Robert Lamm
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Robert Lamm | ||
|---|---|---|
| Background information | ||
| Birth name | Robert William Lamm | |
| Born | October 13, 1944 (age 62) Brooklyn, New York, USA |
|
| Genre(s) | Rock Adult contemporary Jazz |
|
| Instrument(s) | Singer Keyboard |
|
| Years active | 1967–present | |
| Associated acts |
Chicago | |
| Website | http://www.robertlamm.org | |
Robert William Lamm (born October 13, 1944 in Brooklyn, New York, USA) is an American keyboardist, singer and songwriter best known for being a founding member of the rock band Chicago.
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[edit] Early life
Lamm's early musical experiences included membership in the Brooklyn Heights Choir in New York. After his parents divorced, he moved to the city of Chicago at age 15 with his mother after she remarried.
Lamm played in various bands throughout high school, and studied music theory and composition at Roosevelt University.
[edit] Tenure with Chicago
Lamm was invited to join a band called The Big Thing in 1967, which would eventually become Chicago.
Lamm penned many of Chicago's early hits including "Beginnings", "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?", "25 or 6 to 4", and "Saturday in the Park."
His contributions to the band were his baritone voice and keyboard skills. Fans of Chicago also recognize Lamm for being the voice of the group's social conscience, pointing to a number of his songs ("Free", "All the Years", "State of the Union", "Dialogue", etc.) that espouse political-social themes.
In the early 1980s, Chicago's bass guitar player and co-lead singer Peter Cetera began to shift Chicago's musical style into a more commercial pop-ballad oriented direction, while Lamm's role in the band diminished.
Recent interviews find him still committed to Chicago, but somewhat critical of the musical direction the band has pursued over the years.
[edit] Solo career
Lamm has released several solo albums over the years, with his solo projects considered the prime outlets for his musical creativity.
He has also collaborated on projects with other musicians such as America's Gerry Beckley and The Beach Boys' Carl Wilson.
[edit] Private life
Lamm has been married at least four times and has several children.
His first wife was the late actress Barbara Karen Perk, whom he married in the early 1970s (her credits, as Karen Lamm, include Thunderbolt and Lightfoot). After their divorce, she later married Beach Boy Dennis Wilson - twice. Lamm's second marriage was to Julie Nini, whom he wed in 1976. They had a daughter, Sacha, in 1977.
After his divorce from Nini, information about his relationships is hard to come by. In interviews, Lamm has hinted that his song "Sleeping in the Middle of the Bed Again" (released on his solo album "In My Head") was written in reaction to yet another divorce (possibly from actress Alex Donnelley).
He is currently married to Joy, who has assisted him with his recent musical projects, and resides in New York City.
[edit] External links
- Robert Lamm official website
| Chicago |
|---|
| Robert Lamm | James Pankow | Lee Loughnane | Walter Parazaider | Bill Champlin Jason Scheff | Tris Imboden | Keith Howland Terry Kath | Peter Cetera | Danny Seraphine | Laudir DeOliveira | Donnie Dacus | Chris Pinnick | Dawayne Bailey |
| Discography |
| Studio albums: The Chicago Transit Authority | Chicago | Chicago III | Chicago V | Chicago VI |Chicago VII | Chicago VIII | Chicago X | Chicago XI | Hot Streets | Chicago 13 | Chicago XIV | Chicago 16 | Chicago 17 | Chicago 18 | Chicago 19 | Twenty 1 | Night & Day Big Band | Chicago XXX |
| Live albums: Chicago at Carnegie Hall | Chicago XXVI: Live in Concert |
| Compilations: Chicago IX - Chicago's Greatest Hits | Greatest Hits, Volume II | Greatest Hits 1982-1989 The Heart of Chicago 1967-1997 | The Heart of Chicago 1967-1998 Volume II | The Very Best of: Only the Beginning | Love Songs |
| Christmas albums: Chicago XXV: The Christmas Album | What's It Gonna Be, Santa? |
| Unreleased album: Stone of Sisyphus |
| Box sets: The Box |
