Remember the rock band Foreigner? These shaggy-haired rockers were as hot as blazes back in the day. Formed in 1976, they cranked out hit after hit. Their smashes included tracks like "Cold as Ice," "Feels Like the First Time," "Urgent," and "I Want to Know What Love Is." They are still around, evolving and performing decades later. In fact, Foreigner has just elevated a member of the troupe to a new role. It's Luis Maldonado, per Ultimate Classic Rock. He is a guitarist and singer.
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Kelly Hansen's last gigs with his bandmates were on October 10th and 11th. It was a bittersweet farewell. Jeff Pilson, a bassist with the group, said, "It was a very special moment, deeply emotional. We also had some fun with it, and we pulled some pranks. We wanted to make it a memorable night that not only Kelly would never forget, but none of us would ever forget. "
He added, "I also wanted to pay tribute to Kelly because he made such a huge contribution to this band. He's a vital element in what has gotten the band to where where it is today. We're grateful to him [and] we're sad he's gone. We're going to miss him terribly."
Make Way for Luis Maldonado
Pilson described the shift from Hansen to Maldonado. He shared that it was totally seamless and amicable. The switch from one to the other was evidently made easier by the fact that Maldonado seems like an ideal fit for the long-lasting rock band.
Pilson continued, "He's a brother, but we're also really excited for his future. He's got a great life ahead of him, and we're excited for the future of the band. It could not have been a better transition. You know, those kind of things can be ugly, and this one was absolutely not, and that's a testament to everybody being cool, Kelly, especially being cool. And just the nature of this music and this band is that the cream does rise to the top."
He went on. "Once Luis [Maldonado]'s voice was uncovered and we all realized what he had, including Kelly, the future became so clear to us. This whole transition just fell into place naturally and we couldn't have asked for a better one to be honest with you."
How He Joined the Band
Maldonado originally teamed up with Foreigner four years ago, per the outlet. He stepped in for Thom Gimbel. When Hansen eventually said he was exiting, Maldonado reportedly urged him to stay so the band would not fold. But Hansen left, thus creating an new opening. Maldonado was tapped to fill it. He even got a thumbs-up from Lou Gramm, Foreigner's former frontman.
Maldonado has already had a tryout during some Foreigner concerts in South America. The results were outstanding, according to Pilson. "He just stepped up and sang the crap out of these songs. I mean, he just sings them with so much heart and and yet holds the original intention of the songs. Lou Gramm is really excited about Luis doing it. He's fully endorsing Luis as a singer, which is a pretty cool thing. He just stepped up to the plate and it was just an obvious thing."
