FOREIGNER lead singer Kelly Hansen spoke to Rob Rush Radio about the legendary rockers’ recent announcement that they were embarking on their farewell tour. The trek is set to launch on July 6 at Atlanta’s Ameris Bank Amphitheatre. For the first leg of the U.S. Live Nation-produced tour, FOREIGNER will be joined by LOVERBOY.
Asked if this is indeed FOREIGNER‘s final tour, Hansen said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “Our plan is to do this into 2024. I’ve been asked many times by many different people to continue doing this. And, really, for me, it’s a matter of being able to perform these songs at the level they deserve and that the fans deserve, and I cannot allow myself to do less than that, just as a human being.
“It’s gotten tougher and tougher every year to sing this great catalog of songs,” he admitted. “And it maybe sounds like I’m whining. I’m not trying to whine; I’m really fortunate to be able to have done this and do this with the band. It’s just I don’t wanna sacrifice the quality of these songs and the performance of these songs. So I think it’s better to say, ‘You know what? I’m gonna leave here strong and let the memory of this live thing be strong as well.”
Asked what he will miss the most about touring with FOREIGNER, Kelly said: “Amazing crowds and amazing band. I mean, what a great band with people that we all enjoy being around each other. We enjoy each other’s company, and playing a catalog of songs that you couldn’t dream of, you couldn’t buy. And as a singer, to sing so many hits songs — from the start of the show to the end of the show, there’s no fluff or filler — and that’s just a dream to have happen. And so I’m gonna miss all that. And it’s been a hard decision to make, but I think you have to get on to these things early and make sure you’re doing the right thing. I’ve seen far too many other live entities happen that I really feel shouldn’t be out there anymore.”
When FOREIGNER‘s final tour was first announced last November, the band’s leader and founder Mick Jones said: “Many years ago, I wrote a song called ‘Feels Like The First Time’, and today we are launching one last worldwide tour. We will be presenting a show that I know will have the same enthusiasm as our very first appearances. The tour will start this summer in America and we hope to get to every place that we have played over the last several years. While I’m sure our fans will have mixed feelings about the end of the road for the band, I know our shows are going to delight audiences everywhere.”
Jones continues to elevate FOREIGNER‘s influence and guide the band to new horizons with his stylistic songwriting, indelible guitar hooks and multi-layered talents while Hansen, one of rock’s greatest showmen, has led FOREIGNER into the digital age inspiring a whole new generation of fans. Bassist Jeff Pilson, Michael Bluestein on keyboards, guitarist Bruce Watson, Chris Frazier on drums and guitarist Luis Maldonado provide an unprecedented level of energy that has resulted in the re-emergence of the astounding music that speaks to FOREIGNER‘s enduring popularity. FOREIGNER has an extraordinary streaming and radio audience.
With more Top 10 hits than JOURNEY and ten multi-platinum albums, FOREIGNER is universally hailed as one of the most popular rock acts in the world with a formidable musical arsenal that continues to propel sold-out tours and album sales, now exceeding 80 million. Responsible for some of rock and roll’s most enduring anthems, including “Juke Box Hero”, “Cold As Ice”, “Hot Blooded”, “Waiting For A Girl Like You”, “Feels Like The First Time”, “Urgent”, “Head Games”, “Say You Will”, “Dirty White Boy”, “Long, Long Way From Home” and the worldwide No. 1 hit “I Want To Know What Love Is”, FOREIGNER still rocks the charts more than 40 years into the game with massive airplay and continued Billboard Top 200 album success. Streams of FOREIGNER‘s hits are approaching 15 million per week.
The only remaining original member of FOREIGNER, Jones suffered from some health issues beginning in 2011, eventually resulting in heart surgery in 2012. Ever since, it is never announced whether he will be appearing with the band for specific shows — it just depends how he is feeling.
After singer Lou Gramm left FOREIGNER in 2003, Jones took some time off before regrouping a couple years later with an entirely new lineup, featuring Hansen and Pilson, among others.
In 2018, Gramm revealed that he was retiring from touring as a solo artist. The vocalist made the announcement just months after he participated in FOREIGNER‘s “Double Vision: Then And Now” concerts, which featured current and original members of the band, including Jones, drummer Dennis Elliott, keyboardist Al Greenwood, bassist Rick Wills and guitarist/saxophonist Ian McDonald.
Gramm was the voice on FOREIGNER‘s biggest hits, including “Feels Like The First Time” and “Cold As Ice” from the band’s eponymous debut in 1977, and later songs like “Hot Blooded” and “I Want To Know What Love Is”.
Photo credit: Krishta Abruzzini