First rising to prominence as the frontman for platinum-selling hard rock combo Foreigner, Lou Gramm later mounted a successful solo career, cracking the Top Five in 1987 with "Midnight Blue." Born in Rochester, NY on May 2, 1950, Gramm first surfaced as the drummer with the band Black Sheep, assuming lead vocal duties prior to recording the group's self-titled 1975 Capitol debut; although neither the album nor its follow-up Encouraging Words earned much mainstream notice, they did capture the attention of journeyman guitarist Mick Jones, best known for his stint with a latter-day incarnation of Spooky Tooth.