Editing Robin Zander

{{Short description|American singer and guitarist}}
{{Other people|Zander}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2015}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| image             = CheapTrickO2061218-6 - 49914166356 (cropped).jpg
| caption           = Zander performing with [[Cheap Trick]] in 2018
| birth_name        = Robin Wayne Zander
| alias             = 
| birth_date        = {{Birth date and age|mf=yes|1953|01|23}}
| birth_place       = [[Beloit, Wisconsin]], U.S.
| instrument        = {{hlist|Vocals|guitar}}
| genre             = {{hlist|[[Rock music|Rock]]|[[power pop]]|[[hard rock]]|[[Southern rock]]}}
| occupation        = {{hlist|Singer|songwriter|musician}}
| years_active      = 1973–present
| current_member_of = [[Cheap Trick]]
| website           = 
}}
'''Robin Wayne Zander''' (born January 23, 1953)<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rose |first=Mike |title=Today’s famous birthdays list for January 23, 2023 includes celebrities Mariska Hargitay, Chita Rivera|url=https://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/2023/01/todays-famous-birthdays-list-for-january-23-2023-includes-celebrities-mariska-hargitay-chita-rivera.html |access-date=January 23, 2023 |website=[[Cleveland.com]]}}</ref> 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.
[[File:Robin Zander - 2014.jpg|thumb|upright|Zander performing at Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater, Florida – January 31, 2014]]

==Early life==
Zander was born in [[Beloit, Wisconsin]], and grew up in nearby [[Loves Park, Illinois]].<ref name="allmusic.com">{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/robin-zander-mn0000831403/biography|title=Robin Zander - Biography & History|website=AllMusic}}</ref> He learned to play the guitar by age 12.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dailyrecord.com/story/entertainment/music/2014/09/19/robin-zander-band-perform-newton/15781105/|title=Robin Zander Band to perform in Newton|website=Daily Record}}</ref> Zander graduated from Harlem High School in [[Machesney Park, Illinois]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.journalstandard.com/article/20151218/NEWS/151219560|title=Rock and Roll Hall of Fame finally tells Cheap Trick it wants the Rockford band in its Class of 2016|first=Brian|last=Leaf|website=Journal Standard}}</ref> After playing in high school bands in the 1960s,<ref name="naplesnews.com">{{cite web|url=https://www.naplesnews.com/story/reader-submitted/entertainment/2016/05/02/cheap-tricks-lead-singer-robin-zanderset-to-rock-the-ranch/85932820/|title=Cheap Trick's lead singer Robin Zander set to rock The Ranch|website=Naples Daily News}}</ref> he joined Brian Beebe to form the folk duo Zander & Kent in the early 1970s.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.channel3000.com/madison-magazine/arts-and-culture/madison-area-musician-hopes-to-recover-in-time-for-show-with-cheap-trick-singer/790816889|title=Madison-area musician hopes to recover in time for show with Cheap Trick singer|first=Joel|last=Patenaude|date=September 22, 2018|website=WISC}}</ref>

==Music career==
===Cheap Trick===
{{Main|Cheap Trick}}
In 1974, Zander accepted an invitation to join Cheap Trick.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://onmilwaukee.com/music/articles/cheaptrickmilw.html|title=Cheap Trick comes full circle in Milwaukee|date=March 1, 2007}}</ref> Along with Zander, the band consisted of guitarist [[Rick Nielsen]], bassist [[Tom Petersson]], and drummer [[Bun E. Carlos]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rrstar.com/article/20160411/SPECIAL/160419971|title=Cheap Trick: 'New guy' Daxx Nielsen has known bandmates his whole life|first=Corina|last=Curry|website=Rockford Register Star}}</ref> Cheap Trick's 1979 album, ''[[Cheap Trick at Budokan]]'', catapulted the band to stardom.<ref>{{cite web|title=Cheap Trick – At Budokan (album) |work=SwissCharts.com |url=http://swisscharts.com/showitem.asp?key=40527&cat=a |access-date=2007-11-10}}</ref> 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 (Cheap Trick song)|The Flame]]".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/cheap-trick |title=Cheap Trick |publisher=Billboard |access-date=2019-04-03}}</ref> As of 2018, Cheap Trick had been a band for over 40 years.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.axs.com/5-reasons-to-see-cheap-trick-in-concert-131041#slide=1|title=5 reasons to see Cheap Trick in concert}}</ref> Cheap Trick has performed more than 5,000 shows<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/music/2016/03/29/cheap-trick-rock-hall-induction-bang-zoom-crazy-hello/82360494/|title=Cheap Trick: 'We don't want to do wimp versions of ourselves'|website=USA TODAY}}</ref> and has sold more than 20 million albums.<ref name="naplesnews.com"/> Zander was inducted into the [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]] as a member of Cheap Trick in 2016.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/entertainment/sdut-cheap-trick-concert-preview-2016jun01-htmlstory.html|title=Cheap Trick is having a banner year|date=June 1, 2016|website=San Diego Union-Tribune}}</ref>

===Other work===
Zander released the solo album ''[[Robin Zander (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 (Cheap Trick album)|One On One]]''), which features Zander in the music video.<ref name=spst>{{cite web|title=Steel Panther release She's Tight video|url=http://loudwire.com/steel-panther-lower-the-bar-album-shes-tight-music-video-nsfw//|publisher=Loudwire|access-date=6 October 2016|date=30 September 2016}}</ref>

===Influence===
Known for his "pin-up good looks",<ref name="allmusic.com"/> Zander's singing has been described as "jaw-dropping" and "supremely virtuosic".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://buffalonews.com/2018/06/27/cheap-trick-steals-the-show-but-poison-fans-still-leave-happy/|title=Cheap Trick steals the show, but Poison fans still leave happy|first=Jeff|last=Miers|date=June 27, 2018}}</ref> 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."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.vh1.com/news/j6df2w/10-most-underrated-classic-rock-singers|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220629101855/https://www.vh1.com/news/j6df2w/10-most-underrated-classic-rock-singers|url-status=live|archive-date=June 29, 2022|title=Unsung Heroes: The 10 Most Underrated Classic Rock Singers|first=Dan|last=Tucker 4/26/2014|website=VH1 News}}</ref> Zander is a tenor.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.timesunion.com/entertainment/article/Picks-of-the-week-5165798.php|title=Picks of the week|date=22 January 2014|website=Times Union|access-date=21 January 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rgj.com/story/life/nightlife/2014/11/20/concert-preview-cheap-trick-still-carries-flame-great-music/70019546/|title=Concert preview: Cheap Trick still carries a flame for great music|website=Reno Gazette Journal|access-date=21 January 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wiscnews.com/news/local/rock-legend-delights-crowd-in-intimate-shows-at-monk-s/article_0ff6d3d0-cfb5-5fe7-be78-ed2d20270f85.html|title=Rock legend delights crowd in intimate shows at Monk's|first=Ed|last=Legge|website=Wiscnews.com|access-date=21 January 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/ct-xpm-2010-07-11-ct-live-0712-cheap-trick-review-20100711-story.html|title=Cheap Trick packs Ravinia for hits, deep cuts and Beatles' covers|first=Bob Gendron, Special to the|last=Tribune|website=chicagotribune.com|access-date=21 January 2019}}</ref>

Zander's vocal style has influenced many other rock singers, from 1980s [[hard rock]]ers (such as [[Joe Elliott]] of [[Def Leppard]], [[Vince Neil]] of [[Mötley Crüe]], [[Axl Rose]] of [[Guns N' Roses]], [[Bret Michaels]] of [[Poison (American band)|Poison]], and [[Sebastian Bach]] of [[Skid Row (American band)|Skid Row]]) to 1990s [[punk rock|punk revivalist]]s (such as [[Billie Joe Armstrong]] of [[Green Day]]) to [[alternative rock|alternative]] singers (such as [[Billy Corgan]] of [[The Smashing Pumpkins]], [[Eddie Vedder]] of [[Pearl Jam]], [[Kurt Cobain]] of [[Nirvana (band)|Nirvana]], and [[Scott Weiland]] of [[Stone Temple Pilots]]).<ref name=autogenerated1>{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/music|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19961222031224/http://www.mtv.com/music/|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 22, 1996|title=Music – Music News, New Songs, Videos, Music Shows and Playlists from MTV|website=www.mtv.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dallasobserver.com/music/q-and-a-rick-nielsen-of-cheap-trick-7049846|title=Q and A: Rick Nielsen of Cheap Trick|first=Pete|last=Freedman|date=November 18, 2008|website=Dallas Observer}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.delawareonline.com/story/entertainment/music/2014/01/23/cheap-trick-singer-talks-longevity-lawsuits-and-lipo-before-acoustic-show-/4801767/|title=Cheap Trick singer talks longevity, lawsuits, and lipo before acoustic show|website=delawareonline}}</ref><ref name="allmusic.com"/>

The May 2009 issue of ''[[Classic Rock (magazine)|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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.glennhughes.com/fanforum/|title=Glenn Hughes Fan Forum|first=Avalon Media|last=Lab|website=g l e n n h u g h e s . c o m}}</ref>

==Personal life==
[[File:RobinZander.JPG|thumb|right|Zander performing in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 2008]]
Zander and his first wife, Karen, had a son Ian and a daughter Holland.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.rrstar.com/article/20160410/SPECIAL/160419973|title=Cheap Trick: Several bandmates' kids pursuing the family business|work=RRStar.com|last=Leaf|first=Brian|date=April 10, 2016|access-date=September 24, 2018}}</ref>

As of 2018, Zander lives in [[Safety Harbor, Florida]]<ref name="auto">{{cite news|url=http://sandhillsexpress.com/abc_classicr/daddys-all-right-cheap-tricks-robin-zander-to-play-concert-with-son-and-daughter-this-saturday-abcid36107007/|title=Daddy's all right: Cheap Trick's Robin Zander to play concert with son and daughter this Saturday|work=SandhillsExpress.com|date=September 6, 2018|access-date=September 24, 2018}}</ref><ref name="auto1">{{cite news|url=https://www.tampabay.com/things-to-do/music/cheap-tricks-robin-zander-celebrates-safety-harbor-hall-of-fame-induction/2272117|title=Cheap Trick's Robin Zander celebrates Safety Harbor, Hall of Fame induction|work=Tampa Bay Times|last=Cridlin|first=Jay|date=April 6, 2016|access-date=September 24, 2018}}</ref> with his wife, former [[Playboy Playmate]] [[Pamela Stein]].<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/inside-cheap-tricks-unlikely-renaissance-194122/|title=Inside Cheap Trick's Unlikely Renaissance|magazine=Rolling Stone|last=Greene|first=Andy|date=April 8, 2016|access-date=September 24, 2018}}</ref> Zander and Stein have a son Robin and a daughter;<ref name="auto"/> both are singer-songwriters.<ref name="auto1"/> When Cheap Trick [[bass guitar|bassist]] [[Tom Petersson]] was unable to tour in 2021 due to surgery, Zander's son filled in for him on tour.<ref>{{cite web|title=Cheap Trick (and sons) rock Packard|publisher=The Vindicator|date=November 12, 2021|url=https://www.vindy.com/life/ticket/2021/11/cheap-trick-and-sons-rock-packard/|accessdate=2021-11-13|author=Gray, Andy}}</ref>

==Solo discography==
===Albums===
*''[[Robin Zander (album)|Robin Zander]]'' (1993)<ref name="allmusic1">{{cite web|author=Tom Demalon |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/robin-zander-mw0000096921 |title=Robin Zander - Robin Zander &#124; Songs, Reviews, Credits |publisher=AllMusic |date=1993-07-06 |access-date=2019-02-01}}</ref>
*''Countryside Blvd'' (2011)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/countryside-blvd-mw0001977418|title=Countryside Blvd. - Robin Zander - Songs, Reviews, Credits|website=AllMusic}}</ref>

===Singles===
* "In This Country" (1987), from the soundtrack to ''[[Over the Top (1987 film)|Over the Top]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/Robin-Zander-In-This-Country/release/5852489|title=Robin Zander - In This Country|website=Discogs}}</ref>
* "[[You Send the Rain Away]]" (1987) duet with [[Rebbie Jackson]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/Rebbie-Jackson-with-Robin-Zander-You-Send-The-Rain-Away/master/320366|title=Rebbie Jackson with Robin Zander - You Send The Rain Away|website=Discogs}}</ref> #50 Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/rebbie-jackson|title=Rebbie Jackson You Send The Rain Away Chart History|magazine=Billboard}}</ref>
* "[[Surrender to Me (Ann Wilson and Robin Zander song)|Surrender to Me]]" with [[Ann Wilson]] (1988), from the soundtrack to ''[[Tequila Sunrise (film)|Tequila Sunrise]]'', #6 Billboard's Hot 100 Chart,<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/robin-zander|title=Robin Zander Surrender To Me (From "Tequila Sunrise") Chart History|magazine=Billboard}}</ref> #42 Billboard's Mainstream Rock.<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/robin-zander|title=Robin Zander Surrender To Me Chart History|magazine=Billboard}}</ref>
* "[[I've Always Got You]]" (1993), #13 Billboard's Mainstream Rock, from the album ''Robin Zander''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/composition/4e88c279-11ad-4d3f-b9de-8cb3abbf08b0-Ive-Always-Got-You|title=I've Always Got You|website=Discogs}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/robin-zander|title=Robin Zander I've Always Got You Chart History|magazine=Billboard}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{cc}}
*{{IMDb name|0952881}}
*{{Discogs artist}}

{{CheapTrick}}
{{2016 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Zander, Robin}}
[[Category:1953 births]]
[[Category:20th-century American male singers]]
[[Category:20th-century American singers]]
[[Category:21st-century American male singers]]
[[Category:21st-century American singers]]
[[Category:American people of German descent]]
[[Category:American male guitarists]]
[[Category:American rock guitarists]]
[[Category:American rock singers]]
[[Category:Cheap Trick members]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Singers from Wisconsin]]
[[Category:People from Loves Park, Illinois]]
[[Category:People from Beloit, Wisconsin]]
[[Category:People from Pinellas County, Florida]]
[[Category:American rhythm guitarists]]
[[Category:Singers from Florida]]
[[Category:Power pop musicians]]
[[Category:Guitarists from Florida]]
[[Category:Guitarists from Wisconsin]]
[[Category:20th-century American guitarists]]
[[Category:Kings of Chaos (band) members]]