New Foreigner frontman Luis Maldonado sets record straight on sharing stage with singers, bidding goodbye to farewell tour

Band to bring iconic hits to Erie County Fair

By Joshua Maloni

GM/Managing Editor

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Depending on which story you read, it sort of seems like Foreigner could have four different singers at the helm this summer.

Not so fast, newly appointed frontman Luis Maldonado said ahead of a concert at the Erie County Fair.

“I did this South American/Mexican tour with (original Foreigner lead singer) Lou Gramm. He came in. It was awesome. We had a blast. He came out on the encores as special guest on these tours,” Maldonado said.

“And then this summer, it's Kelly (Hansen, frontman since 2005). …

“Now, as far as (Canadian vocalist) Geordie (Brown) goes, he's going to guest on a song, I think, here and there in Canada, but there's no fourth singer,” Maldonado said.

It’s not hard to imagine where the confusion came in, with Foreigner announcing on “The Voice” that Hansen was stepping down, and that Maldonado would replace him – and then seeing Gramm’s name as a participant at recent shows, and Brown penciled in for special Canadian dates.

Ultimately, Maldonado said, “It's really about doing a great Foreigner show this summer, and that's all we're concentrating on,” regardless of who’s on the mic.

“We will be doing a very special thing with me, Kelly and Lou coming up soon. … There's talks about filming it. … I will be fronting the band when we go to Canada. I think we have a couple of weeks in Canada. And then I will be fronting the band after that, as we're going to do a special run for the anniversary of the Foreigner ‘4’ album, which is going to be rereleased in Dolby Atmos – and Lou's going to join us for that. We're going to do the Foreigner ‘4’ album in its entirety.”

If the itinerary’s also a bit head-scratching – considering Foreigner announced its “farewell tour” in 2022 – there’s a good reason for that, too.

“It changed completely,” Maldonado said.

“People have changed, and the information that is being brought to us changed; and hearts have changed; opinions have changed; and also, the overall outlook of everybody involved.

“Look, one of the best markers of that was when we did the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (induction ceremony last October), and when we were all there with all the guys (in the current band), with Lou and (original Foreigner member) Al (Greenwood), and (circa 1979 addition) Rick (Wills). I think everybody was of one mind at that point, going, ‘Wow, this is pretty special. I think the music is bigger.’ We definitely saw that the music was a lot bigger than just one person or one entity. And it really was about the music, the legacy of the music, the songs.

“It was really enlightening to see that – and we started seeing a demand for the shows. We started seeing a demographic of two younger generations, between 25 and 45, showing up at shows – and they're still showing up at shows. And I'm going, ‘What? Is this really happening?’ And it is. It's really happening in front of us. And I'm going, ‘Wow, this is something else.’

“All I can say about that is, when I was talking to Lou a couple months ago, and we're just laughing, goofing off, but there was a moment where we started talking about things to do – and then we came to this conclusion. I just looked at Lou and I said, ‘Man, there's still a lot of work to do here.’ He goes, ‘Yes there is.’ ”

Luis Maldonado is taking over as the new lead singer for Foreigner. (Image courtesy of Lappen Enterprises)

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So, what changed after the farewell announcement?

Just about five years ago, Foreigner founder Mick Jones recruited Maldonado to play guitar for his band. Maldonado had made a name for himself performing alongside UFO, John Waite, Lisa Marie Presley and Train.

“We talked for a long time when he was officially asking me to join, which is kind of crazy – like, he's asking me to join. I'm like, ‘Dude, I should be asking you if I could join.’ It's very humbling,” Maldonado explained. “He said, ‘Man, when I heard you play this song and this song, I knew.’ … He was talking about my tonality, how I approach the guitar – he's very detailed. And I was like, ‘Wow. This guy absolutely knows his stuff.’ He said he loved my voice. He knew that I was a high tenor. He goes, ‘A very powerful voice. It's great. It fits, and it really complements Kelly.’

“But, honestly, in that conversation, I think the words that came out of his mouth, following, I will never forget, because what he said to me no one else has said. He said, ‘Luis, listen, I'll commit to you, if you commit to me. I would love for you to join the band.’ I've never had anyone say anything like that.”

Not long after, “Kelly had made the decision (to leave). And there was talk about, obviously, we first positioned ourselves to do a farewell tour,” Maldonado said. “We had so many shows booked from the farewell tour, there was no way to do a set amount of shows. Like, for instance, if they booked 300 shows for a farewell tour, there's no way to do it all in one year. Someone would lose their mind, or a leg, whatever. So, these farewell tours naturally have to be paced out, right?

“And so, a few years ago, when we embarked on this farewell tour, when the information came, I went straight to Kelly's room, and I go, ‘Dude, are you sure you don't want to wait just a couple more years before this?’ I mean, I just thought, ‘What a great band; what a great family; what great songs.’ ”

Luis Maldonado on stage with Foreigner. (Image courtesy of Lappen Enterprises)

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As Foreigner was beginning its final run, guitarist Bruce Watson and keyboardist Michael Bluestein continued to hold their “VIB” (“Very Important Beer”) gigs on days off.

“They'd hold this event at a local brewery. They'd set it up, and they'd talk about the beer that they create there at that brewery; and bring a couple of acoustic guitars and a portable piano and play a bunch of songs – and most of them would be Foreigner, naturally. And it was just like this big party; and I got involved in that,” Maldonado said. “So, I started singing a few songs. They'd sing a few songs. And as we did them the last number of years, we'd always have a really great time. They just kept growing and growing. I started singing most of the songs.”

As time went on, Maldonado began to be asked whether he would consider taking the reins. Crew members, bandmates – even management – everyone was curious.

“I'm like, ‘If it meant keeping my brothers together, and doing awesome work, and keeping this music alive, yeah, sure,’ ” Maldonado said.

“(Bassist) Jeff Pilson came to me. He goes, ‘Hey, what do you think about singing on some of these tracks? We'll record them.’ … I said yes, I was open to it, and I recorded some of the tracks. Naturally, those tracks got to Mick (laughs). …

“It got serious in the later part of the year, like around September/October, when management had come to me, and then the management had gone to Mick, and then Mick had heard the songs that I had recorded. And Mick was like, ‘Who is this?’ They said, ‘It's your guitar player.’ He's like, ‘Oh, my god!’

“Mick basically said, ‘Yeah, you're the guy, if you want to be the guy.’ And, you know, listen, if Mick believes in me, then absolutely I'm comfortable going, ‘OK, cool,’ and so here we are.”

With Hansen’s blessing – and overwhelming fan support – Maldonado said Foreigner found new energy and purpose.

“There are things that we're planning; there are recordings; there are things that are still in the vault that we would want to get released. There are special shows. There's still a lot of things to do,” he said.

“And because of that, yes, it has changed; and because of the demand, yeah, it has changed. So, all of it has organically changed to go, ‘Wow, there's something really special here.’ To stop it, it doesn't seem like the right time to stop.”

Originally released in 1981, Foreigner’s “4” featured the hit songs “Urgent,” “Jukebox Hero” and “Waiting for a Girl Like You.”

•Foreigner performs at the Erie County Fair on Thursday, Aug. 7.

•Gramm, meanwhile, performs Friday, Aug. 1, at Batavia Downs, as part of the “Rockin’ the Downs” summer concert series.

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Starpoint choir to perform with Foreigner

Submitted by the Erie County Fair

In May, the Starpoint Choir was selected as the winner of the Foreigner choir contest, earning the incredible opportunity to perform “I Want to Know What Love Is” live on stage with the band on Aug. 7 at The Buffalo News Grandstand at the Erie County Fair.

The choir, under the direction of Nicole Carere, was chosen through public vote after submitting its rendition of “Cold as Ice.” This opportunity aligns with the yearlong “Celebration of Rock” theme, and is made possible through a partnership between the Erie County Fair, WIVB-TV, Cumulus Media and Foreigner.

Tickets are still available for Foreigner’s performance. Visit www.ECFair.org. Concert tickets include Erie County Fair admission the day of the show (when purchased in advance).