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Al Greenwood is one of the original founding members of the legendary rock band, Foreigner. As a Grammy nominated artist, he has also written songs for over 60 major artists and has contributed as a musician and songwriter to the sale of over 80 million records worldwide.
The Early Days
Growing up in New York City, Al was surrounded by music. His sister and grandfather played piano, his mother played the accordion and his uncle played piano and sax, and he never doubted that music would be a major part of his life, too. He learned piano at an early age and played the trumpet in the jazz band at school. But as a teenager, rock was his passion, and he quickly realized that neither of these instruments was going to get him into a rock band. So he bought himself a second hand guitar and taught himself to play. He joined his first band with some school friends as a rhythm guitarist and played gigs at school and church dances. In a short time, he managed to save enough to buy his first keyboard.
Beau Geste
From this point on, there was no looking back – he joined his first major working band – Beau Geste as a keyboardist. They played in all of the local clubs and had a large New York fan base. For about three years, the band was doing well and gaining popularity. One day, out of the blue, the lead singer decided to join another band, and the rest of the group broke up. Although this was a big disappointment, he knew he had found what he loved, and decided then and there to continue to pursue his dream as a musician.
The '70s
After finishing high school, Al majored in music composition and arrangement. He hoped this would allow him to be more independent and to create his own path. After graduation, he took a position as a studio musician and recording engineer at a Manhattan recording studio and while there, he met some ex-members of the British progressive rock band Flash Together they formed a band called Storm but just as they were about to sign a major record deal, the lead singer left the group to pursue a solo career.
Flash and Storm
Opportunity Knocks in the shape of Mick Jones
Al received a call from someone asking him if he would be interested in joining a band he was forming. He explained that he had been in Spooky Tooth and the Leslie West Band and had heard about Al through a mutual friend. That caller was Mick Jones. Al didn’t kow who Mick was and was reluctant to try another project but finally relented and that was the beginning of Foreigner.
Foreigner - the album
Foreigner recorded their first album in Atlantic Studios in NY in late 1976 and it was released in March 1977. It was extremely well received and in just 4 weeks from release, the album received Gold status. At that time, it was the fastest recording to go gold by a debut artist. The band immediately went out on tour as both record sales and their popularity skyrocketed.
Success Not All It Was Cracked Up To Be
From there, everything went extremely fast. Touring was non-stop, then back into the recording studio to record another album. Al says it was an amazing experience, but it wasn’t without the major stresses that go along with fame. There was a lot of in-fighting and Al felt increasingly uncomfortable – despite having huge successes which saw the band amass 10 multi-platinum albums and 16 Top 30 hits.
The Joe Lynn Turner Days
Al left the band after their third album and began working with Steve Marriott (Small Faces, Humble Pie) and Ian Lloyd (Stories). It was 1980 and Al went on to co-found the band Spys in 1981, a group known for their blend of rock, pop, and new wave influences. After Spys, Al teamed up with Joe Lynn Turner, the lead singer of Rainbow and Deep Purple.
Al Greenwood - Composer, Producer, Film and TV
Al continued to be involved in producing and writing songs for other artists. He has written or co-written songs for a wide range of artists from Deep Purple and Paul Rodgers to Hip-Hop and R & B artists. He has also written scores for movie soundtracks, documentaries, and commercials, and he continues to do so today.
Foreigner 40th Anniversary Reunion and Current Band
Mick Jones, Lou Gramm, Ian McDonald, Rick Wills, and Dennis Elliott all came together with Al to reunite for their 40th anniversary. Today Al plays with the present band, Foreigner with members Kelly Hansen, Jeff Pilson, Michael Bluestein, Tom Gimbel, Chris Frazier, and Bruce Watson and they sound great. But Al’s biggest thrill was his induction into the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame very recently. A very long overdue validation for a band that provided us with the soundtrack to our lives.
