The lead singer of a classic rock band is stepping down after a decades-long career.
Kelly Hansen performed his final show with Foreigner on Saturday at the Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Multi-instrumentalist Luis Maldonado will replace Hansen on lead vocals, with original singer Lou Gramm still expected to appear at some Foreigner concerts in the coming months.
“This is a big night for us, and in many ways it’s very special for me personally because I’ve been with this guy for 20 years,” said Foreigner bassist and musical director Jeff Pilson, according to Blabbermouth. “We are a brotherhood, we are a family, and we’re a really lucky family because we’ve got Lou and [original Foreigner keyboardist] Al [Greenwood] and [former bass player] Rick [Wills] and everybody who oftentimes comes out and hangs with us and is part of our family. But tonight we are saying a very loving goodbye to someone who has made such a difference with this band, and he’s been so important in helping take it to where it’s right now.”
Hansen, in an emotional speech, thanked all of the band members, management and the touring crew. He did a group hug on stage before turning to express his gratitude for the audience.
“If I could even string together the number of times that I’ve had experiences with fans — or I don’t like to call you guys fans; I like to call you guys people who love music, appreciate music. My whole life, since I was 17, it’s been great people who come to shows. Thank you for that," Hansen said. “I have a whole bunch of friends who support me. I have many friends who have traveled a long way to be here tonight, and I wanna say thank you to all of them, because when it comes down to it, it’s friends and family — it’s friends and family, really. And one last thing: I wanna thank my wife. [She] changed my life. I got married for the first time at 59 years old.”
“And just thank you, guys, for being here. Thank you, guys. And I’m speaking collectively to not only you guys who are here tonight, but whoever might be viewing this on the Internet sometime later. Thank you all for all of your support.”
Hansen, 64, announced in May that he was quitting Foreigner after leading the band since 2005. Maldonado, who joined the band in 2021, was named the new frontman.
“I’ve been in this business, I think, about 48, 49 years. I put in my time. I spent 20 years with this fantastic band singing a catalog of songs that a singer couldn’t dream of,” Hansen said Saturday. “And thank you.”
Hansen revealed in a People magazine interview that he first thought about retiring during the Covid pandemic when he spent more than a year at home and got married. He said he’s still healthy and wants to pursue other passions, plus spend time with friends and family.
“I’m trying not to use the word retirement. I don’t even know what that means,” he told the publication. “I’m not looking for future work. I’m so fortunate to be able to make that choice.”
Foreigner is a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame group known for 1970s and ‘80s hits like “I Want to Know What Love Is,” “Hot Blooded,” “Feels Like the First Time,” “Waiting for a Girl Like You,” and “Cold As Ice.” Gramm, a Rochester native who currently lives in Webster, N.Y., has appeared at some concerts with Foreigner in recent months but said he plans to retire in 2026.
Guitarist Mick Jones is the only original Foreigner member still permanently in the group, though he no longer performs due to Parkinson’s disease. The touring lineup currently includes Hansen, Maldonado, Pilson, Michael Bluestein, Bruce Watson, and Chris Frazier.
