It's Lou Gramm's Birthday!
Gramm had already been in the music scene with his band Black Sheep, when he met Mick Jones in Rochester New York. Jones was with Spooky Tooth, and Black Sheep had broken up. The two hit it off and formed the band "Trigger," later renamed as "Foreigner"!
Foreigner's first eight singles hit the Billboard Top 20, tying them with The Beatles. Hits like "Urgent", "Juke Box Hero", "Break It Up", "Say You Will", and "I Don't Want to Live Without You," made Foreigner one of the dominant bands of the 70's and 80's.
Success came with its costs. however as Gramm and Jones had a volatile chemistry, with Gramm wanting to keep things standard rock, while Jones embraced the 80s style of synthesizer power ballads. Gramm would release a solo album, Ready or Not, and the single "Midnight Blue" reached the top five. After another solo album "Long Hard Look" in 1989, which featured the top hits "Just Between You and Me" and "True Blue Love", Gramm would leave Foreigner.
Gramm formed Shadow King with former Black Sheep bassist Bruce Turgon, but would rejoin Foreigner in 1992 and stayed mostly with the band until 2003, as he now remains a solo act. Gramm was inducted to the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and now Foreigner will be inducted into The Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame this year!
A very Happy Birthday to the Juke Box Hero Lou Gramm!