Black Sheep is primarily remembered for being the band vocalist Lou Gramm sang in before joining the successful '80s rock band Foreigner. Gramm had originally been in a band called Poor Heart in the early '70s. However, nothing much came of Poor Heart, and Gramm formed Black Sheep with bassist Bruce Turgon (who would also join Foreigner) and his younger brother Richard, who played guitar. The band scored a record contract with Captiol and released two albums, a self-titled debut (1975) and Encouraging Words (1976). But the band's longevity was short-lived. First, while opening for Kiss one night, a traffic accident destroyed all the band's equipment, and there was no money for replacement equipment. Secondly, the band lost its contract. Shortly after, Gramm received a phone call from Mick Jones, formerly the guitar player for Spooky Tooth. Jones invited Gramm to join a new group he was forming, Foreigner, and Black Sheep officially came to an end. ~ Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide