Robert Lamm

Biography

Robert William Lamm (born October 13, 1944) is an American musician and a founding member of the rock band Chicago. He is best known for his songwriting, vocals, and keyboard melodies, most significantly on the band's debut studio album, Chicago Transit Authority (1969). Lamm wrote many of the band's biggest hits, including "Questions 67 & 68", "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?", "Beginnings", "25 or 6 to 4", "Saturday in the Park", "Dialogue (Part I & II)" and "Harry Truman".

Biography

Lamm was born on October 13, 1944 in Brooklyn, one of the five New York City boroughs. His parents had a collection of jazz records, which were an early influence on him. As a youth, he performed in the boys' and men's choir at Grace Episcopal Church in Brooklyn Heights. Also in the choir was Harry Chapin. In a 2003 interview, Lamm said, "My first musical training came as a member of that choir. It exposed me to some of the great sacred music from the Middle Ages, right up through Bach and into the 20th century composers."
His mother eventually remarried, resulting in Lamm moving to Chicago, Illinois, when he was 15 years old, Robert joined a group on the south side of Chicago, along with Roland Gomez (drums) and several other guys calling themselves "The Trondells". He studied art in high school, particularly drawing and painting, but changed direction in college by enrolling in the music program at Roosevelt University in Chicago.
In 1967, Lamm was one of the seven founding members of a "rock band with horns"—soon to be known as Chicago. After recording six overwhelmingly successful albums, in 1974, Lamm released Skinny Boy×Skinny Boy1975 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Temporary Jones3:302Love Song3:153Crazy Way to Spend a Year3:244Until the Time Runs Out2:305Skinny Boy4:356One Step Forward Two Steps Back3:147Fireplace and Ivy3:438Someday I'm Gonna Go1:509A Lifetime We3:1410City Living2:3411Crazy Brother John2:48, the only solo album from a member of Chicago before the 1980s. Lamm seemingly drifted into a period of both personal and professional frustration including a bout with drug addiction. He emerged in 1982 with a new attitude.
A number of solo albums began to appear after Lamm relocated back to New York in 1991. He formed a trio (Beckley-Lamm-Wilson) with Gerry Beckley of the band America and Carl Wilson of The Beach Boys. After Wilson's death from lung cancer in February 1998, an album was released titled Like a Brother (2000).
All of these solo albums and songs were in addition to the continued semi-active recordings by Chicago, Stone of Sisyphus, Night and Day, Chicago XXX, and Chicago Now 36.
Lamm has been a guest lecturer on music production at Stanford University. In 2012, he lectured at New York University on the subject of songwriting.
In April 2026, it was confirmed by bandmate Lee Loughnane that Lamm and James Pankow stopped touring with the group in 2025 due to health concerns, but have not retired and remain members of the band.

Personal life

Lamm was married to the late Karen Lamm Wilson (née Perk) from 1970 to 1971. He married second wife Julie Nini in 1976. They had one daughter, Sacha. They divorced in 1981. Lamm married his third wife, actress Alex Donnelley, in 1985. They had two daughters, Kate and Sean, before divorcing in 1991. He married his fourth wife Joy Kopko in 1991. They have no children.

Solo discography

1974: Skinny Boy
1993: Life Is Good in My Neighborhood
1999: In My Head
2000: Like a Brother (Beckley–Lamm–Wilson)
2003: Subtlety & Passion
2004: Too Many Voices (expanded reissue of In My Head)
2005: Leap of Faith – Live in New Zealand
2006: Life Is Good in My Neighborhood 2.0
2006: Skinny Boy 2.0
2008: The Bossa Project
2012: Living Proof
2016: This Is Not America (with Les Deux Love Orchestra and America)
2012: Robert Lamm Songs: The JVE Remixes
2017: Aeroplane (with Les Deux Love Orchestra)
2017: Time Chill: A Retrospective
2020: I Fall To Pieces (with Les Deux Love Orchestra)