Foreigner’s lead singer Kelly Hansen discussed his departure from the band in an interview with WDHAFM. Hansen revealed he initiated the conversation about leaving with founding guitarist Mick Jones back in 2022.
Hansen explained his reasoning for leaving and how the transition to the new singer unfolded.
“Well, I brought the idea of me finally letting go to [Foreigner’s founding guitarist] Mick Jones in 2022,” Hansen said. “So we talked about it, and he was very supportive. He didn’t want me to leave.”
He acknowledged the band’s success and the demanding nature of their catalog. “And we’ve done so many great things together,” he continued. “But I felt like [since] I’ve been in this business almost 50 years, I’ve been in the band 20 years and I’m singing a catalog of songs that every singer couldn’t even dream of having. But it’s a very demanding catalog of songs, and it doesn’t get easier.”
Hansen emphasized his desire to maintain high performance standards. “I mean, the song demand never changes, but as you age, you change,” he said. “And I don’t wanna be out there doing these songs less than the best I can or that the songs deserve.”
He then explained the decision to promote from within the band. “So what we decided to do was when we started kind of putting things in motion, it made all the sense in the world to go inside the band to a guy who’s been with the band almost five years, who’s an amazing vocalist, and have him be the singer,” Hansen explained. “And it just all made sense to do it that way.”
Finally, he described the unique opportunity to announce the transition on “The Voice.” “And then we were talking about how we were gonna make this transition, and ‘The Voice’ called us and they said, ‘We want you to play on our finale show’,” he said. “And I had the idea. I called my manager, I said, ‘Why don’t we do the handoff live on ‘The Voice’?’ And he thought that was a great idea, and ‘The Voice’ just thought that was a great idea. And so that’s how we made it happen. It was really serendipitous.”
This isn’t the first time Foreigner has seen a change in lead vocalists; the band’s original singer, Lou Gramm, departed in the early 1990s. Gramm himself had several periods of absence from the band, leading to temporary replacements before his ultimate departure.
The demanding nature of Foreigner’s catalog, with its high vocal range and powerful delivery, has been acknowledged by multiple singers who have fronted the band. The band’s extensive touring schedule also adds to the physical demands placed upon the lead singer.
Hansen’s 20-year tenure with Foreigner marks one of the longest periods of stability for the band’s lead vocalist position. His voice has become synonymous with Foreigner for a generation of fans.
Promoting from within the band allows for a sense of continuity and familiarity for both the band members and the audience. This approach can often ease the transition for fans who are accustomed to a specific sound and stage presence.
