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ROCHESTER NATIVE LOU GRAMM HEADLINES BEAR'S DEN
Niagara Falls, NY, December 2004 - Fans of "Waiting for a Girl Like You" will have to wait no longer when Foreigner's Lou Gramm takes the stage at Seneca Niagara Casino's Bear's Den Showroom. The Rochester native, lead vocalist and co-writer for the acclaimed superstar band Foreigner, as well as a successful solo artist, comes to the stage for a single performance at 9 p.m. on Saturday, January 15. Tickets are $25 and available at SenecaNiagaraCasino.com, Eight Clans Gift Shop, ticketmaster.com and all Ticketmaster locations, including Kaufmann's stores.
Gramm's recognizable voice is heard on more than a dozen gold and platinum albums and nearly 20 hit singles over the past 30 years since he, with Foreigner, exploded onto the international music scene with the chart topper, "Feels Like the First Time."
Born in Rochester as Lou Grammatico, he started drumming with a few regional rock bands in the late 1960s and early 1970s. He switched from drummer to lead vocalist with his blues-rock band, Black Sheep. In 1972, they were one of the first bands out of Rochester to get a recording deal with a major recording label. In 1974, on the verge of a national breakthrough opening for KISS, a truck accident destroyed their equipment and abruptly ended the Black Sheep tour.
Fate intervened when Grammatico went to New York for an audition. In less than a year he became Lou Gramm and a member of Foreigner. The group had three hit singles: "Feels Like the First Time," "Cold as Ice," "Long Way From Home" and an album hit, "Starrider." By the time the band was about to release its second album, "Double Vision" in 1978, the debut album was more than quadruple platinum and the band had won several major music industry awards.
From 1977 through 1980, the six Foreigner members would rule the pop and rock charts with a string of Top 10 hits including "Hot Blooded," "Double Vision," Head Games," "Dirty White Boy" and "Blue Morning Blue." The following year they released "Foreigner 4," which many still regard among the greatest rock albums of all time. Among the hits that emerged were "Juke Box Hero," "Urgent" and the aforementioned "Waiting for a Girl Like You."
Gramm stayed with Foreigner for another seven years, through two more albums and one of their biggest hits, "I Want to Know What Love Is." By 1986, tensions grew between himself and member Mick Jones, so Gramm decided to go out on his own. In 1990, Gramm released a second solo album, "Long Hard Look," which had another hit, "Just Between You and Me."
In 1992, Gramm and Jones resolved personal and creative differences. The duo reformed Foreigner and returned for a nearly 10-year run that included the "Mr. Moonlight" album.
Headaches and lapses of memory led to a diagnosis of a brain tumor for Gramm in 1996. Although benign, the illness took a toll. He claims that his strong religious faith got him through the tough times and continues to do so.
Gramm resumed his work with Foreigner and continued doing tours through the end of 2002. He then assembled a new band featuring his two talented brothers, Richard (on bass and guitar and an original member of Black Sheep) and Ben on drums. Another Black Sheep alumnus, Don Mancuso joined the group along with keyboardist Andy Knolls.
Gramm is back on the tour circuit bringing his talent to old Foreigner fans and new fans alike.
Seneca Niagara Casino is New York State's first full-service casino featuring reel-spinning and video slot machines. Just a few blocks from world-famous Niagara Falls, the Casino is located at 310 Fourth Street. The 112,590 square feet gaming floor houses more than 3,200 slot machines and 97 table games. A separate smoke-free casino, Turtle Island, is also available to patrons along with the Poker Room and the high-stakes Blue Heron Room.
In addition to gaming, Seneca Niagara Casino offers several restaurants including Thunder Falls Buffet, Morrie's Place and The Western Door: A Seneca Steakhouse. The Bear's Den Showroom, a 443-seat showroom-style theater and Club 101, a unique music venue located in the heart of the gaming floor, provide live entertainment. Free parking is available to patrons through complimentary valet services, self-parking areas and a four-story garage with covered walkway. The Casino is owned and operated by The Seneca Nation of Indians.
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