Rock Star Lou Gramm to Appear at Innovative Field

The Rochester Red Wings are proud to announce that hometown icon and Foreigner’s original superstar, Lou Gramm, is set to make a special appearance at Innovative Field on Saturday, September 2, 2023. The Rochester Red Wings will take on the Scranton-W/B RailRiders at 6:05 pm, with Gramm signing autographs pre-game, throwing out a first pitch, and leading the crowd in “Take Me Out to the Ballgame”. Fans will enjoy a post-game fireworks show, set to the hits of Foreigner and Lou's solo career.

Lou Gramm’s ballpark visit serves as a preview for his upcoming October 7 show at the Kodak Center, featuring his band, the Lou Gramm All Stars. Tickets for the 8:00 pm show start at $30.50 (plus applicable fees) and will go on sale to the general public on Friday, April 14, 2023, at 10:00 am at Ticketmaster.com and the Kodak Center Box Office.

Exclusive concert presales for Kodak Center and Rochester Red Wings email subscribers and followers will begin on Wednesday, April 12, 2023, at 10:00 am.

The rock legend will start signing autographs at Innovative Field at 5:00 pm near the Red Wings Hall of Fame on September 2. Further details, including media availability, will be announced at a later date.

ABOUT LOU GRAMM

Gramm was born in Rochester, New York and began his musical career in his mid-teens, playing in local Rochester bands, including St. James lnfirmary (later The lnfirmary) and PHFFT. He later sang harmony vocals in another local band, Poor Heart. Gramm then went on to sing and play drums, and eventually became front man for the band Black Sheep. Black Sheep had the distinction of being the first American band signed to the Chrysalis label, which released their first single, “Stick Around,” in 1973. Black Sheep played in nightclubs in Rochester and Buffalo, NY, including McVan’s, formerly at Niagara Street and Hertel Avenue.

Soon after this initial bit of success, Gramm met his future bandmate Mick Jones when he was in Rochester performing with the band Spooky Tooth. In 1976, Jones invited Gramm to audition for lead vocalist for a new band he was assembling. With the blessings of his Black Sheep bandmates, Gramm flew down to New York to audition for the still-unnamed band. With his powerful vocals, he got the job. Lou Grammatico then became Lou Gramm, and, with the band initially known as Trigger and later renamed Foreigner, became one of the most successful rock vocalists of the late 1970s and 1980s. In 1978, Circus Magazine, upon release of “Hot Blooded,” commented that Lou Gramm had a voice that Robert Plant might envy. His unique vocals have made Foreigner one of Billboard’s Top 100 Artists of All Time in hit songs history.

Gramm was the lead vocalist on all of Foreigner’s hit songs, including “Feels Like the First Time,” “Cold as lce,” “Long, Long Way from Home,” “Hot Blooded,” “Double Vision,” “Blue Morning, Blue Day,” “Head Games,” “Dirty White Boy,” “Urgent,” “Juke Box Hero,” “Break lt Up,” and “Say You Will.” He co-wrote most of the songs for the band, which achieved two of its biggest hits with the ballads “Waiting for a Girl Like You,” which spent ten weeks at #2 on the 1981-82 American Hot 100, and “l Want to Know What Love ls,” which was a #1 hit internationally (US & UK) in 1985. Their first 8 singles cracked the Billboard Top 20 (4 went Top 10), making them the first group since the Beatles to achieve this in 1980.

Following the band’s second album, the wildly successful “Double Vision,” shifts in personnel and internal conflicts began to take place. During this period, Gramm released his first solo album, “Ready or Not,” which received critical acclaim and contained a top five hit single with “Midnight Blue.” Encouraged by his solo success, Gramm left the group in 1990 to form Shadow King with close friend and former Black Sheep bassist Bruce Turgon. The new group’s 1991 self-titled album was released by Atlantic Records. Despite positive reviews, the group lacked cohesiveness. The same year, Foreigner released the album “Unusual Heat,” a relatively unsuccessful effort fronted by vocalist Johnny Edwards. Gramm returned to the group in 1992 to record three new songs for the compilation, “The Very Best of...and Beyond,” bringing a new energy back into the mix. Gramm also brought Bruce Turgon with him to join the Foreigner lineup at this point.

ln April 1997, Gramm was diagnosed with a type of brain tumor called a craniopharyngioma. Although the tumor was benign, the resulting surgery damaged his pituitary gland. ln addition, the recovery program had caused Gramm to gain weight, and likewise affected his stamina and voice. He continued to work with Jones throughout his illness and in 1999, Gramm was back touring with Foreigner, playing summer festivals and smaller markets.

Gradually, Gramm’s health and energy have rebounded. Gramm left Foreigner again in 2003, and has been touring the U.S., Canada, and Mexico (as well as performing occasional dates off the continent) steadily since January 2004. As of 2013, Lou Gramm continues to tour with his band, performing many of his old Foreigner hits. ln May 2013, Triumph Books released Gramm’s autobiography “Juke Box Hero: My Five Decades in Rock ‘n’ Roll”.