Foreigner’s Lou Gramm Says Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Pulled “Fast One” on Original Band Members

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducted Foreigner into its honorary ranks in 2024, but according to vocalist Lou Gramm, what should have been a sweet victory for the iconic rock band took a sour turn after the Hall of Fame pulled a “fast one” on the original lineup. From a viewer’s standpoint, it was impossible to tell that anything was amiss at the star-studded induction ceremony on October 19, 2024.

But in a SiriusXM interview just a few weeks later, Gramm revealed the tensions that were brewing offstage between Foreigner and the Hall of Fame. In fact, the band’s disagreement with the event organizers was so bad that it led to drummer Dennis Elliot refusing to show up at all. Band leader Mick Jones was also not in attendance, but that was due to ongoing health issues.

Lou Gramm Said Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Pulled a “Fast One” On Band

Despite the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony going off without a hitch, things felt far less organized behind the scenes. In his interview with Eddie Trunk on SiriusXM, Foreigner vocalist Lou Gramm revealed that he, Rick Wills, and Al Greenwood were all under the impression that the original lineup would perform at their own induction ceremony. However, drummer Dennis Elliot somehow caught wind that this wouldn’t be the case and refused to attend the ceremony in protest.

Elliot’s refusal to participate was the band’s first shock. The fact that Elliot was right was the second. “As soon as Dennis found out that we weren’t performing on our night, he decided he wasn’t gonna come,” Gramm told Trunk. “And we’re just going, ‘Dennis, come on. We’re gonna play.’ And then we found out the afternoon of the show that we weren’t performing.”

“We thought we were gonna be performing, and Dennis was gonna be there, and we’d have the guitar player from the new Foreigner play mixed parts and play a couple songs,” Gramm continued. “Then, we found out last minute that it was the new Foreigner who was gonna be playing, and Rick and Al would be standing there singing background vocals.”

Foreigner’s portion of the induction ceremony included three performances, only one of which prominently featured a member of the original lineup. Demi Lovato and Slash performed “Feels Like the First Time,” Sammy Hagar delivered a rendition of “Hot Blooded,” and their set concluded with Kelly Clarkson and Gramm teaming up to perform “I Want to Know What Love Is.”

The Original Members Felt Duped By The Whole Thing

For the original members of Foreigner, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s decision to cut down their songs and have other artists perform them was a disappointing one-two punch. “The thing for me is I am first and foremost a rock singer, and it’s the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame,” vocalist Lou Gramm said in his SiriusXM interview. “Somehow, I couldn’t sing a rock song at the Rock Hall of Fame? It doesn’t make any sense to me, and it sticks in my craw.”

When Gramm discovered that the performance modifications were why drummer Dennis Elliot didn’t attend, “I even got more angrier, but not at him. It was almost like there was a fast one being played.”

Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame