Ian Lloyd

Ian Lloyd (b. Lloyd Buonconsiglio, 1947, Seattle) is an American rock singer and songwriter, best known as the lead singer of the band Stories, whose single "Brother Louie" was No. 1 on the Billboard Top 100 chart in 1973. Lloyd attended Hartwick College during the 1960's where he performed with a band called "The Section" using the stage name Lloyd London. The Section was one of two prominent local bands, the second being "The Other Half". Both bands consisted of Hartwick undergraduates that enjoyed mutual friendships and a great local collegiate following. Both Lloyd and "The Other Half" shared the commonality of having recorded at Bell Sound (later Bell Records) in New York City.

In 1971 Michael Brown and Ian Lloyd formed Stories. They released two albums ("About Us" and "Stories" with a handful of Billboard-Top-40 charting songs. Brown left before the band recorded their third (and final) album, which was released under the name, "Ian Lloyd and Stories".

After Stories he pursued a solo career, with six albums to his credit. Lloyd has performed with numerous outfits, assuming the role of a session musician. His long discography of work includes background work with artists such as Foreigner, Billy Joel, and Yes. Lloyd continues to write, record and perform.
Although Lloyd was classically trained on both piano and violin, he first reached international acclaim as lead singer for the band Stories, formed with Michael Brown of The Left Banke in the early 70s. Lloyd sang lead on Stories' songs like "I'm Coming Home" (played as an anthem during the return of the Iranian hostages) as well as "Brother Louie".

Rolling Stone praised Lloyd's songwriting, saying he displayed "a lyricist's most essential gift -- the ability to produce a verbal approximation of the music's ambiance." . He wrote songs for Elkie Brooks's 1975 album, Rich Man's Woman.

After a successful run, Stories disbanded and Lloyd pursued a solo career. His albums were well-received. In particular was his 1976 eponymous debut, 1979's Goosebumps (which produced a Top 40 hit "Slip Away" written by Ric Ocasek of The Cars), Third Wave Civilization (1980), and Planet X (1997). His solo efforts never matched the commercial success of Stories.
As a backup singer, Lloyd worked with numerous major recording artists, most notably Foreigner, who used Lloyd's vocals on hits like "Feels Like the First Time," "Cold as Ice," "Waiting for a Girl Like You," "Juke Box Hero", and "Double Vision." Lloyd can also be heard on Billy Joel’s "I Go to Extremes", as well as tracks by Yes, Peter Frampton, Survivor, and Ian McDonald (of King Crimson and Foreigner fame).

Discography: