Rock legend and 2024 Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inductee Lou Gramm, widely recognized as the original voice of Foreigner, is set to tour across North America in 2026 in support of his third solo album, Released. The run of headline shows will feature stops at venues including the Honeywell Arts & Entertainment Center in Wabash, Indiana; the Palace Theatre in Stamford, Connecticut; American Music Theatre in Lancaster, Pennsylvania; and the Arcada Theatre in St. Charles, Illinois, among others. Fans can expect a mix of new material alongside the classic songs that helped define his career.
Lou Gramm 2026 Tour Dates:
- 9 May – Honeywell Arts & Entertainment Center – Wabash, IN
- 22 May – Roanoke Festival in the Park – Roanoke, VA
- 28 May – Palace Theatre – Stamford, CT
- 30 May – American Music Theatre – Lancaster, PA
- 6 June – Iroquois Amphitheater – Lexington, KY
- 10 July – Arcada Theatre – St. Charles, IL
- 13 August – Kenley Amphitheater – Layton, UT
- 28 August – Saracen Events Center – Pine Bluff, AR
- 26 September – The Palladium – Carmel, IN
- 10 October – The Family Arena – St. Charles, MO
Scheduled for release on 27 March 2026, Released will be available on CD via HNE Recordings / Cherry Red Records and on vinyl through Friday Music. The album represents the long-awaited completion of a key chapter in Gramm’s solo work. Produced by Gramm alongside associate producer Matthew Gramm, it includes ten original tracks co-written with longtime collaborator and former Black Sheep bandmate Bruce Turgon. The material was initially recorded during the 1980s following his solo efforts Ready Or Not (1987) and Long Hard Look (1989).
Now revisited and finalized, the recordings retain the raw, analog feel of the original sessions while gaining added clarity and depth. The finished album effectively connects Gramm’s classic solo era with the experience and vocal strength that have made him one of rock’s most distinctive voices.
During a recent conversation with Barry Robinson on “Classic Album Review,” the iconic singer explained how delving back into these decades-old recording sessions provided a deep sense of closure.
“Well, my solo albums, which came out in 1987 and ’89, we had 10 songs on each album, but actually had about 15 songs written, and they were in various forms of being finished. But after we picked the songs for the album, I was gnawed by the fact that there was so many good songs that didn’t make it to the album and deserved to be released. So when I started to come about doing this album, I went back and listened to those unfinished songs and picked the best ones. And some of ’em needed a lead guitar, some of ’em needed a third verse. I started finishing them all. And it was a very cathartic process to hear them as a lot of potential to being done. And it felt great to hear them finished. And that’s when I came upon the idea of doing one last solo album. I think there might be one or two freshly written songs, and the rest of ’em are songs from the Ready Or Not album and the Long Hard Look album, that, like I said, weren’t quite finished, but the ideas were very good. So I went back and put the third verse in and put the guitar lead in and mixed it and mastered it. And that’s what all these songs on this album were — almost done, but now they’re finished… Some of ’em were complete except for a third verse. Some of ’em needed a guitar lead. Some of ’em needed percussion. Every song was well along, and it just needed one or two things to make it finished. And that was cathartic for me to go back and do that,” Lou said at the time.
When the interviewer asked why wrapping up these specific 1980s demos brought him so much peace over three decades later, Lou pointed to the nagging feeling of leaving good art behind.
“Because when I went back to hear them after all these years, I remember recording them and remember the feel of of starting the song, what the idea was, and not finishing it and having it sit around for all these years was — it was just a little troubling to me. So when I decided to do this album, I was excited about going back and taking those ideas and finishing them up. Some needed a vocal, some needed a harmony, some needed a lead guitar, and so I went back and finished ’em all.”
Lou Gramm recruited an impressive roster of guest musicians. Def Leppard guitarist Vivian Campbell lays down riffs on the opening track, “Young Love“, while bass veteran Tony Franklin makes an appearance on “Long Gone“. The singer’s brother, Ben Gramm, also handles drum duties across the record. In addition to the revived 1980s material, the tracklist features an unplugged version of “True Blue Love“, a song originally released on Long Hard Look.
Released Official Tracklist:
- “Young Love”
- “Lightning Strikes”
- “Walk The Walk”
- “Long Gone”
- “Heart And Soul”
- “Long Hard Look”
- “True Blue Love (Unplugged)”
- “Deeper Side of Love”
- “Time Heals The Pain”
- “Word Gets Around”
