm: It absolutely does. But, the reference to single vision in that song … I just think that someone who has a single vision means that they know what they want to do and are very determined.
Melissa Parker (Smashing Interviews Magazine): There is also a song on the album called “Single Vision.”
Lou Gramm: Yes there is and I see no problem with the title of one song being in the lyrics of another song. I think it interweaves in a good way.
Melissa Parker (Smashing Interviews Magazine): Explain the “Double Vision” title to me.
Lou Gramm: “Double Vision” was a song that was written in about late 1978 just before the “Double Vision” album came out.
It’s a song that Mick Jones and I wrote and although a lot of people think it’s about being intoxicated or being high …when we were recording that song before we had the title, the New York Rangers hockey team was playing the Philadelphia Flyers. One of the big Flyers bumped into the Rangers’ all-star goalie and knocked him down. They had to take him out of the game because he was experiencing double vision. That’s where the title came from.
Melissa Parker (Smashing Interviews Magazine): Interesting. How much more thought goes into writing Christian songs than goes into writing “Hot Blooded” for example?
Lou Gramm: It really depends. I know that some songs, whether they are just a rock song or a Christian song, just flow right out of you. You’ve got to keep up with your own ideas by writing things down or by using a recorder of some sort to get your ideas down.
Then some things you struggle with and you never quite get them the way that you want to. Others you may struggle with but then you have a huge breakthrough and it feels real good when you complete them. So, there are a lot of different efforts and thoughts that go into songs. I do think that I was getting a tremendous amount of satisfaction as I completed each song.
Melissa Parker (Smashing Interviews Magazine): As a Christian, Lou, how do you feel about singing some of the Foreigner songs with “questionable” lyrics?
Lou Gramm: Well, it is how I make a living. We try to weed out the ones that are overly suggestive and on the other ones I just kind of close my eyes and get through it.
Melissa Parker (Smashing Interviews Magazine): Do you enjoy working with your brothers?
Lou Gramm: Oh very much.
Melissa Parker (Smashing Interviews Magazine): Are you the oldest?
Lou Gramm: I’m the middle brother.
Melissa Parker (Smashing Interviews Magazine): So they don’t take orders from you (laughs)?
Lou Gramm: They team up on me (laughs).
Melissa Parker (Smashing Interviews Magazine): Your parents were also involved in the music business, right?
Lou Gramm: They were. My dad, right out of high school, was a big band leader and my mom was the singer in that band. That’s how they met and fell in love.
Melissa Parker (Smashing Interviews Magazine): That’s a sweet romantic story. How’s your health now, Lou?
Lou Gramm: My health continues to improve. It has been twelve years since my operation. I've had some pretty steep ups and downs … not so many ups, mostly downs.
I thought I never would be feeling better. I had to turn in my license because I developed Type 2 Diabetes, I developed sleep apnea … you know, it was just nonstop. And there are all of the other little things that came along with the brain tumor.
Melissa Parker (Smashing Interviews Magazine): Do your health problems still affect your stamina when you perform on stage?
Lou Gramm: It did, but it doesn’t affect it so much that I’m in trouble. My older brother Ben is a drummer and he does a drum solo. During the drum solo I go backstage and I have some oxygen and that kind of invigorates me again to finish the set with a lot of energy.
Melissa Parker (Smashing Interviews Magazine): You’re still on medication?
Lou Gramm: I’m on a ton of medication. I will be probably for the rest of my life.
Melissa Parker (Smashing Interviews Magazine): That must have been so traumatic for you, both mentally and physically, to be in a successful band for years and then be diagnosed with a brain tumor.
Lou Gramm: I thought I was in a bad dream, really. I just couldn’t figure out. Then the doctors one day did the first MRI and determined that I was born with this tumor, and that it finally at age 47 grew to a point where it started to interfere with my life.
Melissa Parker (Smashing Interviews Magazine): How odd.
Lou Gramm: It is odd. The other thing was that I couldn’t get anybody to operate on it. They have some fantastic doctors and surgeons right here in Rochester, New York, and they suggested I go to this other surgeon in Manhattan. I went to him with my MRIs and he said he would operate but he would be upfront with me and told me that my chance of survival was less than 50-50.
So, I went home extremely upset. I happened to be watching 20/20 one night and they had an article about Dr. Black in Boston and he is the purveyor of laser surgery. He is now able to operate on previously inoperable brain tumors. That’s really what the article was about.
Melissa Parker (Smashing Interviews Magazine): That’s quite a breakthrough.
Lou Gramm: Yeah. He’s a brain surgeon and at the end of the segment they gave the phone number to his office. I called the next morning and told them my situation and they said they had an opening (this was Tuesday morning) Thursday and could I come to the hospital that day.
So, that Tuesday I packed up my stuff, my MRIs, and everything else that they needed and went to Boston. That Thursday starting at about 5:30 in the morning, I had the seventeen hour operation.
Melissa Parker (Smashing Interviews Magazine): Well, they didn’t give you too long to think about it between Tuesday and Thursday.
Lou Gramm: I tell you what, when they had me in pre-op at about 4:00 in the morning, I was so deep in prayer that even when they gave me the sedative to put me to sleep and they were wheeling me to the operating room, I went under as I was praying.
Melissa Parker (Smashing Interviews Magazine): Your faith helped you through it?
Lou Gramm: I think it did. I was very happy to be alive and that the operation was a success but all of my problems were just beginning.
Melissa Parker (Smashing Interviews Magazine): How long did it take you to get back where you felt comfortable performing?
Lou Gramm: The operation was in April and because Foreigner had commitments I was performing that August. I knew it was way to early because I couldn’t remember the words to any of the songs. They all had to be written down in big marker pens and taped to the floor. I didn’t know I had sleep apnea then, but I was getting more and more fatigued.
Melissa Parker (Smashing Interviews Magazine): It was just too much too soon.
Lou Gramm: Yes, it really was. I got a little better and a little better but it wasn’t until I went to a Sleep Apnea clinic that they determined I was getting about less than five percent REM sleep. That’s critical.
Melissa Parker (Smashing Interviews Magazine): Have you had any contact with Mick Jones since the last breakup?
Lou Gramm: No not really, that was in 2002 I believe. My mom and dad both passed away in 2004 within months of each other and he came up to the funeral and was charming the pants off of everybody, but didn’t say a word to me.
Melissa Parker (Smashing Interviews Magazine): Was that unusual?
Lou Gramm: Well, at the end of 2002 when we were still working together we went to a “Night at the Proms” in Europe – they have a big symphony orchestra and a rock rhythm section. They have one musician, and a singer of all of these hits comes out and do their versions of their songs orchestrated. So, that was a lot of fun.
At that time, Mick was saying that he was clean and sober and that he was the chairperson of his own AA group. Well, he was making so many mistakes while we were up there. We had our assistant tour manager go to put some bottled water in his room and he found a big bottle of vodka in his freezer. Unfortunately, he had fallen off of the wagon and was also doing other things, too.
He was a pretty big embarrassment in front of about 20,000 people and we were on with people like the Pointer Sisters. As we were singing the finale of the concert all together on stage, Mick would be grabbing a woman in the group and she would be slapping his hand down. He would be laughing about it. He was just gone.
Foreigner’s manager was there, and at that point, I said if Mick didn’t go right back to rehab from here that I didn’t think I could be a part of it anymore. The manager and I both talked to Mick and the manager set up his rehab for a month. When we all left after the last show, Mick never went. So, that was the end of it right there.
Melissa Parker (Smashing Interviews Magazine): That’s really a shame.
Lou Gramm: It was a kind of a sad ending, but it really freed me to pursue what I wanted to pursue. That’s when I got my brothers and my friends and we went out as the Lou Gramm Band and started playing Foreigner hits and hits from my solo album.
But, I already had the seed of a Christian rock album planted in my heart and it was growing rapidly. Even though my brothers and my friends believe in God they were a little skeptical about what I wanted to do. But they jumped on board and as soon as we started writing songs and they heard the lyrics and that the powerful music, I think they were moved. They really love it now.
Melissa Parker (Smashing Interviews Magazine): Mick wrote “I Want to Know What Love is,” correct?
Lou Gramm: Well, you know what, I spent about eighteen hours a day for about two weeks with him writing. We were writing, “I Want to Know What Love is.” After it was all recorded, Mick and I got together and started to figure out what the percentage would be of each song to figure out what the amount of the royalties would be.
So, all of this time, with all of my ideas and all of my melodies and everything that I helped him with on that song, he presented me a piece of paper that said he thought he should get 95% and me 5%. I had it figured – 60% to Mick and 40% to myself. He laughed at me when he saw that. When I saw his I couldn’t believe it and he said, “Either that or nothing.” I said, “I don’t want anything, Mick.”
Obviously that song became huge. I know for a fact that he’s made millions of dollars off of it and people re-record it and re-record it again and again. That’s one of the times that Mick showed his true colors and pulled rank. We could have sat down in front of a mediator and talked about who did what on that song, but the reality of it is he wanted that song to be his signature song and was determined to cut me out of any piece of it.
Melissa Parker (Smashing Interviews Magazine): I always thought it was a Christian song. Am I wrong?
Lou Gramm: It definitely has Christian overtones.
Melissa Parker (Smashing Interviews Magazine): I know most people think it was about romantic love.
Lou Gramm: Yes, that’s the way he wrote it. My contributions were swaying it toward the Christian way and he was willing to accept that to a certain point. He wanted it to be all things to all people.
Melissa Parker (Smashing Interviews Magazine): What do you think about Kelly Hansen as a singer?
Lou Gramm: I think he’s a good singer, but I think that Mick, more or less, insists that he listen to me and do the nuances that I used to do on songs. Although his voice doesn’t sound like mine with all of the little inflections and tail offs and this and that, he sounds like he’s listened to them over and over again and copied them.
Melissa Parker (Smashing Interviews Magazine): Yes, I know many people say that he sounds like you.
Lou Gramm: You know, nobody could really sound that much alike.
Melissa Parker (Smashing Interviews Magazine): Who are your favorite singers?
Lou Gramm: John Lennon for sure, Marvin Gaye, Steve Marriott, and Paul Rodgers. I loved the way Wilson Pickett sang. What a voice he had!
Melissa Parker (Smashing Interviews Magazine): Wilson Pickett was born in Prattville, a smaller city right outside of Montgomery, Alabama.
Lou Gramm: Could I tell you a little story about Montgomery? The last time I was there it was Foreigner’s first tour. When our concert ended in Montgomery, there were fights outside of the auditorium.
It developed into (I don’t think it was racial) forty or fifty people fighting each other. Eventually they had about 15 or 20 police cars and dogs there. It just shocked me so much. I wasn’t used to seeing that. Somebody either had too much to drink or their tempers were turned on or whatever. It was pretty wild.
Melissa Parker (Smashing Interviews Magazine): Well, that trip to Montgomery definitely sounds memorable. Lou, what do you do when you’re not writing or performing?
Lou Gramm: I’m a muscle car fanatic. That’s my full time hobby. I’ve been into muscle cars since I’ve been old enough to drive. I have about four or five nice ones and they have cruise night here during the summer where everyone meets at a certain parking lot where there’s a restaurant. You may have fifty or sixty muscle cars and everybody gets burgers and pop and looks at each other’s cars. It’s a real fun thing to do.
I have nine-year-old twins, a boy and a girl, and I have two older boys, 29 and 25. One is a sushi chef and has his own restaurant, and the other one works on the computer for a car company. But, the young twins, Natalie and Joe, are musicians through and through. Joe takes drum lessons and banjo lessons and Natalie takes piano and violin. We’re in the car all of the time singing together. It’s wonderful.
Melissa Parker (Smashing Interviews Magazine): Lou, you live in Rochester, New York, where you were born?
Lou Gramm: Yes I do. I auditioned for Foreigner in 1976. When I was accepted into the band, I moved to Westchester, about 45 miles north of the city. I was in the band for a little more than 25 years.
Melissa Parker (Smashing Interviews Magazine): Do you have a favorite Foreigner song?
Lou Gramm: I like “Head Games,” “Juke Box Hero,” and “Urgent.” There are some that hardly anybody’s heard that I like (laughs). There’s a quick story that I’d love to tell.
Melissa Parker (Smashing Interviews Magazine): Sure.
Lou Gramm: It must have been in the mid 90s, one late night when Foreigner was on tour. We were driving from city to city and it must have been around three in the morning. We pulled off of the highway to a 7-Eleven and everybody got out of the bus but Mick. He was asleep in his bunk. So, we all went in and we bought snacks and bottled water. We got back on the bus and we left.
Later in the morning we were still a hundred miles outside of our destination. Mick’s brother Kevin, who was our tour manager, started to wake everybody up. He went to wake Mick up, pulled back the covers, and nobody was there.
So, what had happened was, when we were coming out of the 7-Eleven on one side of the bus to get in, Mick had woken up and gone out around the other side of the bus. As we pulled away he was still in the store with no wallet, no money, and no cell phone. He tried to use the phone in the 7-Eleven, saying to the owner that he was with Foreigner and that they accidentally left him. He said later that every customer that came in, the owner would say, “Hey that guy’s from Foreigner and they left him here.”
So, just about the time that we discovered Mick was gone, Kevin got a call on his cell phone from his mother in England and she said,“You left Mick back at the 7-Eleven.” We had stopped at the 7-Eleven three and a half hours earlier but we turned around and went three and a half hours back and picked him up. By the time we turned around and went back again we had just enough time to get our clothes on and go on stage.
Melissa Parker (Smashing Interviews Magazine): (laughs) That is a funny story! In addition to the new album, Lou, are you touring?
Lou Gramm: We still go out as the Lou Gramm band and play the Foreigner hits and the solo album hits so we can exist pretty much. But, we’re starting to garner interest from the Christian community. We’re hoping that we’ll start to get some shows or maybe hook up with a tour of some sort. But, no Christian shows yet and about a half a dozen shows on tap where we play the old stuff.
We have Texas and Georgia coming up; also Ohio and next week we’re doing Edmonton and Calgary.
© 2009 Smashing Interviews Magazine. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the express written consent of the publisher.
Shoving the whole Christan thing down out throats is a real turn off.
When you start judging songs written by Foreigner: there's a real problem.
The were some of the least suggestive in the 80's lol
More reason for fans to go see the current Foreigner line up.
Keep pushing and you'll completely ruin Lou's career.
Religious people are such repressed Hypocrites.
not all christians are hypocrite!!!!!! and i love me some foreigner both new and old.
No one is forcing anything.
God gave us free will. You either choose to listen or you choose not to.
Glory! Glory!
AMEN!!
Are you an imbecile or what ? This is an interview and he is answering the questions truthfully. If you are so intolerant you must be a liberal who preaches love and tolerance but is a complete bigot.
It is apparent that you still have some anamosity about Mick Mr Gramm! Perhaps you need to forgive him and move on. Let that stuff go. I think it is very distasteful too tell us about Micks OLD!!! drinking habits, and about the woman who slapped Micks hand. OK! so.Have you ever done something in your past your not proud of? yEA THATS WHAT I THOOUGHT!!!God bless Kelly Hanson. He knew how to sing before he replaced you! DUH… you should be ashamed of yourself for bashing your fellowman. What happed to Love thy neighbor as thyself? where are your christian principles in that….consider
Kelly Hanson. God bless him, but to see Foreignor without Lou Gramm is a complete waist of time. Mick Jones looks reDICKulas with all the young guys around him. Lou Gramm.God bless him and his voice.
lou gramm is foreigner,he sings with his incredible voice and most important with lots of heart!!!!!
Foreigner without Lou Gramm is like Journey without Steve Perry. You can never replace an original line-up, regardless of their talent. It is never the same!
Wow, pagans always telling others what they think others must do to fulfill what they fail to do.
Wow! It just amazes me the grammar that I see, or lack thereof, in these online posts. Did any of you pay attention at all during English? Guess not.
Anyway, I thought that the interview with Lou was excellent. It was enlightening to see what a scumbag Mick Jones was/is. Sorry, Mick, but you're not fooling me. I am not a huge Christian rock fan, but I will definitely listen to Lou's music before ever listening to anything Foreigner has to offer again. And lastly, Kelly Hansen is half the vocalist that Lou was!
After seeing Lou (with his band) approx. a year ago & seeing Foreigner a month ago I feel as if the show was brought to a "different" level.
On a personal note my young son "rocks out" to the old stuff with me.
Lou seems like a fun warm guy I felt a lot of warmth & compassion from the group
On the other hand I think that Hancen is "all show & glamor rock"
Lou,,,,forever a fan PS Your brother Ben was nice enough to give my son his sticks…He will cherish them, FOREVER A GRAMM fan
I think this is one of the best interviews I've read with Lou Gramm. Kudos to Melissa Parker. Mr. Gramm's talented. He's been honest about his challenges and struggles. And he's sharing how God got him through it. I wish him well. I've seen him perform and it was incredible. He loves his audience and really puts himself out for them.
I find it amusing that two people who posted are judging him for judging someone else. And one made a bigoted comment about all religious people being repressed hypocrites. Nice stone throwing there. If you're so great at knowing what Christians should do/not do, why aren't you guys showing up the rest how to do it?
Lou Gramm's been bashed quite a bit in public, and it's only fair that he get to express his side. I wonder would he be bashed so much if he hid his faith and acted like a cowering little mouse.
Instead of coming back on these people who are so quick to judge us Christians I'll just agree with what you had to say. I would say that I
can't wait for the day Jesus comes to take us Christians home to Heaven to be with Him. I'm waiting for the mansion God has for me and I nice set of drums and other musical instruments for me to learn and play for all eternity and I'm sure Lou and I will have time to play together, that will be a good time. For you that don't know Jesus as Lord & Savior
you and Hell will be cast into the darkness of "The Lake of Fire". There
won't be any music or fun of any kind only pain in the fire forever and torment. It is the Christian who has eternity to look forward to. Thank Jesus He paid the price for my sin to keep me out of Hell. Instead of criticizing us Christians perhaps you should consider the future that lies ahead of you in a place without God. Eternity is forever but my future is diametrically opposed to yours. Seek the Lord while He may be
found, once you're dead there are no second chances, SORRY!!!!!!!!!!!
I saw foreigner, styx, and kansas appx 1 yr ago in kansas city. I am an avid foreigner fan, and i must admit there is no foreigner without MR GRAMM!
That's true. I've seen Foreigner twice with Lou Gramm at the Mic and once more recently without him. There is no comparison. For quite a few years I worked with young musicians on their way up the ladder of success and if there is any one thing I hope sticks with them is that they need to be kind to everyone they meet along the way because someday they may meet them on the way back down…when they are playing car wash grand openings.
All the love/half the fat!
Cindy
Amazing comeback! Awesome interview.
I'd LOVE to see Lou Gramm at Cornerstone 2011!
All the love/Half the Fat!
Cindy
Yeah, Mick Jones defines scallywag. Forgive him Lou. He knows in his heart he's been a jackass. That's why he turned up at your parent's funeral to offer his condolences. I think he was trying to make the first move in mending fences but was just too chicken to go through with it. If you've read Mick's other interviews, he's always acknowledged Lou's greatness (even if he downplays it). And if any of the Jones' brood is reading this, your dad had better offer a fairer percentage deal if there's going to be any reunion talk. It sounds like not all love is lost on both sides. Someone just has to make the take the first step.
I first say Foreigner in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1985 and I was at the foot of the stage for the whole thing. I was blown away by Lou's singing ability. Three years ago, I saw Lou Gramm in Winsdor, Nova Scotia. I didn't know what to think when a heavier set guy walked on stage. I also did not hear those high notes anymore. I felt sad and dissappointed. My first guess was he hadn't taken care of himself as well as ole' man time taking its toll. I also thought that maybe something had happenned. Even though it's taken me three years to go on the internet and research it, I am glad I now know the trials and tribulations of life that Lou experienced. If I had known that night, I would have applauded far more than I had. More than a great vocalist, he is an example to all of someone who keeps fighting the good fight. Lou, you are now more of one of my real heros than you were before. May God be with you in your Christian Rock endeavour. I'll be buying the CD.
Nice interview. It is a shame Lou and Mick could not see past their differences and give the fans what they really want, Foreigner with Lou at the fore belting out the classics! What a voice, effortless and commanding! Great talents combined made them what they were back in the day. Listening to my favourite track now! "That was yesterday" How apt.
Cheers
So glad to see Lou on his feet and doing what he loves! Went to high school with Lou and Dick and it's great to see the brothers all together with all that talent and on the road. Forget Mick for now; when and if he sobers up-it will all work out then. But I remember the fun and music; when I'm back up-let's eat at Yianni's. Love you and keep on rockin'.
Lou Graham IS Foreigner….too bad for you,Mick!!
Lou Gramm is one of the best vocalists in the world. Too bad his former bandmate (Mick Jones) couldn't see that.
Foreigner is like the Yankees and Lou Gramm is Mickey Mantle.
I first heard Forrigner in 1977. Loved em. Bought every album and wore it out. Mick Jones is talented no doubt but the band wouldnt be foreigner without Lou's amazing vocals. If any of the band is less than millionaires today then someones been getting ripped off. This story shows the truth of man, today we are flowers flourishing in a field. Tomorrow we wither like grass. Love ya Lou.
Well unfortunately "Fake Lou" Kelly Whoever-he-is sounds ex-freaking-actly like Lou Gramm did 35 years ago and has robotically copied and memorized every nuance of Real Lou's performance style like a digital Avatar – which he might actually be, who knows?. The kids will never know, and their 50-somehting drunken parents might know but don't want to think too hard about it. As old fat Mick staggers around the 20-something studio guys play Foreigner songs, Fake Lou sings, and everybody is happy. What a total farce.
"We don't need no education….. we don't need no thought(s) control…"
ummm Lou Gramm's voice is the greatest ever. In my eyes and heart he is and always will be the best singer/songer writer in the world. I was extremely happy when I found out he was also a brother in Christ. Today's Foreigner is not foreigner, without Lou as lead singer they will not have great success. Those are Lou's songs, he put his heart and soul into singing them. I have had a love affair with Lou's voice for over 30 years, never forget as a teenager, the rift to urgent and Lou's voice reached out and grabbed me, have been a fan every since, I had my younger sisters and brother going around singing Urgent day and night, 4 album first I have ever owned, I played that album night and day.
lou gramm the greatest need i say more? i put him right at the very top with the king elvis presley. lord be with you lou
kudos to lou gramm the best i ever heard saw concert in the early eighties with joe walsh backing you up was top 2 concerts of all time going to jingle bells rock tour dec3 you eddie money and mickey thomas cant wait too see you again good luck with your future endevors and good health
All I have to say about Lou's writing talent is his 2 solo efforts were filled with great songs and catchy hooks and riffs in the mold of all those great Foreigner songs yet Mick's NON-Lou Foreigner effort Unusual Heat was not a Foreigner album at all. Mick co-wrote every song with producer Terry Thomas and ended up with a 1990 era Bad Company clone. That Foreigner album showed me Mick AND Lou made the writing magic TOGETHER. That magic returned on Mr Moonlight. Love your Lou Gramm Band album Lou. Just the great album I would expect to come out of you. God Bless
I saw Foreigner in the 1980's in Australia. It was a fabulous nite especially Lou's voice
I would Love to see Lou Gramm at the Alive Festival in Ohio! He has a tremendous voice. Glad to see he is still pursuing his love of music.
i liked srticle i think lou gramm made the great dynamics of foreigner. im glad hes a believer to. nothing wrong with that. im listening to foreigner right now on vh1 classics .kelly hansen is with them. its ok but still not lou!!! God bless you lou.
There is no "Foreigner" without Lou Gramm. There is a weird karaoke act that sounds exactly like Foreigner with some old fat dude playing guitar… Oh wait, that old fat dude is Mick Jones. Nice fat guy shirt and old guy specs Mick, but I digress….
Here's the problem. The replacement live Foreigner sounds a LOT more true to the recordings than "real" live Foreigner ever did. Younger fans will never know, nor will they care, that only ONE of the original musicians is on that stage. No, they'll pack their sorry drunken asses into the 5000 seat sheds and outdoor venues "new Foreigner" is playing and think they're hearing the real thing.
What do we do about this?
There is nothing we can do – Old fat Mick owns the tunes (what the hell, he wrote most of them) – and he can put together a jukebox version of Foreigner using studio musicians any time he wants, I guess.
But some of us will remember the difference. Some of us remember hanging out at the Penny Arcade in Rochester NY when "Black Sheep" was playing. We remember what the real Lou Gramm sounded like and looked like back then.
BTW – New Foreigner are pricks… another friend of ours opened for them at one of those 5000 seat sheds, and blogged that the sound co. supporting the show would only let the opening act use 60% power, no noise gates, and no monitors. So of course they sounded like shit.
Won't let the opening act (local guys) use your PA Mick? Are you really that insecure you phat phoney phuckwad ? Oh well – I'm done ranting – Foreigner RIP. Long Live Foreigner.
For a fact Jack, Kelly Hansen is a sore comparison to Lou's voice and high notes he can hit. Lou has a voice you cannot replicate, and yes I am from Rochester, and have heard him sing before, Black Sheep , Foreigner, on his own, and Shadow King. Like the other person said previously, its like hearing Journey without Steve Perry, a waste on $$. Long lve Lou and his band, and his albums…
Problem is – Kelly Hansen DOES replicate Lou Gramm. He sounds identical to my ears. They were just on Leno tonight, and honestly, nobody younger than about 50 would ever realize that wasn't the "real" band. But then – that's how the majority of the 'classic rock' acts are these days. Everyone is getting old – these guys start hitting 55-60-65+ and they can't do it. This summer "The Beach Boys" were on tour… or should I say The Beach BOY – It was ONLY Mike Love, with a cast of kids. The Filipino kid in Journey is good enough that I would probably buy a ticket to see HIM – and that's how these acts need to evolve. They have to stop pretending they're something that hasn't existed in 30 yrs – and go with reality.
Lou Gramm is the Voice of Foreigner! He has that very recognizable voice that the "replacement guy" can't copy. My heart leaped with joy when he said he was a Christian and was doing christian songs! Can't wait to hear the new songs and buy them! God Bless you Lou and your band!
I went to Lou's show last month, and he ROCKED it !! The band was fantastic !! Although he wasn't meeting fans that night, one of his road crew took my book to Lou and he autographed it for me. I have nothing but admiration and much respect for Lou. God Bless You ! I think it's wonderful you're still out there treating us fans with your gift of music- and THAT VOICE ! Thanks so much !!
I'm not a very religious person and I'm not knocking anyone's personal beliefs, but you know what? lou gramm has gone thru enough professional and personal/medical problems without having everybody on the internet knit-pick about his life. don't we all have enough problems to worry about of what's going on in this world today? i think Kelly Hansen rocks a as a new front man, but lou's vocals will always be king !! I'm sorry if i offended anyone. happy new year to all !!
In all fairness, in my opinion, Kelly Hanson is a good singer and handles the Foreigner catalog admirably. Does'nt have the nuances and fire and passion that Lou bring's to the table,but the world only gets one Lou Gramm. I've seen other Interviews with Lou, and with all his worldwide fame still comes across as a real down to earth guy. If Lou chooses to talk about something of the problems with Mick, I'm sure he's doing it just to clarify what the situation was, Not so much to downgrade Mick.
In defense of Lou Gramm, I don't think his statements about Mick necessarily mean that Lou doesn't forgive him. Lou was just being honest and stating facts about what happened, and what made him leave the group. I think Lou has every right to explain what happened with the songs he helped write and what percentage he feels he contributed. I am a song writer myself and I know how attached and personal a song that you write, or help write can be. Also, I think it is sad that so many people point the finger at Christians and pick them apart, as if they must be perfect, but no one else needs to be. We are all human, learning, and hopefully trying to be better people. No one was perfect but Christ. Some People say that Christians are judgmental and hypocrites , when the people saying this are actually judging the Christians, or other Christians, which may make these people hypocrites themselves.
'Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery'
Foreigner left its mark worldwide with Lou Gramm as front-man.
Foreigner today, with a different front-man, is acknowledging Lou Gramm's importance by imitating him.
Mick Jones knows Foreigner is a cash cow, a product that can to be exploited, as long as it is able to produce a facsimile of the original sound that made them famous… Lou Gramm's voice being a huge part of that.
I'm so happy that a member of a very successful rock band found his creator. I also found God one day when I honestly knelt down and asked for the way, the truth, and the life. I found the answers in the greatest book ever written after I knelt and sincerely asked for answers. many non-believers will laugh at this, but my answer to them will be: don't knock it until/ (or IF ) you really truthfully want God to reveal Himself to you. Lou Gramm was blessed because his heart was open to God! God is calling all of us to get to that point. My prayer is for all the un-believers to find Him so they will learn about eternal life and to read the truth about spiritual warfare that exists on planet Earth.
Lou Gramm's heart was open to hear and feel God's presence so he was blessed to find his way! God wants all of us to become humble so He can lead us all home and give us Eternal Life. My prayer is for each of us to realize "spiritual warfare" that exists on this planet. please learn what God is all about by reading and understanding God's words to us…Ask Him and He will answer all sincere hearts. God bless everyone who reads this.
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