Robert Lamm

Robert William Lamm (born October 13, 1944) is an American multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter who is 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". Lamm is one of the four founding members (alongside Lee Loughnane, James Pankow, and Walter Parazaider - retired member as of 2017) still performing with the group. Biography Lamm was born on October 13, 1944, in Brooklyn, New York City. 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. 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.