FAQ: PART I: THE BAND

I.1 What is the history of the band and who are/were the members?
(excerpts of history below taken from The New Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock n Roll, copyright 1995)

Foreigner's heavy metal with keyboard flourishes has racked up sales of over 30 million records worldwide to date.

The band is led by British journeyman rocker Mick Jones, who played in the Sixties with Nero and the Gladiators, a Shadows-like group that had several hits in England, including "Hall of the Mountain King." He worked with French rock singer Johnny Hallyday, then with a latter-day version of Spooky Tooth. Jones had worked as an A & R man in New York before joining the Leslie West Band. A year later he decided to form his own band. In early 1976 he met ex-King Crimson multi-instrumentalist Ian McDonald at recording sessions for Ian Lloyd, former lead singer of Stories. A few months later Jones and McDonald formed Foreigner with four unknown musicians, including lead vocalist Lou Gramm, founder and lead singer of Black Sheep, a Free and Bad Company cover band in upstate New York. download free ringtones now or free att ringtones and free sprint ringtones.

(Note: The other three musicians were Dennis Elliott on drums, Al Greenwood on keyboards, and Ed Gagliardi on bass. These musicians, along with those listed above, comprise the original Foreigner lineup)

The group's 1977 debut sold more than four million copies in the U.S. and stayed in the Top Twenty for a year. Double Vision was released in 1978 and sold five million records.  Late in the year Foreigner headlined the Reading, England, music festival and Head Games was released in 1979.  Several personnel changes occurred, so that by late 1980 the group was a quartet, with Rick Wills (formerly of Frampton's Camel, Small Faces, and Roxy Music) on bass. Gagliardi and Greenwood went on to form the group Spys.  Foreigner's next album, 4 was its biggest ever, racking up six million in sales. Agent Provocateur  went platinum, yielding the #1 pop hit "I Want To Know What Love Is", an epic piece of AOR-gospel on which Gramm was backed by the New Jersey Mass Choir.  Inside Information also went platinum in 1987.

In 1991, Johnny Edwards was selected as the new singer following Gramm's departure from the band in 1988. Unusual Heat was released under this new lineup.  After a lukewarm sales response to this album, and a tour, Dennis Elliott retired from the band and Rick Wills left to join Bad Company.  Jones and Gramm eventually had a meeting upon which they agreed to team back up.  This lead to the writing and recording of 3 new songs to appear on a greatest hits release in 1992, The Very Best and Beyond.  In late summer 1993, Jones and Gramm announced they were re-forming Foreigner with an entirely new backing band. The new lineup consisted of the additions of Bruce Turgon on bass, Jeff Jacobs on keyboards and Mark Schulman on drums.  Turgon had played with Gramm before in the pre-Foreigner Black Sheep, as well as Gramm's two solo albums and the short lived Shadow King.   Jacobs had worked with Jones on Joel's Stormfront album and had also played on Jones' solo effort.  Schulman was a session drummer who played on the new contributions for Best and Beyond, and the band hired him for the recording of the 1994 release, Mr. Moonlight.

In the spring of 2000, Foreigner scheduled a short "weekend" summer tour for the US, interspersing live shows with continued recording on the new release. Mark Schulman rejoined the band in the drummer slot for the current 2000 tour. 2001 revealed itself to be a year off from touring, with continued reports of recording. Foreigner is touring in 2002 to celebrate its 25th anniversary, and in April 2002, VH1 presented Foreigner: Behind The Music. Mark Schulman had other commitments for the summer of 2002 and drummer Denny Carmassi was recently selected from auditions held in April 2002 to drum for the current tour.

The current lineup is: 
Mick Jones - Lead guitar, vocals
Lou Gramm - Lead vocals, percussion
Bruce Turgon - Bass
Jeff Jacobs - Keyboards, synthesizers
Denny Carmassi - Drums

I.2 In what other bands have they played in before/since?

Some of the many bands and projects that current and former members have played in are (This list is not currently all inclusive and needs more research):

Mick Jones - Nero & The Gladiators, Johnny Hallyday, Spooky Tooth, Wonderwheel, Leslie West Band
Lou Gramm - Poor Heart, Black Sheep, Shadow King
Ian McDonald - King Crimson, McDonald & Giles, Ian Lloyd, Centipede, T-Rex, Ian McDonald (solo)
Dennis Elliott - If, Ferriswheel, Roy Young Band, Brett Marvin & the Thunderbolts, Ian Hunter, Ian Hunter/Mick Ronson
Al Greenwood - Ian Lloyd, Storm, Spys, Joe Lynn Turner, Garbo Talks
Ed Gagliardi - Spys, Joe Lynn Turner, Garbo Talks
Rick Wills - Joker's Wild, Little Women, Plastic Penny, Cochise, David Gilmour, Parrish & Gurvitz, Frampton's Camel, Roxy Music, Small Faces, Bad Company, Lynyrd Skynyrd
Johnny Edwards - Buster Brown, Wild Horses, King Kobra, Montrose, Royal Jelly, JK Northrup
Bruce Turgon - Black Sheep, Warrior, Steve Steven's Atomic Playboys, Lou Gramm, Shadow King
Jeff Jacobs - Billy Joel, Jacobs Ladder
Mark Schulman - Simple Minds, Billy Idol, Clock, Cher, Stevie Nicks
Ron Wikso - Cher, David Lee Roth, Storm, World Classic Rockers, Majic Ship, Player, Gregg Rolie Band
Brian Tichy - Pride & Glory, Zebra, Slash's Snakepit, Ball, Ozzy Osbourne, Billy Idol
Denny Carmassi - Heart, Montrose, Coverdale/Page, Whitesnake

I.3 Where did they get the name of the band?

The name Foreigner was thought of by Mick Jones who suggested it to Bud Prager (their manager at the time) basing it on the fact that half the band was American and the other half English.

I.4 Have any band members ever done solo projects?

Solo projects are covered more in depth under the respective band member pages and member FAQ's, but yes, many Foreigner members have done solo projects. Of current and former members, Mick, Lou, Ian and Jeff have all done straight solo albums.

I.5 What is the story regarding Lou Gramm being diagnosed with a brain tumor in 1997?
(excerpts of story below taken from a 1997 Press Release issued by Hard to Handle Management)

The 1998 American tour marked the return to public life of lead singer Lou Gramm, who spent 1997 recuperating in upstate New York after the removal of a benign brain tumor. Lou was diagnosed in April 1997, with the tumor, just one day before the band was set to leave for a tour of Japan.  The tumor was removed by surgery, which was followed by a year of rehabilitation at his home and a concentrated period of radiation treatment at Boston's Brigham & Woman's Hospital, under the care of Dr. Peter Black earlier in 1998..

"My tumor was non-cancerous," says Lou, "but it was certainly life threatening. It was growing adjacent to my optic nerve in the base of my brain and it was blocking the signals my brain was sending out to my body. I was losing my memory, getting headaches and seeing with double vision. Fortunately, everything turned out OK, and I'm back to work with the band. I'm very grateful to the Lord, my wife and family, and all my friends, who got me through this difficult time.". (Note: This interview was conducted in late 1997.)

In the spring of 1998, Gramm completed his treatments and was given a clean bill of health by his doctors. The resulting surgery and recovery program (and damage to his pituitary gland) caused Gramm to gain a lot of weight and it affected his stamina and voice.  Gramm and Jones had continued working on a new Foreigner album throughout his illness, but were now given the green light to return to touring, which they did in 1998 and 1999. 

Some excellent articles written in 1999 have been added to the Interviews page that go into more detail with Lou and the events surrounding his illness and recovery. In the year 2000, Lou has continued to recover, and is currently on a strict diet and workout schedule to help work towards shedding the additional weight gained and increase his stamina. There was notable improvement on many levels in 2000 to Gramm's voice and weight loss. He currently is doing well but is still working to improve his overall health and appearance.

I.6 Why was Lou replaced by Johnny Edwards for the Unusual Heat album in 1991?

At the time, Lou had already released a solo album (Ready or Not) in 1987 and was working on his second solo album that was released in 1989 (Long Hard Look). Lou wanted to be able to record solo and tour solo for his albums, as well as contribute to Foreigner, but "artistic differences" between himself and Foreigner resulted in a split so that he could concentrate on his solo album. You will get different stories depending on if you ask Lou or Mick, essentially, an agreement between Lou and Mick could not be worked out. Mick hired Johnny Edwards to replace Lou for 1991's Unusual Heat album and tour.

I.7 What were the reasons behind all the other lineup changes that have occurred in the group? Who were the members affected?

There have been many lineup changes in the band since it started in 1977. Most of the reasons for people leaving have had to do with their personal choice or artistic/business differences between members. Listed below are the names, dates and reasons for a band member leaving the group in the order in which they occurred. Please note that my information comes 99% of the time from articles and information that is publicly available, or what has been confirmed by specific band members. I'm sure there are different versions depending on who you ask.

Ed Gagliardi - 1979 - left or let go (depending on who you ask) to form Spys with Al Greenwood in 1980 and replaced by Rick Wills.
Ian McDonald - 1980 - left or let go (depending on who you ask) due to artistic differences in the group and due to a band/management decision over his playing efforts (again, depending on who you ask). Not replaced.
Al Greenwood - 1980 - same reasons as above for Ian. Not replaced.
Lou Gramm - 1987 - see above FAQ I.6. Replaced by Johnny Edwards.
Rick Wills - 1992 - left due to dissatisfaction with the performance of the Unusual Heat album, and the replacement of Lou Gramm. (Reasons can also differ depending on who you ask). Replaced by Bruce Turgon.
Dennis Elliott - 1992 - left voluntarily to retire from the music industry and devote time to his woodworking art. Replaced by Mark Schulman.
Mark Schulman - 1995 - left to join Simple Minds. Replaced by Ron Wikso.
Ron Wikso - 1998 - left due to artistic differences. (depending on who you ask). Replaced by Brian Tichy.
Brian Tichy - 2000 - left to tour with Ozzy Osbourne and fulfill his obligations with his own band, Ball. Replaced by Mark Schulman.
Mark Schulman - 2002 - left to tour with Cher on her summer 2002. Replaced by Denny Carmassi.

I.8 What are the birthdates and cities of the band members (current and previous)? (yes--I need to hunt down all the info, but this is what I have so far.)

Mick Jones - December 27, 1944; Somerset, England
Lou Gramm - May 2, 1950; Rochester, NY
Ian McDonald - June 25, 1946; London, England
Al Greenwood - October 20, 1951; New York City, NY
Dennis Elliott - August 18, 1950; England
Ed Gagliardi - February 13, 1952;
Rick Wills - December 5, 1947; England
Johnny Edwards - Louisville, KY
Bruce Turgon - April 25, 1952; Rochester, NY
Jeff Jacobs - May 23, 1962;
Mark Schulman - September 4, 1961;
Ron Wikso - November 18, 1959; Dover, DE
Brian Tichy - August 18, 1968; New Jersey
Denny Carmassi -

I.9 Are any of the band members married/have kids? (current and previous)?

The following list are of band members that I know are married and if they have kids. Out of respect of their privacy, I am not listing any names or other specific details about spouses or children. The point of this FAQ question is to just at least answer the many questions I get about marital status or children questions I get regarding specific band members...

Mick Jones - Married. Has 2 children by his current wife and several from previous marriages, along with lots of step-kids.
Lou Gramm - Not married. (recently divorced in 2001). Has 4 children.
Ian McDonald - Married. Has 1 child.
Al Greenwood - ?
Dennis Elliott - Married. No children.
Ed Gagliardi - Married and has 3 children.
Rick Wills - ?
Johnny Edwards - Married and I believe has 2 children.
Bruce Turgon - Not married. Has 1 child.
Jeff Jacobs - Married and has 1 child.
Mark Schulman - Not married. No children.
Ron Wikso - Married and has 2 children.
Brian Tichy - Married. No children.
Tom Gimbel - Not married. No children
Denny Carmassi - Married. Has 1 child.

I.10 Did Lou Gramm have any formal vocal training at any point in his life, or is he just a natural vocal talent?

For the most part, Lou's vocals are the result of natural talent, and he did not have any formal vocal training growing up. He has taken some vocals lessons and training in vocal care since he joined Foreigner, to keep his natural instrument in good shape and keep his stamina as high as possible. Lou has also stated in interviews, in answer to this question: "Well, I think the initial blessing has been and continues to be there. But I do take pains to care for this gift. Proper warming (up) before a show is essential, and drinking non-carbonated, non-alcoholic, room temperature beverages, preferably water."

I.11 What do the current lineup do when not touring/recording for Foreigner?

The current members of Foreigner generally engage in other musical projects or gigs in other bands when Foreigner is not actively touring/recording. Some examples are listed below:

Mick Jones - music writing with and music production of other artists; collaborations with other artists; 
Lou Gramm - music writing with and productions of other artists; charity benefits
Bruce Turgon - soundtrack/songwriting for motion pictures/TV shows projects; songwriting
Jeff Jacobs - song/music writing; solo projects; collaborations/performances with other artists/bands

All other previous/current members of Foreigner engage in similar types of musical activities.

I.12 Has Lou Gramm's surgery for a benign brain tumor and his subsequent recovery had any affect on his voice?

While Lou has made a tremendous recovery from his surgery, the resulting treatment, medications and weight gain have put a large strain on his vocal abilities. Fans attending shows in 1998 and 1999 noticed some significant changes in Lou's vocal style, and there was some struggling observed. However, through continued recovery, there was a noticeable improvement in his voice during the latter half of the 2000 summer tour. Lou has continued to work on his recovery and health throughout 2001 to the present, and his vocals have also been steadily improving. In an April 2002 benefit performance, it was noted by the fans then a remarkable and huge improvement of his vocals then, bringing him back to sounding as he did pre-surgery.

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