Gramm opened up about Foreigner’s first-ever ticketed reunion show, which will feature all original members. It will take place at The Sturgis Buffalo Chip in Sturgis, South Dakota. Gramm will be joined by such former members as Dennis Elliott, Al Greenwood, Ian McDonald and Rick Wills. “It’s going to be a very special performance. It is exciting for us to play together again after many years,” Gramm. “I think it’s going to be a ball playing the old hits and playing a couple of songs with the new members of Foreigner. We’re going to run the gamut here.”
All members will be performing some of Foreigner’s best-selling songs from their lengthy catalog, which includes 10 multi-platinum albums and 40 years of enduring Top ten hit singles (such as “Waiting for a Girl Like You” and their chart-topper “I Wanna Know What Love Is”).
On his plans for the future, Gramm said, “I am just finishing up the year. There is nothing really in the works yet. I’m waiting to see if there are any more reunion shows next year. I am just laying low.”
Gramm listed “Juke Box Hero” as his personal favorite song to sing live. Regarding the key to longevity in the music business, Gramm said, “Keeping low key personalities, and maintaining a very cool disposition.”
Each day, Gramm is motivated by his wife and children, and his health. “My family motivates me, and the fact that I am healthy, and that the good Lord watches over me,” he said.
One of his proudest professional moments included playing Day on the Green, the Bill Graham production, where they opened the show at 8 a.m. “We were a brand new band. We played with The Eagles, and it was a lot of fun,” he recalled. “We also played some fun shows in some big venues in Europe. That’s what it’s all about. Getting a thrill from seeing the audience, and the kind of noise that they can make.”
Gramm acknowledged that before his live show, he does scales to warm his voice up. “After my vocal warm-ups, I do breathing experiences that I was taught, and then, I get a little back rub to loosen my shoulders because that is where all the tension is when I am singing,” he said. “I attribute those things to my longevity.”
The iconic rock vocalist defined the word success as “Achieving your dreams.”
Digital transformation of music business
On the impact of technology on the music business, Gramm said, “It is difficult to keep up with all this. I am not trying to be resistant to new technology. I like to see what it does first before I formulate an opinion on it. Although this is a radical change, ultimately, it will be pretty good for new artists to get their music heard. People can put together their own albums, and it makes things different and interesting.”
Regarding his use of technology in his music routine, Gramm said, “I still work on songs using a digital player, although I record through an analog player. We mix it through a digital player. Today’s technology expedites things, and makes things quicker.”
To learn more about rock band Foreigner, check out their official website and Facebook page.
