Lou Gramm, the original Foreigner frontman, recently opened up about his terrifying experience battling a brain tumor nearly three decades ago. In a new interview with LifeMinute.tv, the rock legend reflected on his diagnosis, the surgery that saved his life, and the difficult road to recovery that followed.
Gramm revealed that he was diagnosed with a craniopharyngioma, a rare but benign brain tumor, almost 30 years ago. Despite its non-cancerous nature, the tumor’s location made surgery extremely dangerous — and at first, doctors gave him little hope.
“I went to three brain surgeons and they all did MRIs and they sent me home to put my affairs in order because they didn’t think I had a chance of surviving the operation,” Gramm recalled.
However, a chance moment changed everything.
“That night, I watched 60 Minutes on TV, and there was a segment about a brain surgeon in Boston who used laser surgery to operate on inoperable tumors,” he said. “At the end of the segment, they gave his phone number. So eight o’clock the next morning I was on the phone with his secretary… They brought me in Thursday and I did some more tests. And Friday morning at four in the morning, they were wheeling me into the operating room. [It was a] 19-hour operation.”
💪 A Long Road to Recovery
While the operation was a success, Gramm’s recovery came with serious challenges. The surgery damaged his pituitary gland, causing significant hormonal imbalance and massive weight gain. Doctors warned him that regaining balance, speech, and energy would take years.
“Although the operation was a success, he told me that I was gonna be going through some struggles — my equilibrium would be off, I might not be able to find all the words I wanna find in a conversation right away,” Gramm said.
Despite being told not to tour for at least a year and a half, Gramm’s passion for performing brought him back to the stage just two months later — even though he still struggled with memory loss.
“I couldn’t remember the words of the songs,” he admitted. “I had them written out in a semicircle around my mic stand. Every time I’d come to a verse I couldn’t remember, I’d look down and see the words. I’d read the first three words, and then the rest of it would come to me.”
🎤 A Testament to Perseverance
Gramm’s journey stands as a powerful reminder of resilience, determination, and the unbreakable connection between an artist and his music. His willingness to fight through near-impossible odds and return to the stage has inspired countless fans around the world.
