Foreigner lead singer Kelly Hansen reveals he’s leaving band on ‘The Voice’
Foreigner lead singer Kelly Hansen also took time to introduce his successor, in a passing of the torch moment on national TV.
WASHINGTON — In a surprise announcement on national TV, Kelly Hansen, the veteran front man of rock band Foreigner, revealed that he will be stepping down following the end of the group’s summer tour.
The reveal happened Tuesday night in the middle of a performance on the season finale of NBC’s “The Voice.”
“After 20 magical years fronting this band, this will be my last year with Foreigner,” Hansen explained to the crowd and the viewers watching at home. “At the end of this summer, a new great voice will sing these songs for you, my friend Luis Maldonado.”
Maldonado then took over the mic from Hansen as the group performed “Juke Box Hero,” before the two delivered a duet of “I Want to Know What Love Is.”
Maldonado has formerly been a guitarist in the band and served as the interim lead singer for Foreigner during a Latin American tour.
The transition marks a significant moment in rock music history, as Hansen has been an integral part of Foreigner for around 20 years, taking over for original lead singer Lou Gramm in 2005.
Paying tribute to his journey with the group, Hansen referred to his tenure with the rock band as “one of the greatest honors of my life”
“Being the voice of Foreigner has been one of the greatest honors of my life,” said Hansen in a statement shared by multiple media outlets. “But it’s time to pass the mic. Luis has the voice, the energy, and the soul to carry these songs into the future. I couldn’t be prouder to hand this off to him.”
Following the end of the summer tour, Maldonado will step up as the band’s permanent lead vocalist. As part of the transition, both Hansen and Maldonado are slated to share the stage during select shows of Foreigner’s ongoing tour.
Mick Jones is the only original member of the group still with Foreigner. Last October, he revealed he was battling Parkinson’s disease.