Lou Gramm has thrown cold water and the possibility of a reunion with Foreigner during the band’s 2025 tour.
When Foreigner announced they were extending their farewell trek into next year, they hinted that Gramm may be involved. During a recent conversation with Sirius XM’s Eddie Trunk, the singer gave insight into the conversations he’s had with his former band, as well as the biggest issue hindering a reunion.
“Foreigner’s management asked me if I would be interested in doing some shows with the band,” Gramm confirmed. “They want to do a substantial tour of the world, which doesn’t appeal to me. I don’t want to be out 8 or 10 months again without seeing my kids.”
Though Gramm rejected the idea of a world tour, he said he “would consider” a U.S. run. Even then, the singer had his hesitations.
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“I’m not exactly sure how I feel about it,” Gramm confessed. “It would be much more interesting to me if it was members of the original Foreigner with augmented instrumentation, like another guitar player or something. Rather than going out with another band that calls themself Foreigner.”
Lou Gramm Was Told He Couldn’t Sing His ‘Trademark Songs’
In conversations with management, Gramm was told he’d do “about five songs” each night on a hypothetical trek with Foreigner. The band’s current frontman, Kelly Hansen, would handle the rest of the set. When Gramm started suggesting which songs he’d want to sing, he was given a sobering reality check.
“I said, well I’d like to do ‘Jukebox Hero’. [Foreigner’s manager] goes, ‘I’m not sure about that,’” Gramm recalled. “I said, ‘Well, I definitely want to do ‘I Want to Know What Love Is.’ He says, ‘I don’t think so, Lou.’ … So it sounds as if he talked to Kelly about it and Kelly made his claims on certain songs.”
READ MORE: Lou Gramm Reveals Why He Quit Foreigner
“Every song I suggested that I would like to do, he told me he didn’t think so,” Gramm continued, noting he was told “only what I couldn’t sing, and then I would just have to pick from what’s left.”
Asked if management was possibly concerned about Gramm’s vocal ability, the frontman was blunt. “No,” he replied. “Their concerns [are] about Kelly’s ego.”
“There are particular songs that are my trademark songs and if I can’t sing them, I don’t want to be out on the road,” Gramm surmised. “It’s frustrating, but I don’t want it to be frustrating. I’ve been thinking about it for about a month, that’s when I found out that I couldn’t sing my own favorite songs on the tour. So I think I’m just going to tell them I’m not interested.”
Foreigner Albums Ranked
It’s hard to imagine rock radio without the string of hit singles Foreigner peeled off in the ’70s and ’80s.
Gallery Credit: Jeff Giles
