Lou Gramm
His soaring, soulful voice defined the sound of arena rock in the 1980s, powering Foreigner's anthems of heartbreak and desire.
Born 1950 (age 76)·American singer·Birthday: May 2·Baby Boomers
Biography
Born Louis Grammatico in Rochester, New York, Lou Gramm found his musical footing in local bands before a fateful meeting with guitarist Mick Jones in 1976. That partnership became Foreigner, a rock juggernaut where Gramm's powerful, emotive tenor was the perfect vehicle for Jones's sharp songcraft. Throughout the late '70s and '80s, Gramm's voice—a blend of grit and crystalline clarity—became one of the most recognizable on radio, driving hits like 'Cold as Ice' and 'I Want to Know What Love Is' to the top of the charts. His tenure with the band was marked by immense success but also internal friction, leading to his departure and subsequent solo career. Beyond the stage, Gramm faced a serious health battle with a brain tumor in the late '90s, a challenge he overcame. His legacy is etched into the very fabric of classic rock radio, his vocals providing the emotional core for a generation's soundtrack.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Lou was born in 1950, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Lou Was Born
The biggest hits of 1950
#1 Movie
Cinderella
Best Picture
All About Eve
#1 TV Show
Texaco Star Theatre
Lou's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1950Born
Korean War begins
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,354Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Goodnight Irene" — Gordon Jenkins & The WeaversBest Picture: All About Eve
1955Started school
Rosa Parks refuses to give up her bus seat
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $9,550Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Rock Around the Clock" — Bill Haley & His CometsBest Picture: Marty
1963Became a teenager
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1966Could drive
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1968Could vote
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1971Turned 21
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1980Turned 30
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1990Turned 40
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
2000Turned 50
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2010Turned 60
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2020Turned 70
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 76 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- As Foreigner's frontman, he sang on over a dozen Top 40 hits, including four that reached the Top 5 on the Billboard Hot 100.
- His vocal performance on the power ballad 'I Want to Know What Love Is' helped it become a number-one single in both the US and UK in 1985.
- Co-wrote many of Foreigner's biggest hits, including 'Waiting for a Girl Like You' and 'Juke Box Hero.'
- Released two solo albums, with 'Midnight Blue' reaching the Top 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1987.
Did You Know?
He changed his last name from Grammatico to Gramm early in his career because it fit better on marquees.
He is an avid fan of the Buffalo Bills football team.
Before joining Foreigner, he was in a band called Black Sheep, which also released albums.
He provided backing vocals on the 1984 song 'Almost Paradise' from the 'Footloose' soundtrack.
“I never considered myself a great singer, I just tried to sing with a lot of emotion.”
