It was recently announced that original Foreigner frontman Lou Gramm will be rejoining the band as a special guest for the group’s 2025 spring tour of Latin America. As recently as November 2024, shortly after Foreigner was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Gramm expressed some negative feelings about his old band and its current lead singer, Kelly Hansen, but in a new Billboard interview, Lou explains that he’s softened his views.
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“Ever since [the induction] it felt like, personally, I had to find a way to let go of some of the things I’ve been holding onto for years—and, like the [Beatles] song says, let it be,” Gramm told Billboard.
Due to “residency issues,” Hansen won’t be taking part in Foreigner’s Latin American shows, which run from April 28 in Mexico City through a May 10 concert in Sao Paulo, Brazil. In his place, Foreigner guitarist Luis Maldonado will be singing lead on most songs during the trek, while Gramm will join the group on select tunes.
“It’s a hackneyed sentiment, but it’s true—life’s too short,” Gramm said about deciding to perform multiple shows with Foreigner again. “And a lot of the things that are blown up and made big deals about are easy enough to get over and humble yourself and reach out a little bit, ’cause what you’ve been mad about for the past 20 years is not a monumental thing.”
Since 2017, Gramm has occasionally performed with Foreigner as a special guest. Most recently, he hit the stage to duet with Hansen on two songs at the band’s March 15 concert in Clearwater, Florida.
Gramm’s Conflicts with Foreigner Co-Founder Mick Jones and Hansen
A lot of Gramm’s issues with Foreigner stem from his conflicts with the band’s founding guitarist and main songwriter, Mick Jones.
Gramm left Foreigner in 2003, and has said his reasons had to do with difficulties in communicating with Jones, and Mick’s resistance to allow Lou more creative input into the band.
Over the years, Gramm also has criticized Hansen for copying his vocal style and phrasing. Whatever hard feelings he’s had toward Jones and Hansen appeared to have now waned a bit. As previously reported, Jones has been battling multiple health issues in recent years, including Parkinson’s disease, and didn’t attend Foreigner’s Rock Hall induction in October 2024.
“I hope he was watching the show,” Gramm told Billboard. “It was a great experience and…a real honor for what all of us, and especially Mick, have accomplished. Our creative partnership was really excellent. I think we were all very proud.”
As for Hansen, Lou noted, “We didn’t have a very good relationship before, either, but it’s good now.”
In a separate interview with Billboard, Hansen responded, “I’m glad he feels that way.” He added, “Hopefully we’re gonna be having a lot of the original guys come on stage here and coming out for our 50th anniversary, which is next year. That’s kind of full circle.”
Gramm Plans to Make More Appearances with Foreigner
Gram told Billboard that he’s also open to performing with Foreigner at more North American shows this year. He also intends to take part in some of the group’s 50th anniversary celebrations in 2026.
“I don’t think there’s any contrivance or people questioning the reason why I would be up there with that band,” Gramm says of his decision to perform with Foreigner again.
He also expressed positive feelings about Jones keeping Foreigner going after the singer left the band.
“[It’s] something Mick wanted to do after we parted company, and he did a great job,” Lou maintained. “[A]nd they’ve done a great job over the last two decades of keeping the name up there and flying the flag. They deserve a lot of credit.”
Foreigner’s and Gramm’s 2025 Tour Plans
After the Latin American tour, Foreigner has almost 50 more concerts lined up in the U.S. and Canada in 2025. The band’s 2025 itinerary winds down with a Canadian leg that’s plotted out from an October 21 in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, through a November 7 show in Kelowna, British Columbia. As with the Latin American trek, Hansen will sit out Foreigner’s Canadian dates because of “residency issues.”
Gramm currently has nine solo concerts lined up in 2025. Most of the shows are with his group the Lou Gramm All Stars.
Lou Gramm Has ‘Let Go’ of Issues With Foreigner & Mick Jones After ‘Life-Changing’ Rock Hall Inductionhttps://t.co/yWHvHD7QhH
— billboard (@billboard) April 1, 2025
(Photo by Scott Legato/Getty Images)
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