22 Apr 2026 2 min read

In Memoriam: Gregg Foreman

Remembering a cornerstone of early aughts Philly nightlife

Gregg Foreman

As I was about to dive into writing this week's newsletter, I heard the sad news that musician Gregg Foreman (Delta 72, Cat Power) had died at the age of 53. Given that part of my role here entails chronicling the city's music scene, I'd feel remiss not writing something.

You can google his accomplishments, or read his Wikipedia page (which, interestingly, Gregg himself helped update), so I'll spare y'all the who. What's missing from all of that is the context.

Depending on who you ask, there was, uh, how do we say, a broad spectrum of opinions on the guy. For better or worse, Gregg's DJ nights and aesthetic defined a solid chunk of turn-of-the-millennium nightlife with events like "The Turnaround". Yes, there were rooster haircuts before, but after Gregg returned to Philly, it was impossible to throw a Yuengling without hitting someone sporting their own. He was what could feel like a cariacture of contemporary hipsterdom, but also something a lot of people aspired to emulate. Plenty of places (blogs, messageboards, etc.) painted him poorly—though his friends would counter otherwise—which is why, in the lone actual exchange I ever had with the guy, I was surprised by how disarmingly nice he was.

For some it was easy to write his music off as another Jon Spencer Blues Explosion or Make Up clone, but those early records (like the first two for Touch & Go) had a force and power that rightfully put his name in that company (or catching Jon Spencer's fists). Whatever lessons he learned in his pre-Delta 72 outfit Junction, he built on them by fusing them with the soul and R&B sounds he genuinely liked.

Yes, he struggled with substance issues. I'm sure there are people out there who know of a completely different person. But it also seemed like he found peace, especially after leaving the city, and finding footing as Cat Power's musical director for several years (alongside a host of other projects). I think that's the best any of us can hope for. Most recently he returned to town last month as part of the 20th anniversary tour for The Greatest.

What I'll remember is the first time I ever saw the Delta 72—back in winter of 1998 (pretty sure), not long after The Soul of a New Machine came out and the band moved to town—on a bill at Pilam with (I think) Lynnfield Pioneers during the Jason Kourkounis/Sarah Stolfa years. Man, it just blew my fucking mind. RIP.