In a chat with Terrie Carr from WDHA-FM 105.5 FM (New Jersey’s rock oracle), FOREIGNER’s frontman Kelly Hansen dropped some news hotter than a mid-concert pyro blast: he’s retiring from touring after this summer. Cue the dramatic power ballad! Quoting the man himself (via BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “Let me just be clear – for me, it’s gonna stop. I’m doing all the shows through summer, then passing the mic to Luis Maldonado, our rhythm guitar wizard who’s been slaying with us for five years. Dude’s got pipes, chops, and the charisma of a guy who knows his way around a stadium.” (Fun fact: FOREIGNER’s “I Want To Know What Love Is” remains the only No. 1 hit that makes everyone under 60 and over 15 simultaneously sob into their lighters.)
Hansen initially broke the news May 20th live on NBC’s “The Voice” – because why announce retirement quietly when you can do it with reality TV flair? The tearjerker segment featured him crowning Maldonado as his successor, because nothing says “rock ’n’ roll transition” like prime-time drama. Ironic twist: FOREIGNER’s lineup changes now rival daytime soap operas.
When Carr asked when Kelly knew it was time to peace out, he spilled: “I floated the idea to Mick Jones – y’know, FOREIGNER’s OG guitarist and the man who probably owns more leather jackets than a Sons of Anarchy convention – back in 2022. Mick didn’t wanna lose me, but let’s face it: belting ‘Juke Box Hero’ nightly for 20 years while aging like the rest of us mortals? Brutal. Those songs don’t get easier – your vocal cords just get more opinionated. So we tapped Luis, our secret weapon, to take over. Then ‘The Voice’ called, and I thought, ‘Let’s hand off the mic live!’ It was kismet, baby.”
On his final gigs? “Don’t make me bawl onstage,” Hansen joked. “These shows’ll be a rollercoaster – epic highs, probably some ugly-crying. You gotta pour your soul into these tracks, which means emotions’ll be raw. Hopefully I keep it together and don’t pull a Dancing Queen mascara situation.”
As for future plans? Kelly’s taking a breather first. “No concrete ideas yet, but I’ll keep supporting music education – Shriners Hospitals and the Grammy Foundation stuff we’ve done with school choirs. Watching kids nail ‘I Want To Know What Love Is’ gives you hope humanity’s not doomed.” (Another fun fact: Mick Jones once produced Van Halen’s 5150 album. Talk about a resume flex.)
In his farewell statement, Hansen called his FOREIGNER run “an honor” and hyped Maldonado as the future: “Luis has the voice, energy, and soul to keep these anthems alive.” Not to be outdone, Mick Jones waxed poetic about 1976’s “finest musicians” quest and praised Kelly for “climbing the mountain” so Luis could “bring us home.” (Translation: Mick’s still the Yoda of classic rock.)
Maldonado, meanwhile, is no newbie – he shredded for TRAIN (you’ve hummed “Drops of Jupiter” in the shower) and backed Lisa Marie Presley (yes, Elvis’ daughter). Now he’s diving into FOREIGNER’s catalog like a rock ’n’ roll archaeologist: “This music’s in my DNA. Time to honor the legacy and melt faces.”
Mark your calendars: FOREIGNER’s touring through 2025, with Hansen bowing out after summer gigs and Maldonado taking the reins. The band’s 50th anniversary bash next year? Oh, they’ll party like it’s 1976 – just with more hip replacements backstage.
