KELLY HANSEN On 'Emotion' Of His Upcoming Final Concert With FOREIGNER: 'Hopefully I Can Hold It Together And Do It'

In a new interview Terrie Carr of WDHA-FM 105.5 FM, the rock music station licensed to Dover and Morristown, New Jersey, FOREIGNER's longtime singer Kelly Hansen spoke about his decision to retire from touring with the band later this year. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, let me just be clear — for me, it's gonna stop. I'm doing all the shows through the end of the summer, and then our rhythm guitar player [Luis Maldonado], who's very talented guy, great singer, great musician, he's been in the band almost five years, he's going to be the new lead vocalist of the band. So I'm stepping away. I'm passing the mic. So this will be my last year as the lead singer of the band, but I am gonna do all the shows through the summer."

Hansen announced he's stepping down rom FOREIGNER earlier this month live during a special appearance on NBC's "The Voice". In a moving segment that aired nationally, Hansen introduced Maldonado as his official successor — a moment that symbolized both an end and a bold new beginning for the powerhouse group.

Asked by Carr when he knew that "this is gonna be it for me", Hansen said: "Well, I brought the idea of me finally letting go to [FOREIGNER's founding guitarist] Mick Jones in 2022. So we talked about it, and he was very supportive. He didn't want me to leave. And we've done so many great things together. 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. I mean, the song demand never changes, but as you age, you change. And I don't wanna be out there doing these songs less than the best I can or that the songs deserve. 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. And it just all made sense to do it that way. 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.' 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."

Asked how he thinks it's going to feel for him to play his final FOREIGNER concert, Kelly said: "I don't even wanna think about it, because I know the whole tour's gonna be emotionally up and down. It's gonna be a blast and I know there's gonna be some surprises and it's gonna be really fun.

"When you play a show, at least for me, in order to communicate the music and the songs and the lyrics, you have to open yourself up emotionally to get that out," he explained. "But what that does is that also opens it for stuff to come in, and so you're very raw, and that means that any emotion you feel will be right on top, just bubbling right on the top. So hopefully I can hold it together and do it."

Kelly also talked about his future plans, including a possible continuation of some of the philanthropic work that he has done with FOREIGNER. He said: "I don't have any concrete plans for right now. First thing I'm gonna do is I'm gonna take a break. And then I'm looking forward to where the wind takes me. There are a lot of possibilities. I mean, the band has been working with Shriners [Hospitals For Children] and the Grammy Foundation for 15 years, bringing choirs on stage during 'I Want To Know What Love Is', which I've really loved. And I think we get the better end of the deal because they raised recognition about the lack of funding for school music programs, and we get to see the looks on their faces when they're on stage, maybe for the first time in front of thousands of people. And it's really amazing to see that. So I hope maybe that will happen for me in some way. But like I said, for right now, no concrete plans."

When Hansen announced his departure from FOREIGNER on May 20, he said in a statement: "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."

Jones said that "in 1976, my goal was to assemble the finest group of musicians I could find" and "Results have shown that it worked!" He added that "about thirty years later, Jason Bonham encouraged me to do it all over again and create a brand-new FOREIGNER, and the magic was still there," explaining that "I was especially fortunate in the choice of lead singer."

In the statement, Jones called Hansen "one of the best" frontmen in music and said he "breathed new life into our songs" over a 20-year span. "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," Jones said. "I wish Kelly great happiness in his next endeavors after our summer tour, and I look forward to welcoming Luis to his new position."

Before Luis joined FOREIGNER, he was best known as the guitarist for TRAIN and for his work with Lisa Marie Presley. He now steps into the spotlight as FOREIGNER's new lead singer. Maldonado brings a rich blend of vocal power, stage charisma, and musical versatility that makes him a natural fit to lead the next chapter of the band's journey.

"This music has been part of my life for as long as I can remember," said Maldonado. "I'm ready to honor FOREIGNER's legacy and bring my heart to every performance."

Hansen joined FOREIGNER in 2005 and played a crucial role in revitalizing the band's live presence. His powerful vocals and magnetic stage presence helped introduce FOREIGNER's timeless hits to a new generation of fans across the globe.

FOREIGNER's tour continues through 2025 and will feature both Hansen and Maldonado on stage in a symbolic handoff. The transition coincides with major milestones for the band, including next year's 50th anniversary of its formation in New York in 1976.

FOREIGNER replaced original singer Lou Gramm with Hansen. Jones, the only remaining original member of FOREIGNER, suffered from some health issues beginning in 2011, eventually resulting in heart surgery in 2012. In February 2024, Jones revealed on social media that he was battling Parkinson's disease, which explained his absence from FOREIGNER's live shows since 2022.

Photo credit: Karsten Staiger