OT: Lou Gramm health issues

[conversationpc]

This is an interesting interview from, I think, 2005, and Lou sheds some light on his health issues and the tour that happened in '98 not long after he had surgery. When I saw them, he appeared to be out of breath and had to take multiple hits of oxygen during the show. Well, it was 95+ in the club I saw them in so I'm sure that was part of it but this portion of the interview sheds light on his health during that era and also up until the time of this interview...

http://www.classicrockrevisited.com/Int ... ramm05.htm

Jeb: When you came back from surgery there were obviously some pretty severe vocal problems with you.

Lou: Sure there were.

Jeb: Fans whisper a lot and everyone seems afraid to talk to you about it. Hell, you have ears. You could hear what was going on. Let’s face it, Lou – along with Paul Rodgers, Steve Walsh and Brad Delp, you were the Voice of the 70’s. Basically, what has it taken to get your voice back to where you are comfortable with it?

Lou: I had to take my medication – I was on about 8-9 pills during the day and in the evening I had to give myself two shots of different medication. I had to do that seven days a week. A lot of the medication was to work against pain. I was taking a lot of painkillers and I was taking a lot of steroids. It was a pile of stuff that would leave me in a half stupor. Because of the steroids, everything I touched turned to ten pounds. It was like everything I ate just added poundage to me, left right and center. I would look in the mirror and not recognize myself. My diaphragm was actually not opening to its full extend due to all the weight. I would find myself in the middle of a tough sounding phrase and be out of breath. There were times that I couldn’t keep up with the beat because I was out of breath.

The first year after the operation – within four months – I was on the road. The operation took a whole day and the recovery time was about four weeks. This took place in March. By July, I was on the road. It was really insane. Apparently, the Foreigner management had shows booked and they meant to honor them so they threw me up there. I knew there was a lot of laughter and a lot of quizzical looks – I was awake enough to see that. People were going, “What’s wrong with Lou?” I knew that I didn’t belong up there but I really couldn’t do anything about it.

Jeb: If you don’t honor the contract then you get sued.

Lou: Right.

Jeb: You have lost some weight now. Have you been doing vocal training?

Lou: I definitely did some vocal training to form some good habits. I go to the gym five days a week and I have a personal trainer. I am on a strict diet, which is kind of hard to keep up with on the road, but I stick to it as well as I can. The weight is a real struggle to take off. Part of the medication that heals me is what puts on the weight. I am taking massive amounts of steroids to heal.

Jeb: You still take them to this day?

Lou: Yes, I thought it would be over but it isn’t. It has been eight years and I am still taking steroids. When I got out of the hospital my face looked like a big red beach ball. There was no definition. My skull was round. I didn’t even recognize myself.

Jeb: This has been a very hard fought battle for you.

Lou: It has been a hard fought battle just to be here. The operation was in March and I got married in August. Nobody sees those wedding pictures. They just really look weird. Two years later I was divorced. What happened to ‘in sickness and in heath’?

[TRAGChick]

Lou: The first year after the operation – within four months – I was on the road. The operation took a whole day and the recovery time was about four weeks. This took place in March. By July, I was on the road. It was really insane. Apparently, the Foreigner management had shows booked and they meant to honor them so they threw me up there. I knew there was a lot of laughter and a lot of quizzical looks – I was awake enough to see that. People were going, “What’s wrong with Lou?” I knew that I didn’t belong up there but I really couldn’t do anything about it.

Jeb: If you don’t honor the contract then you get sued.

Lou: Right.

Fucking insane.

[Red13JoePa]

Knowing what he went through and battles all the time, I still think he sounds pretty good.

Not 4-era, but a more mature Gramm voice, which I have no problems with.

This is not the usual stance I take, and I like the Extended Versions album with Kelly Hanson, but I'd rather see Gramm back in Foreigner and I get the feeling Mick Jones would take him back any day.

It's Lou who seems to have deep-seeded resentment at Mick right now. I love the 25th Anniv DVD they have with Lou on the 02 tour.

[amaron]

I remember seeing Foreigner with Journey, and I thought he sounded OK...

I chalked it up to the sound at the Meadows.... it was fucking terrible for a open air place. Augeri's vocals were barely audible over the guitars and drums.

[TRAGChick]

I remember seeing Foreigner with Journey, and I thought he sounded OK...

I chalked it up to the sound at the Meadows.... it was fucking terrible for a open air place. Augeri's vocals were barely audible over the guitars and drums.

Meadows....?

Are you in CT?

[amaron]

I remember seeing Foreigner with Journey, and I thought he sounded OK...

I chalked it up to the sound at the Meadows.... it was fucking terrible for a open air place. Augeri's vocals were barely audible over the guitars and drums.

Meadows....?

Are you in CT?

Yeah... I forgot what the hell it's called now... I'm used to the Meadows.

[Red13JoePa]

Lou: The first year after the operation – within four months – I was on the road. The operation took a whole day and the recovery time was about four weeks. This took place in March. By July, I was on the road. It was really insane. Apparently, the Foreigner management had shows booked and they meant to honor them so they threw me up there. I knew there was a lot of laughter and a lot of quizzical looks – I was awake enough to see that. People were going, “What’s wrong with Lou?” I knew that I didn’t belong up there but I really couldn’t do anything about it.

Jeb: If you don’t honor the contract then you get sued.

Lou: Right.

Fucking insane.

MMMMMmmmmmmm...I take this with a grain of salt, too.

Mick owns the band name so I kinda doubt Lou's name personally was on that contract.... worse comes to worse, Mick could've told the venues "Hey, Lou medically CAN'T perform right now I can either get a replacement signer or you have to let us out." I don't know what recourse anyone would've had.

No, I get the feeling Lou went right along fully willing to cash the paychecks.

[JeremyP]

I wonder what exactly it was that caused his voice to deepen after his operation. I think he had been extremely lucky up until then in that his voice had aged extremely well. He sounds slightly gruffer on the Mr. Moonlight album, but the range is still there and he sounds great. Also, they were performing the songs in the original keys (and sounding awesome) up until the most recent tour with Lou (2002) where they tuned down a half step.

I'm still waiting on Lou's new Christian rock album. They've been working on it since about 2005, I think.

[conversationpc]

I wonder what exactly it was that caused his voice to deepen after his operation. I think he had been extremely lucky up until then in that his voice had aged extremely well. He sounds slightly gruffer on the Mr. Moonlight album, but the range is still there and he sounds great. Also, they were performing the songs in the original keys (and sounding awesome) up until the most recent tour with Lou (2002) where they tuned down a half step.

I'm still waiting on Lou's new Christian rock album. They've been working on it since about 2005, I think.

I'm sure the steroids probably caused his vocal chords to thicken up a bit, not to mention the extra weight he'd gained. He said in the interview that the weight gain caused him to not be able to open up the diaphragm as far as he was used to.

[Abitaman]

It's Lou who seems to have deep-seeded resentment at Mick right now. I love the 25th Anniv DVD they have with Lou on the 02 tour.

Read an interview a year or so ago where Lou said they (him and Mick) were sitting working on a song. It had been years since Lou had written anything. After the operation he had writers block, and nothing would come to his mind, for many years. So he and Mick were sitting there,and Mick was strumming the guitar trying put some words to it. Lou said then it hit him BAM, the words started coming from him. He told Mick the words, and Mick was like whatever. No good to have you back, lets work on it, or anything like that, just went back to working on the song. So Lou said that was it for him..

Now that is Lou's side of the story, I haven't heard Mick's side-ERIC

[Johnny Mohawk]

Lou sang lead on three tracks from one of his bandmates solo albums last year (Don Mancuso - "D:Drive"). He sounded like himself again. Not like the Lou Gramm voice from the 70's, but definitely much better than he had in the past several years.

[Abitaman]

Any word if he is goung to do a new cd? Back in 03 he said he was working on one-ERIC

[Johnny Mohawk]

I have not heard any definitive word about a new release, but Rhino Records is gonna be releasing a Lou Gramm compilation CD this summer. Whether it will have any new recordings or just re-issued tracks, I'm not sure.

In the meantime, if anyone is interested, the three songs from Don Mancuso's album in which Lou sings lead on, are available on iTunes individually.

The album is Dan Mancuso - "D:Drive"
and Lou Gramm sings on;
"I'm a Little Outside"
"Wait Till the Sun Goes Down"
"You're Never Alone"

[Red13JoePa]

Complilation?
Like a "Greatest Hits?"


What;s it gonna have, Midnight Blue, and MAYBE Just Between You And Me if we define "hit" loosely?


God, Lou might get perry off me and NoMoreTails' hook for least necassary greatest hits record ever.

[Johnny Mohawk]

Red13JoePa wrote
Complilation?
Like a "Greatest Hits?"
What;s it gonna have, Midnight Blue, and MAYBE Just Between You And Me if we define "hit" loosely?
God, Lou might get perry off me and NoMoreTails' hook for least necassary greatest hits record ever.

First of all, Rhino Records is behind this release, not Gramm himself.
Also, regarding Perry's GH cd. Sony insisted on the "Greatest Hits" title in order to sell more copies. Perry wanted an outlet to release his "Against the Wall" tunes, and compromised on the "GH + 5 Unreleased" title.

[conversationpc]

Read an interview a year or so ago where Lou said they (him and Mick) were sitting working on a song. It had been years since Lou had written anything. After the operation he had writers block, and nothing would come to his mind, for many years. So he and Mick were sitting there,and Mick was strumming the guitar trying put some words to it. Lou said then it hit him BAM, the words started coming from him. He told Mick the words, and Mick was like whatever. No good to have you back, lets work on it, or anything like that, just went back to working on the song. So Lou said that was it for him..

Now that is Lou's side of the story, I haven't heard Mick's side-ERIC

That's not quite the story. Click on the link in my first post and read the portion where he talks about that.

[Red13JoePa]

Agreed, Dave...Mick seemed the more rational in this case.

Unless I'm wrong, songs hardly ever keep the first exact set of lyrics.

[Johnny Mohawk]

Though nothing seems rational about Mick Jones decision to re-record some of the classic Foreigner tunes to include on their new album.
Familiarity of the songs aside, this seems like a dumb move for a band trying to re-establish themselves with a new identity (and singer).

[Red13JoePa]

Not a big fan of that, either but it doesn't BUG me.

Better that than the ever-trendy covers album (covers of OTHER bands.).

[Johnny Mohawk]

I'll be honest, I have no interest in Foreigner without Lou Gramm, so even if they recorded all new tunes, I probably wouldn't go out of my way to hear it.
But... re-doing the old Gramm sung tunes with the new singer for a studio album, really rubs me the wrong way.

I had heard a year or so ago, that Mick Jones was gonna have the current band re-do some of those songs so he could then peddle them for movie soundtracks, commercials, etc. without needing Gramm's approval. I assume this would only work on the tunes that Gramm did not co-write with him.

[Red13JoePa]

I assume this would only work on the tunes that Gramm did not co-write with him.

And unfortunately, there are a shitload of foreigner hits that don't have Gramm's name on credit.

[ohsherrie]

I'll be honest, I have no interest in Foreigner without Lou Gramm, so even if they recorded all new tunes, I probably wouldn't go out of my way to hear it.
But... re-doing the old Gramm sung tunes with the new singer for a studio album, really rubs me the wrong way.

I had heard a year or so ago, that Mick Jones was gonna have the current band re-do some of those songs so he could then peddle them for movie soundtracks, commercials, etc. without needing Gramm's approval. I assume this would only work on the tunes that Gramm did not co-write with him.

I haven't followed Foreigner without Lou for the same reason that I haven't followed Styx without Dennis, Survivor without Jimi, and up until Jeff came on board I cared nothing about Journey without Steve Perry.

What you said about redoing the Foreigner classics sounds a lot like the way I felt when Journey was talking about redoing their classics. I'm glad they ditched that idea because it may have been the last straw for me as a Journey fan, but I'll be interested in a new CD with Jeff on vocals.

[Abitaman]

Read an interview a year or so ago where Lou said they (him and Mick) were sitting working on a song. It had been years since Lou had written anything. After the operation he had writers block, and nothing would come to his mind, for many years. So he and Mick were sitting there,and Mick was strumming the guitar trying put some words to it. Lou said then it hit him BAM, the words started coming from him. He told Mick the words, and Mick was like whatever. No good to have you back, lets work on it, or anything like that, just went back to working on the song. So Lou said that was it for him..

Now that is Lou's side of the story, I haven't heard Mick's side-ERIC

That's not quite the story. Click on the link in my first post and read the portion where he talks about that.

Yea just looked at the link, that wasn't the article I read, but it is close to the same thing said. Don't know how soon the article I read was after the breakup. But still, Lou may have been a little sensitive, but heck, with all he has been thru.....-ERIC

[conversationpc]

Yea just looked at the link, that wasn't the article I read, but it is close to the same thing said. Don't know how soon the article I read was after the breakup. But still, Lou may have been a little sensitive, but heck, with all he has been thru.....-ERIC

Truthfully, I probably would have been a little sensitive in that situation also.