Consider this urgent news: Foreigner lead singer Kelly Hansen is bidding a fond farewell to the beloved rock band after two decades.
The vocalist, who joined the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame-inducted group in 2005, announced his decision to step down as its singer — and welcomed in his successor, Luis Maldonado — during a medley performance of Foreigner’s biggest hits on The Voice finale last night.
“After 20 magical years fronting this band, this will be my last year with Foreigner,” Hansen confirmed in between songs. “At the end of this summer, a new great voice will sing these songs for you: my friend, Luis Maldonado.”
Tyler Golden/NBC via Getty
Foreigner members Bruce Watson, Michael Bluestein, Kelly Hansen, Luis Maldonado, Chris Frazier, Jeff Pilson on ‘The Voice’
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Hansen then brought Maldonado out on stage to sing “Juke Box Hero” before teaming up with him for a dreamy rendition of Foreigner’s 1984 hit, “I Want to Know What Love Is.”
Speaking with Entertainment Weekly following their rocking performance, Hansen admitted that he had “a little bit of a breakdown” once he got offstage.
“I feel it’s probably gonna be that way through the end of this year,” he said. “See, the thing is it just comes in waves. You’re having a good time, you’re doing the show, and then all of a sudden you just have a thought like, ‘Oh, shoot, this is gonna be… This is it,’ you know? And it hits you like a shock sometimes. But it’s all good — that’s part of being human and part of life, so it’s not a bad thing at all.”
In a press release, Hansen added, “Being the voice of Foreigner has been one of the greatest honors of my life. 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.”
Although it may feel like it, this isn’t the first time that Foreigner has had a singer shake-up over the last almost 50 years. The band’s original vocalist, Lou Gramm, stewarded the group throughout its chart-topping run from 1976 until 1990, before returning for another stint behind the microphone from 1992 until 2003. He has also joined the band for several spotlight performances in the decades since.
Johnny Edwards also served as lead singer for a spell from 1990 until 1992, as did Chas West in 2004 before Hansen took over in 2005. Foreigner leader and founder Mick Jones praised Hansen and his “flawless talent” in his own subsequent statement.
“Kelly Hansen is one of the best front men in our business and over the last twenty years he has breathed new life into our songs,” he said in part. “His boundless energy and flawless talent has helped us climb the mountain and set up the opportunity for Foreigner vocalist and guitarist, Luis Maldonado, to bring us home. I wish Kelly great happiness in his next endeavors after our summer tour, and I look forward to welcoming Luis to his new position.”
Prior to joining Foreigner, Maldonado served as a guitarist for the rock band Train and worked alongside artists like Lisa Marie Presley. “This music has been part of my life for as long as I can remember,” he said in a statement. “I’m ready to honor FOREIGNER’s legacy and bring my heart to every performance.”
He also told EW that he aims to channel Hansen’s “great sense of humor” and ability to “give it all” onstage when he takes over the reins this summer.
One of the best-selling bands of all time, Foreigner are set to embark on their next North American tour on Jun. 11. The tour will see them perform throughout the U.S. and Canada until November. The band are also scheduled to hold their own Las Vegas residency in celebration of their 50th anniversary next March.
Watch Maldonado and Hansen perform together in the clip above.
Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly
