After half a century, it still feels like the first time.
Foreigner plans to continue its tour dates into the classic rock band’s 50th anniversary next year, singer Kelly Hansen revealed in a new interview with Billboard.
“Hopefully we’re gonna be having a lot of the original guys come on stage here and coming out for our 50th anniversary, which is next year. That’s kind of full circle. We like that energy, and I think everyone understands of how fortunate we all are to have been part of this legacy and enjoy the commonality of this legacy,” Hansen said.
Foreigner first began its “Historic Farewell Tour” in 2023, including a concert at the Syracuse amphitheater. Co-founding guitarist Mick Jones was part of the shows and remains an official band member, but no longer performs due to Parkinson’s disease.
Foreigner’s touring lineup no longer features any original band members, but Lou Gramm will reunite with the band for some South American concerts this year. Gramm, a Rochester native who currently lives in Webster, N.Y., is the original voice of Foreigner hits like “Hot Blooded,” “Cold As Ice,” “Urgent” and “Feels Like the First Time.”
Hansen will not be part of Foreigner’s upcoming international tour dates due to “residency issues,” so current member Luis Maldonado and Gramm will handle vocals for shows in Mexico and South America. Geordie Brown, who played the male lead in a 2018 workshop production of “Juke Box Hero, the Musical,” will replace Hansen on the upcoming Canadian tour dates.
Gramm left Foreigner in 1990 and again in 2002, speaking out frequently about issues with Jones and Hansen. However, Foreigner’s induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last year quelled some frustrations and Gramm made a surprise appearance at a Foreigner concert in Florida earlier this month.
“It’s a hackneyed sentiment, but it’s true — life’s too short,” Gramm told Billboard. “And a lot of the things that are blown up and made big deals about are easy enough to get over and humble yourself and reach out a little bit, ‘cause what you’ve been mad about for the past 20 years is not a monumental thing.”
Gramm also said he and Hansen now have a “good relationship.”
Jones, 80, and Gramm, 74, reunited sporadically over the years, including when they were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2013. Jones and drummer Dennis Elliott did not appear at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony, but Gramm did attend with former bandmates keyboardist Al Greenwood, bassist Rick Wills and the band’s current lineup.
Hansen, 63, has been Foreigner’s lead singer since 2005. He will appear at all of the band’s U.S. tour dates this year, while Broadway star Geordie Brown, who played the male lead in a 2018 workshop production of “Juke Box Hero, the Musical,” will replace Hansen at Canadian shows.
Foreigner’s current tour includes concerts through Nov. 7, but no 2026 dates have been announced yet. Gramm previously said he would retire this year, but told Billboard he now plans to be part of next year’s shows.
“I don’t think there’s any contrivance or people questioning the reason why I would be up there with that band,” Gramm told the publication, saying the current lineup “is something Mick wanted to do after we parted company, and he did a great job and they’ve done a great job over the last two decades of keeping the name up there and flying the flag. They deserve a lot of credit.”
Next year marks the 50th anniversary of the band’s formation in 1976 with Jones, Gramm, Elliott, Greenwood, and late co-founders Ed Gagliardi and Ian McDonald. They released their first album, featuring “Feels Like the First Time,” “Cold as Ice” and “Long, Long Way From Home,” in March 1977.
“Juke Box Hero,” a new musical featuring Foreigner songs, is expected to begin production in 2026 after years in workshops. Dates and venues have not been announced.
