Lou Gramm Net Worth

What is Lou Gramm's Net Worth?

Lou Gramm is an American singer and songwriter who has a net worth of $25 million. Lou Gramm is best known for being the co-founder of the British-American rock band Foreigner, where he also served as the lead vocalist from 1976 to 1990 and from 1992 to 2003. Gramm has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Foreigner's 1984 track "I Want To Know What Love Is" was their only song to reach number one on music charts. Music magazine Rolling Stone includes it on their list of The Greatest Songs of All Time.

Early Life

Louis Andrew Grammatico, professionally known as Lou Gramm, was born in Rochester, New York, on May 2, 1950, the son of Bennie Grammatico – a trumpeter – and Nikki Masetta – a singer. He attended Gates-Chili High School in his hometown and graduated in 1968. He then enrolled at Monroe Community College, also in Rochester, from which he earned degrees in art and education.

Musical Career

During the 1970s, Lou Gramm, using his biological name, provided harmony vocals to the band Poor Heart. However, the album "Poor Heart featuring Lou Grammatico" wasn't released until 1987.

While in his 20s, Lou Gramm formed a band called Black Sheep, which was signed under the Chrysalis Records label. The band's first single, "Stick Around," was released in 1974. The song proved moderately successful and caught the attention of Capitol Records, which signed Black Sheep. Two album releases followed in 1975; "Black Sheep" and "Encouraging Words." As the band rose in fame, they were chosen to open for the American rock band KISS during their 1975 Dressed to Kill Tour. While on the tour, their equipment truck was involved in an accident on the New York State Thruway during inclement weather on Christmas Eve. As Black Sheep could not sustain itself, the members decided to disband.

Soon after, Gramm was invited to audition for a position as lead vocalist in the band which English musician and songwriter Mick Jones put together. Gramm had met Jones the previous year when he was performing with the band Spooky Teeth. Gramm had given him a copy of Black Sheep's first album, which Jones was impressed by. Gramm's audition was successful, and he became the lead singer of Trigger, although the name was soon changed to Foreigner. During the 70s and 80s, while performing with Foreigner, Gramm became one of America's most successful rock vocalists.

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Professional Success

All of Foreigner's first eight singles ranked on the Billboard Top 20 chart, including "Urgent," "Jukebox Hero," and "I Don't Want to Live Without You." Lou Gramm co-wrote most of the band's hits, including their internationally acclaimed song "I Want to Know What Love Is," which was contained on their fifth album, "Agent Provocateur."

The first few years the band was together were rocky due to artistic differences between Gramm and Jones. While Jones was interested in leaning toward the heavy synthesizer sound popularized during the 1980s, Gramm wanted to remain true to the band's origin in rock and roll. Due to these differences, the band's fourth album, "Agent Provocateur," took three years to produce and was eventually released in 1984.

Deciding to branch out and pursue his own style, Gramm released a solo album, "Ready or Not," in January of 1987. The album's track "Midnight Blue" charted favorably. Another solo album, "Long Hard Look," followed in October 1989. The album's track "Just Between You and Me" reached the top ten on music charts.

The creative differences between Gramm and Jones eventually bubbled over, and in 1990, Gramm announced that he was quitting the band. He claimed he was leaving to focus on his solo career; however, he quickly went on to form the hard rock band Shadow King with former Black Sheep bassist Bruce Turgon. Other members included Vivian Campbell – who would go on to become the drummer for Def Leppard – and drummer Kevin Valentine. Shadow King's debut self-titled album was released the following year by Atlantic Records. Although a tour was planned, after only one performance, the band split up, and in 1992, Gramm rejoined Foreigner, and Turgon came along.

Jones and Gramm worked out their differences when they banded together during the Los Angeles riots, which followed the beating to death of an African-American man named Rodney King by four Los Angeles police officers. Foreigner released their album "Mr. Moonlight" in 1994 under the Rhythm Safari label. The album wasn't marketed well in the United States and received moderate praise in Europe. Gramm continued as a member of Foreigner while also providing vocals for other bands, including the Christian rock group Petra. He left Foreigner once more in 2003, following brain surgery.

In 2004, Gramm formed the Lou Gramm Band, which released a Christian rock album in 2009.

Gramm briefly reunited with Foreigner in 2017 to perform three songs at Jones Beach Theatre in Long Island, New York. He subsequently announced in 2018 that he would be retiring from touring altogether; however, in 2019, he toured with the British-American progressive rock band Asia Featuring John Payne.

Books

In 2013, Lou Gramm released his book "Juke Box Hero – My Five Decades in Rock 'n' Roll." The book chronicles Gramm's life as the son of a humble, working-class family who went on to become one of rock and roll's most distinctive voices. The book is honest in showing the ups and downs of nationwide fame and all its trappings. It also delves into Gramm's past drug addiction, the journey that led to him becoming a born-again Christian and the brain tumor that almost cost him his life. The book was published by Triumph Books.

Accolades

In 2013, Lou Gramm was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. In 2024, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Foreigner alongside his former bandmates. To commemorate the event, Foreigner released a career-spanning collection of songs titled "Turning Back the Time."

Health

In 1997, Lou Gramm announced that he had been diagnosed with a craniopharyngioma, a rare type of brain tumor that forms near the pituitary gland. The tumor was determined to be benign, but the necessary surgery ultimately damaged his pituitary gland, causing him to gain weight. His stamina and voice were heavily affected, in part by the medical damage and in part by the recovery program prescribed to him afterward.

Personal Life

Lou Gramm and his first wife, Nina, divorced in 1985 after having two children together. In 1992, Gramm married choreographer Robyn Randall, who has worked with such musical artists as Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston. They have one child together.

Gramm credits Robyn with providing the strength it took him to overcome an alcohol and drug addiction in the early 90s.

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