Michael Trempenau (born 14 January 1961), better known as Mike Tramp, is a Danish singer best known for his work with the glam metal band White Lion, which he was the sole continuous member of the band until their disbandment in 2013. Since 1998, he has also released several solo albums. In 2012, Tramp went on a solo acoustic tour releasing acoustic albums in both 2013 and 2014. He returned with a full band lineup in 2015 and in 2017, released the album Maybe Tomorrow, which charted at number 1 in Denmark.
Biography
1976–1982: Early years
Trempenau was born and raised in Vesterbro, Copenhagen, with his mother, Doris, and two brothers, Dennis and Kim. He started his musical career singing in Vesterbro Ungdomsgård, a youth group club in Copenhagen, and appears on their first album: Vi lever på Vesterbro (1974). In 1976, Trempenau, now known professionally as Tramp, joined the pop band Mabel as the lead singer. Mabel released five studio albums and were very popular in Denmark and Spain, with Mike receiving "teen idol" status. In 1978, Mabel won the Danish Song Contest with the song "Boom Boom" and represented Denmark in the Eurovision Song Contest 1978 that same year. Later, Mabel moved to Spain and became Studs, releasing a debut self-titled album in 1981 and then moved to New York City and became Danish Lions in 1982. After recording demos, the band returned home to Denmark, however, Tramp decided to remain in America.
1983–1992: White Lion
Tramp met Vito Bratta and formed White Lion in 1983; the band became very successful in the mid-1980s to early '90s. White Lion released their debut album, Fight to Survive, in 1985. The band achieved success with their number 8 hit "Wait" and number 3 hit "When the Children Cry" from their second album, the triple-platinum selling Pride. The band enjoyed continued success with their third album, Big Game, which achieved gold status, and their fourth album, Mane Attraction, which they supported with a tour. White Lion disbanded in 1992; their first compilation album, The Best of White Lion, was released not long after.
1992–1998: Freak of Nature
After White Lion, Tramp went on to form the hard rock band Freak of Nature. The follow-up was significantly darker and harder than White Lion. The band released three albums between 1993 and 1998: Freak of Nature, Gathering of Freaks, and Outcasts. The band shared stages with Helloween and Dio in Europe in 1993. Freak of Nature eventually disbanded in 1996.
1998–2004: Solo career
Following Freak of Nature, Tramp began a solo career, releasing his debut album as a solo artist in 1998 titled Capricorn. The album featured former Freak of Nature bandmates, guitarist Kenny Korade and bass player Jerry Best. Former White Lion bass guitarist James LoMenzo performed backing vocals on the album. The song "Better Off" was released as Tramp's debut solo single and features his first solo music video. The album also features the singles "Already Gone", "If I Live Tomorrow", and "Take a Little Time".
It would be five years before Tramp returned to the studio to record his follow-up album, Recovering the Wasted Years, during which time he would move to Australia, with the aim of raising his son away from the rigors of big city life and to plan his next career move. Recovering the Wasted Years was released in 2002 and featured the singles "Living a Lie" and "Endless Highway" both featuring live music videos.
In 2003, Tramp followed-up with his third album, More to Life Than This, which he once again produced himself but relied on producer/engineer Flemming Rasmussen (Metallica) to engineer and mix the sessions in his very own Sweet Silence Studios. The album's title track, "More to Life Than This", and "Don't Want to Say Good Night" were both released as singles. A music video made in Australia was released for the song "Lay Down My Life for You". Also in 2003, Tramp released the double-disc live album Rock 'N' Roll Alive, which features Tramp performing live versions of songs from White Lion, Freak of Nature, and his solo albums.
In 2004, Tramp released the solo album Songs I Left Behind.
2004–2008: The new White Lion
Tramp also reformed White Lion with a new lineup under the name "Tramp's White Lion" (aka White Lion II) due to legal issues with former members. The band played and re-recorded White Lion songs touring and releasing the album Last Roar which featured new re-recorded versions of White Lion classic tracks and a boxset titled "The Bootleg Series" in 2004, followed by a double-live CD entitled Rocking the USA in 2005.