Original FOREIGNER Singer LOU GRAMM Says He Is Finally Retiring At The End Of 2026 Tour: 'I Wanna Go Out With A Bang'

In a new interview with Steve Harkins of TalkShopLive's Rock 'N' Roll Channel, the leading platform for live shopping, original FOREIGNER singer Lou Gramm confirmed that he will retire from performing live at the end of this year.

"I feel like I've done this long enough, and while I really enjoyed a lot about this life, I think the second most important thing to putting your heart and your mind and your body into it and getting into a great band is knowing when to walk away," he said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "I understand what a lot of people feel, but I think I've got an idea of what I'm gonna be doing."

The 76-year-old Gramm, who has been making special guest appearances with FOREIGNER in the last couple of years, continued: "I feel bad for the [musicians] that go too long — either the singers can't sing anymore or the guitar players get their fingers caught in the strings or whatever — but I'm very fortunate that at my age I can still sing and hit the notes and everything, but I don't wanna get to the point where I'm faking it or lowering the key two steps to do the song. I think this is, for me, a high point, this tour. And finally getting into the Rock [And Roll] Hall Of Fame [with FOREIGNER in 2024] and all the good things, I wanna go out with a bang, and I think that this summer tour is it."

Knowing that these are some of his final performances, Gramm said that the gravity of the situation is making the shows extra special for both him and the audiences.

"I have been taking it all in," he said. "I enjoy the screams and the applause and everything. I'm listening a little closer to that these days."

Gramm, who joined FOREIGNER during its formation in 1976 after a tenure with the band BLACK SHEEP, previously talked about his retirement last October in an interview with Ultimate Classic Rock. He said at the time: "I've been doing this over 54 years, [including] BLACK SHEEP. That was a professional band. We had two albums out on Capitol Records [and] did some serious touring. I just feel like there's some other things that I want to do. I want to spend more time with my children — my older children and my younger child — and spend more time playing with my cars while I'm still capable of driving."

"[I'd like to] just stay off the road and enjoy my home, the surroundings and my family and friends, something that I've had to sacrifice for over 50 years," he added. "I've done all there is to do I feel. And being in the Songwriters Hall Of Fame and the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame are huge milestones for me. You know, I think in this business, you just know when it's time."

This past March, Gramm released what he said would be his third and final solo album, "Released". The collection contains 10 songs from Lou's vaults, which were in various stages of completion before they were finalized for this set. The material was intended for either his previous solo albums — 1987's "Ready Or Not" and 1989's "Long Hard Look" — or for the lone 1991 album by SHADOW KING, the group he formed with current DEF LEPPARD guitarist Vivian Campbell and BLACK SHEEP bandmate Bruce Turgon. Turgon also co-wrote nine of the tracks on "Released" with Gramm.

Gramm previously said he planned to retire at the end of 2024, but later revealed that he was in talks to make appearances at "select" tour dates with FOREIGNER's current lineup in 2025.

Gramm was the voice on FOREIGNER's biggest hits, including "Feels Like The First Time" and "Cold As Ice" from the band's eponymous debut in 1977, and later songs like "Hot Blooded" and "I Want to Know What Love Is".

Gramm left FOREIGNER for good in 2002 and has battled health issues in recent years, including the removal of a non-cancerous tumor. He told the Democrat & Chronicle in 2018 that he was planning to retire, but still reunited with FOREIGNER for several shows that year.

FOREIGNER replaced Gramm with Kelly Hansen in 2005. 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.

Hansen originally announced he would no longer be the lead singer for FOREIGNER in May 2025 as the band performed on NBC's "The Voice". During the episode, it was revealed that Luis Maldonado would step in, making for an emotional "passing of the torch" moment. Luis joined FOREIGNER as a guitarist and backing vocalist in 2021, but did not take over on lead vocals until last year.