Who's in Foreigner?
1976: Lou Gramm, Dennis Elliot, Ian McDonald, Al Greenwood, Mick Jones, Ed Gagliardi
2014: Chris Frazier, Tom Gimbel, Kelly Hansen, Mick Jones, Jeff Pilson, Michael Bluestein, Bruce Watson (photo by Bill Bernstein)
CURRENT MEMBERS
Mick Jones– lead guitar, keyboards, vocals
Kelly Hansen– lead vocals (joined 2005)
Tom Gimbel– guitar, saxophone, flute, keyboards (joined 1992)
Jeff Pilson– bass guitar (joined 2004)
Michael Bluestein– keyboards (joined 2008)
Chris Frazier– drums (joined 2012)
Bruce Watson – lead guitar (joined 2011 to fill in for Jones, but is now part of the touring band)
Mick Jones– lead guitar, keyboards, vocals
Kelly Hansen– lead vocals (joined 2005)
Tom Gimbel– guitar, saxophone, flute, keyboards (joined 1992)
Jeff Pilson– bass guitar (joined 2004)
Michael Bluestein– keyboards (joined 2008)
Chris Frazier– drums (joined 2012)
Bruce Watson – lead guitar (joined 2011 to fill in for Jones, but is now part of the touring band)
ORIGINAL MEMBERS
Mick Jones– lead guitar, keyboards, vocals
Lou Gramm– lead vocals (1976–90, 1992–2003)
Ian McDonald – guitar, keyboards, saxophone, flute, backing vocals
Al Greenwood– keyboards
Ed Gagliardi– bass guitar
Dennis Elliot – drums
WHO'S IN THE BAND?
Sadly, from the original group, only Mick Jones is left. Lou Gramm, the lead vocalist on all of their hits, is no longer with the band. Jones has had some health problems over the past few years, and has missed several shows (replaced by Bruce Watson), meaning that, at many shows, there wasn't a single original member of the band on stage.
The original line-up seemed to be based around Jones (as lead guitarist and main songwriter), Gramm (as lead vocalist, and co-songwriter on many of the songs), and Ian McDonald, who provided the "color" with the flute and sax, as well as co-writing some of the tunes. McDonald left before the release of their 4th album, Foreigner 4. Gramm stuck around until 1990, when he went solo. Two years later, he and Jones settled their feud, and he came back on board, leaving again in 2003.
WHAT WON'T YOU HEAR
They'll play all the hits and fan favorites - mainly sticking to the band's first four albums. They even play "Starrider" from the first album, which features Mick Jones on lead vocals.
WORTH SEEING?
If this touring group was billed as a tribute band (and on the nights that Jones isn't there, that is technically what they are), you'd be blown away at how good they sound. To be honest, I'm sure they sound better than the original members would. The lead vocalist, Kelly Hansen, sounds almost exactly like Lou Gramm in his younger days. So, for those of you who don't care who's original and who isn't, this line-up will more than satisfy. If you do care about such things, well, don't take any of your old vinyl albums and expect them to get autographed by all the guys on the covers.
PERSONAL EXPERIENCE
I first saw Foreigner in August of 1977 at Memorial Hall in Kansas City, KS. They played all the songs from the first album, (I believe) saving "Feels Like the First Time" for their encore. The Kansas City crowd loved them, and refused to leave without another encore. The band came back and said that they'd played everything they knew, but were willing to play a new, uncompleted, song. They proceeded to play "Double Vision" with lyrics that Lou Gramm was obviously throwing together on the spot.
In 1981 I saw them at the much larger Kemper Arena in Kansas City, as they were now a major concert act. I don't remember much about the show, but my ticket stub says that my lower level seat cost all of $10.25.
OFF SHOOTS
Lou Gramm is doing some solo shows, where he covers the Foreigner hits, as well as his solo ones.
BAND LINKS
