Happy Birthday today (Jan. 23) to singer Robin Zander of Cheap Trick. He’s 66. Other rockers celebrating include drummers Greg "Fritz" Hinz of Helix (59), Louie Clemente of Testament (54), and Kirk Arrington of Metal Church (57).
Cheap Trick formed out of Rockford, Illinois in 1973. The classic lineup featured Robin Zander on vocals, Rick Nielsen on lead guitar, Tom Petersson on bass, and Bun E. Carlos on drums. Some of the band’s biggest hits include “I Want You to Want Me”, “Surrender”, “Dream Police”, and “The Flame”. The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2016. In addition to Cheap Trick, Zander also has the Robin Zander Band. The band features Robin on vocals, along with former Rat Race Choir alumni Steve Luongo on drums and Mark Hitt on guitar. Larry Hobbs is the bassist. Cheap Trick are always on the road. I got the chance to meet Robin Zander a few years back at one of his solo shows. The guy is one hell of a frontman from one of the all time great classic rock bands. Check out the pic below. Cheers to Robin Zander on his birthday today!
Photo credit: Neilson Barnard/Getty Images