Robin Wayne Zander (born January 23, 1953)[1] is an American musician, best known as the lead singer and rhythm guitarist for the rock band Cheap Trick, but is also a solo artist. Zander was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2016 as a member of Cheap Trick.
Robin Zander
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Zander performing in Hallandale Beach, Florida, 2006
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| Birth name | Robin Wayne Zander |
| Born | (1953-01-23) January 23, 1953 (age 71) Beloit, Wisconsin, U.S. |
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| Years active | 1973–present |
| Member of | Cheap Trick |
Zander was born in Beloit, Wisconsin, and grew up in nearby Loves Park, Illinois.[2] He learned to play the guitar by age 12.[3] Zander graduated from Harlem High School in Machesney Park, Illinois.[4] After playing in high school bands in the 1960s,[5] he joined Brian Beebe to form the folk duo Zander & Kent in the early 1970s.[6]
In 1974, Zander accepted an invitation to join Cheap Trick.[7] Along with Zander, the band consisted of guitarist Rick Nielsen, bassist Tom Petersson, and drummer Bun E. Carlos.[8] Cheap Trick's 1979 album, Cheap Trick at Budokan, catapulted the band to stardom.[9] The band reached the Top 10 in the U.S. charts in 1979 with "I Want You to Want Me" and topped the charts in 1988 with "The Flame".[10] As of 2018, Cheap Trick had been a band for over 40 years.[11] Cheap Trick has performed more than 5,000 shows[12] and has sold more than 20 million albums.[5] Zander was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Cheap Trick in 2016.[13]
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 A second solo album, Countryside Blvd, was released online in April 2011 but was withdrawn from online music outlets within hours of being available.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 band Steel Panther 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.[14]
Known for his "pin-up good looks",[2] Zander's singing has been described as "jaw-dropping" and "supremely virtuosic".[15] 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."[16] Zander is a tenor.[17][18][19][20]
Zander's vocal style has influenced many other rock singers, from 1980s hard rockers (such as Joe ElliottofDef Leppard, Vince NeilofMötley Crüe, Axl RoseofGuns N' Roses, Bret MichaelsofPoison, and Sebastian BachofSkid Row) to 1990s punk revivalists (such as Billie Joe ArmstrongofGreen Day) to alternative icons (such as Billy CorganofThe Smashing Pumpkins, Eddie VedderofPearl Jam, Kurt CobainofNirvana, and Scott WeilandofStone Temple Pilots).[21][22][23][2]
The May 2009 issue of Classic Rock 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.[24]
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.[25]
As of 2018, Zander lives in Safety Harbor, Florida[26][27] with his wife, former Playboy Playmate Pamela Stein.[28] Zander and Stein have a son, Robin Taylor Zander, and a daughter, Robin-Sailor Zander;[26] both are singer-songwriters.[27] When Cheap Trick bassist Tom Petersson was sidelined from touring in 2021 due to surgery, Robin Taylor Zander filled in for him on tour.[29]
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