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Robin Wayne Zander (born January 23, 1953) is an American musician, best known as the lead singer and rhythm guitarist for the rock band 
Zander and his first wife, Karen, had two children: A son named Ian Zander and a daughter named Holland Zander. Ian and Holland Zander are musicians.
As of 2018, Zander lives in Safety Harbor, Florida with his wife, former
Cheap Trick
Cheap Trick is an American Rock music, rock band from Rockford, Illinois, formed in 1973 by guitarist Rick Nielsen, bassist Tom Petersson, lead vocalist Robin Zander and drummer Bun E. Carlos. The current lineup of the band consists of Zander, ...
, but is also a solo artist. Zander was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), sometimes simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum and hall of fame located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States, on the shore of Lake Erie. The museum documents the history of rock music an ...
in 2016 as a member of Cheap Trick.
Early life
Zander was born inBeloit, Wisconsin
Beloit is a city in Rock County, Wisconsin, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 36,657 people.
History
Twelve men in Colebrook, New Hampshire, created the "New England Emigrating Company" in October 1836 and sen ...
, and grew up in nearby Loves Park, Illinois. He learned to play the guitar by age 12. Zander graduated from Harlem High School in Machesney Park, Illinois. After playing in high school bands in the 1960s, he joined Brian Beebe to form the folk duo Zander & Kent in the early 1970s.
Music career
Cheap Trick
In 1974, Zander accepted an invitation to join Cheap Trick. Along with Zander, the band consisted of guitaristRick Nielsen
Richard Alan Nielsen (born December 22, 1948) is an American musician best known as the lead guitarist, primary songwriter, and leader of the rock band Cheap Trick. He is well-known for his numerous custom-made guitars from Hamer Guitars, inclu ...
, bassist Tom Petersson, and drummer Bun E. Carlos. Cheap Trick's 1979 album, ''Cheap Trick at Budokan
''Cheap Trick at Budokan'' is the first live album by American rock band Cheap Trick, and their best-selling recording. It was first released in Japan on October 8, 1978, and later released in the United States on February 1979, through Epic R ...
'', catapulted the band to stardom. The band reached the Top 10 in the U.S. charts in 1979 with "I Want You to Want Me
"I Want You to Want Me" is a song by the American rock band Cheap Trick. It is originally from their second album ''In Color'', released in September 1977. It was the first single released from that album, but it did not chart in the United St ...
" and topped the charts in 1988 with " The Flame". As of 2018, Cheap Trick had been a band for over 40 years. Cheap Trick has performed more than 5,000 shows and has sold more than 20 million albums. Zander was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), sometimes simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum and hall of fame located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States, on the shore of Lake Erie. The museum documents the history of rock music an ...
as a member of Cheap Trick in 2016.
Other work
Zander released the solo album '' Robin Zander'' in 1993. A second solo album, ''Countryside Blvd'', was released online in April 2011 but was withdrawn from online music outlets within hours of being available. On September 30, 2016, Los Angeles rock bandSteel Panther
Steel Panther is an American comedic glam metal band from Los Angeles, California. They are known for their profane and humorous lyrics as well as their exaggerated onstage pastiche of the stereotypical glam metal lifestyle.
History
Metal Sho ...
released a cover version of Cheap Trick song " She's Tight" (from Cheap Trick's 1982 album '' One On One''), which features Zander in the music video.
Influence
Known for his "pin-up good looks", Zander's singing has been described as "jaw-dropping" and "supremely virtuosic". In a 2014 piece titled "Unsung Heroes: The 10 Most Underrated Classic Rock Singers", Dan Tucker of VH1.com described Zander as having "range, style and attitude." Zander is a tenor. Zander's vocal style has influenced many other rock singers, from 1980s hard rockers (such as Joe Elliott ofDef Leppard
Def Leppard are an English rock band formed in 1976 in Sheffield. Since 1992, the band has consisted of Rick Savage (bass, backing vocals), Joe Elliott (lead vocals), Rick Allen (drums, backing vocals), Phil Collen (guitar, backing vocals) ...
, Vince Neil
Vincent Neil Wharton (born February 8, 1961), best known by the stage name Vince Neil, is an American musician. He is the lead vocalist and occasional rhythm guitarist of heavy metal band Mötley Crüe, which he fronted from their 1981 format ...
of Mötley Crüe
Mötley Crüe is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1981. The group was founded by bassist Nikki Sixx, drummer Tommy Lee, lead guitarist Mick Mars and lead singer Vince Neil. Mötley Crüe has sold over 100 million albu ...
, Axl Rose
W. Axl Rose (born William Bruce Rose Jr.; born February 6, 1962) is an American musician. He is best known for being the lead vocalist and lyricist of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses, and has been the band's sole constant member since its ince ...
of Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 1985. When they signed to Geffen Records in 1986, the band comprised vocalist Axl Rose, lead guitarist Slash, rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin, bassist Duff ...
, Bret Michaels
Bret Michael Sychak (born March 15, 1963), known professionally as Bret Michaels, is an American singer and musician. He gained fame as the frontman of rock band Poison who has sold over 50 million albums worldwide and 15 million records in the U ...
of Poison
Poison is a chemical substance that has a detrimental effect to life. The term is used in a wide range of scientific fields and industries, where it is often specifically defined. It may also be applied colloquially or figuratively, with a broa ...
, and Sebastian Bach
Sebastian Philip Bierk (born April 3, 1968), known professionally as Sebastian Bach, is a Canadian-American singer who achieved mainstream success as the frontman of the hard rock band Skid Row from 1987 to 1996. He has acted on Broadway and ...
of Skid Row
A skid row or skid road is an impoverished area, typically urban, in English-speaking North America whose inhabitants are mostly poor people "on the skids". This specifically refers to poor or homeless, considered disreputable, downtrodden or fo ...
) to 1990s punk revivalists (such as Billie Joe Armstrong
Billie Joe Armstrong (born February 17, 1972) is an American musician who is the lead vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter of the rock band Green Day, which he co-founded with Mike Dirnt in 1987. He is also a guitarist and vocalist for t ...
of Green Day
Green Day is an American rock band formed in the East Bay of California in 1987 by lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, together with bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt. For most of the band's career, they have been a ...
) to alternative icons (such as Billy Corgan
William Patrick Corgan Jr. (born March 17, 1967) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and professional wrestling promoter. He is best known as the lead singer, primary songwriter, guitarist, and only permanent member of the rock band th ...
of The Smashing Pumpkins
The Smashing Pumpkins (also referred to as simply Smashing Pumpkins) are an American alternative rock band from Chicago. Formed in 1988 by frontman and guitarist Billy Corgan, bassist D'arcy Wretzky, guitarist James Iha and drummer Jimmy Chambe ...
, Eddie Vedder
Eddie Jerome Vedder (born Edward Louis Severson III; December 23, 1964) is an American singer, musician, and songwriter best known as the lead vocalist and one of four guitarists of the Rock music, rock band Pearl Jam. He also appeared as a guest ...
of Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. The band's lineup consists of founding members Jeff Ament (bass guitar), Stone Gossard (rhythm guitar), Mike McCready (lead guitar), and Eddie Vedder (lead vocals, ...
, Kurt Cobain of Nirvana
( , , ; sa, निर्वाण} ''nirvāṇa'' ; Pali: ''nibbāna''; Prakrit: ''ṇivvāṇa''; literally, "blown out", as in an oil lamp Richard Gombrich, ''Theravada Buddhism: A Social History from Ancient Benāres to Modern Colombo. ...
, and Scott Weiland
Scott Richard Weiland (; né Kline, October 27, 1967 – December 3, 2015) was an American singer and songwriter. During a career spanning three decades, Weiland was best known as the lead singer of the rock band Stone Temple Pilots from ...
of Stone Temple Pilots
Stone Temple Pilots (also known by the initialism STP) is an American rock band from San Diego, California, that originally consisted of Scott Weiland (lead vocals), brothers Dean (guitar) and Robert DeLeo (bass, backing vocals), and Eric K ...
).
The May 2009 issue of ''Classic Rock
Classic rock is a US radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock (AOR) format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format comprises rock music ranging generally from the mid-1960s through the mid 1990s, prim ...
'' magazine published a list of the 50 Greatest Singers in Rock. Zander was voted #23 on the list by readers, ''Classic Rock'' critics and a number of singers.
Personal life
Zander and his first wife, Karen, had two children: A son named Ian Zander and a daughter named Holland Zander. Ian and Holland Zander are musicians.
As of 2018, Zander lives in Safety Harbor, Florida with his wife, former Playboy Playmate
A Playmate is a female model featured in the centerfold/gatefold of ''Playboy'' magazine as Playmate of the Month (PMOTM). The PMOTM's pictorial includes nude photographs and a centerfold poster, along with a pictorial biography and the "Playm ...
Pamela Stein. Zander and Stein have a son, Robin Taylor Zander, and a daughter, Robin-Sailor Zander; both are singer-songwriters. When Cheap Trick bassist
A bassist (also known as a bass player or bass guitarist) is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass (upright bass, contrabass, wood bass), bass guitar (electric bass, acoustic bass), synthbass, keyboard bass or a low bra ...
Tom Petersson was sidelined from touring in 2021 due to surgery, Robin Taylor Zander filled in for him on tour.
Solo discography
Albums
*'' Robin Zander'' (1993) *''Countryside Blvd'' (2011)Singles
* "In This Country" (1987), from the soundtrack to '' Over the Top''. * " You Send the Rain Away" (1987) duet with Rebbie Jackson, #50 Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. * " Surrender to Me" with Ann Wilson (1988), from the soundtrack to '' Tequila Sunrise'', #6 Billboard's Hot 100 Chart, #42 Billboard's Mainstream Rock. * "I've Always Got You
"I've Always Got You" is a song by the American singer Robin Zander (of the rock band Cheap Trick), released in 1993 as the lead single from his debut solo album '' Robin Zander''. It was written by Mike Campbell, Zander and J.D. Souther, and pr ...
" (1993), #13 Billboard's Mainstream Rock, from the album ''Robin Zander''.
References
External links
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Zander, Robin 1953 births 20th-century American male singers 20th-century American singers 21st-century American male singers 21st-century American singers American people of German descent American male guitarists American rock guitarists American rock singers Cheap Trick members Living people Singers from Wisconsin People from Loves Park, Illinois People from Beloit, Wisconsin People from Pinellas County, Florida Rhythm guitarists Singers from Florida Power pop musicians Guitarists from Florida Guitarists from Wisconsin 20th-century American guitarists