Founded in 1976, Foreigner remains one of the best-selling bands of all time. Songs like “Cold as Ice” and “Juke Box Hero” helped the arena rock outfit sell more than 80 million records worldwide and nab six multi-platinum albums in a row. Vocalist Lou Gramm and guitarist Mick Jones co-wrote the majority of the band’s hits, finally seeing decades of hard work come to fruition when Foreigner finally gained entry into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last year. Now that they have reached that long-elusive milestone, Lou Gramm says he’s ready to hang it up. The Songwriter Hall of Fame member, 75, recently confirmed that he will retire for good in 2026 after more than 54 years on the road.
“I just feel like there’s some other things that I want to do,” Gramm told Ultimate Classic Rock. “I want to spend more time with my children — my older children and my younger child — and spend more time playing with my cars while I’m still capable of driving.”
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He plans to “just stay off the road and enjoy my home, the surroundings and my family and friends, something that I’ve had to sacrifice for over 50 years.”
“I’ve done all there is to do, I feel,” Gramm continued. “And being in the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame are huge milestones for me. You know, I think in this business, you just know when it’s time.”
Lou Gramm Isn’t Quite Done Yet
Although stepping back for good in 2026, Lou Gramm still has plenty on his plate for the rest of 2025. In a recent interview with American Songwriter, the New Yorker shared plans to release a new solo album next year.
Expected to hit shelves in February, the album, titled Released, will mark Gramm’s first solo collection since his 2009 Lou Gramm Band album. Fans can expect to hear “all good rock songs… all vastly different from each other.”
“And the style, I think at this point, is almost uniquely my own, which I like,” Gramm continued. “There’s shades of Foreigner in it, too, but I think it sounds more like my solo albums than anything else. And it’s well-written, good rock songs, and I can’t wait for the public to hear it.”
Featured image by Franklin Jacome/Agencia Press South/Getty Image
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