After 20 years as Foreigner’s lead singer, Kelly Hansen has introduced that he’ll depart the band on the finish of their 2025 summer season tour.
“Being the voice of Foreigner has been one of many best honors of my life,” Hansen mentioned throughout the group’s Tuesday night time look on the horrible tv present The Voice. “However it’s time to move the mic.”
Hansen will probably be changed by present Foreigner multi-instrumentalist Luis Maldonado, who joined the group in 2021 and served because the lead singer on their latest tour of Latin America, which Hansen needed to miss because of residency points. The band’s authentic lead singer, Lou Gramm, appeared as a particular visitor at these exhibits.
“Luis has the voice, the vitality, and the soul to hold these songs into the long run,” mentioned Hansen. “I couldn’t be prouder handy this off to him.” Founding Foreigner songwriter and guitarist Mick Jones, who has not carried out dwell with the band since 2022 and final yr revealed that he had been identified with Parkinson’s illness, says he is additionally happy with this newest passing of the torch.
“Kelly Hansen is likely one of the greatest entrance males in our enterprise and during the last twenty years he has breathed new life into our songs,” Jones mentioned in a press launch. “His boundless vitality and flawless expertise has helped us climb the mountain and arrange the chance for Foreigner vocalist and guitarist, Luis Maldonado, to convey us dwelling. I want Kelly nice happiness in his subsequent endeavors after our summer season tour, and I stay up for welcoming Luis to his new place. Luis was my selection as a guitarist and he has already proven us what he can do on lead vocals by fronting the band in South America to unimaginable opinions.”
In November of 2022, Foreigner introduced a farewell tour which was initially slated to run via the tip of 2024, however has been repeatedly prolonged.
“This catalog of songs, it is extraordinarily difficult for a rock tenor vocalist like myself to sing,” the then 61-year-old Hansen defined because the tour was introduced. “I by no means would have thought in 1,000,000 years I might be singing these songs in [these] keys at this age, and I do not understand how for much longer I can do this on the degree I want do. You’ll be able to drop keys and do that and do this, however I am extra of an old-school individual. If I am not doing it for actual then I shouldn’t be doing it.”
The press launch asserting Hansen’s departure not consists of any reference to Foreigner’s present dates being a part of a farewell tour. “[Luis] will quickly lead the change that may carry us to new heights,” declares Jones.
Foreigner Albums Ranked
It is laborious to think about rock radio with out the string of hit singles Foreigner peeled off within the ’70s and ’80s.
Gallery Credit score: Jeff Giles
