A classic rock band is getting a new lead singer.
Foreigner frontman Kelly Hansen announced that he will leave the band at the end of their 2025 summer tour. He had been Foreigner‘s lead singer since 2005.
“Being the voice of Foreigner has been one of the greatest honors of my life,” Hansen said during Foreigner’s appearance on “The Voice” Tuesday. “But it’s time to pass the mic.”
Hansen, 61, will be replaced by current Foreigner multi-instrumentalist Luis Maldonado, who joined the band in 2021. Maldonado took over lead vocals for Foreigner’s recent Latin American tour dates, which Hansen missed due to “residency issues.” (Original lead singer Lou Gramm appeared as a guest at those Foreigner concerts, too.) Maldonado also recorded a Spanish version of “Urgent” released earlier this month.
“Luis has the voice, the energy, and the soul to carry these songs into the future,” Hansen said. “I couldn’t be prouder to hand this off to him.”
Foreigner co-founder and guitarist Mick Jones thanked Hansen and praised Maldonado, a former guitarist for Train, for keeping the band going.
“Kelly Hansen is one of the best front men in our business and over the last twenty years he has breathed new life into our songs,” Jones said in a statement. “His boundless energy and flawless talent has helped us climb the mountain and set up the opportunity for Foreigner vocalist and guitarist, Luis Maldonado, to bring us home. I wish Kelly great happiness in his next endeavors after our summer tour, and I look forward to welcoming Luis to his new position. Luis was my choice as a guitarist and he has already shown us what he can do on lead vocals by fronting the band in South America to incredible reviews.”
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, Jeff Pilson, Michael Bluestein, Bruce Watson, and Chris Frazier.
Foreigner has extended its “farewell tour” multiple times, but with Maldonado taking over no end appears to be in sight. The band plans to celebrate its 50th anniversary next year with special appearances by Gramm, including launching a new musical (“Feels Like The First Time - The Foreigner Musical”) in New York.
Gramm, a Rochester native who currently lives in Webster, N.Y., is the original voice of Foreigner. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is group known for 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 and Jones were also inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Upcoming Foreigner tour dates include an Aug. 7 concert at the Erie County Fair in Hamburg and a Sept. 20 performance at the Turning Stone Event Center in Verona. It’s unclear when Hansen’s last show will be; the band has dates booked through March 2026 already.
