Foreigner Is Still Hot-Blooded, 48 Years Into Its Career

(MANDATORY CREDIT Ebet Roberts/Getty Images) UNITED STATES - NOVEMBER 01: Photo of FOREIGNER; Mick Jones, Dennis Elliott, Rick Willis, Lou Gramm (front) — Ebet Roberts/Redferns

If you’re a lover of late ’70s and ’80s rock (or just like to keep your car radio tuned to the classic rock station today), you’re more than familiar with Foreigner. The group had an epic decade-long run of seven Top 10 hits, beginning with 1977’s “Cold As Ice,” lasting through 1984’s “I Want to Know What Love Is.” Along the way, Foreigner has become one of the best-selling bands of all time, with over 80 million records sold; this year, they’ll be inducted into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame.

So what are the original dirty white boys up to these days? If you urgently need to know, read on (and don’t worry, we won’t play any head games with you).

Promotional studio portrait of American rock group Foreigner, 1977. (L-R): Lou Gramm, Ian McDonald, Al Greenwood, Mick Jones, Dennis Ellio

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When Was Foreigner formed?

Foreigner was founded by bandleader Mick Jones in 1976, after he found himself stuck in New York City, far from his UK home. Jones had played guitar with George Harrison and Peter Frampton; but when his gig with the Leslie West Band ended, Jones found himself adrift in a strange city. Leslie West’s manager suggested that Jones keep working on his music as he tried to figure things out, so he assembled a band including keyboardist Al Greenwood, bassist Ed Gagliardi, drummer Dennis Elliott, singer Lou Gramm, and guitarist/ multi-instrumentalist Ian McDonald, who had previously been a founding member of King Crimson. The band originally went by the name Trigger, but changed it to Foreigner to reflect the fact that half the band was British and half was American — no matter what country they were in, at least some band members would be “foreigners.”

Just one year into their career, the band released their debut album, Foreigner, in March 1977. It became an instant hit, staying in the Billboard top 20 for an entire year, peaking at number four, and going gold in just two months. It also yielded the top 10 hits “Cold as Ice” and “Feels Like the First Time.”

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After spending much of the year touring, they released their follow-up, 1978’s Double Vision. The sophomore album peaked at number 3 on the Billboard album charts, and contained the hits “Hot Blooded,” which hit number three, and “Double Vision,” which made it all the way to number two.

They then released their third album in three years, 1979’s Head Games (fun fact: the model on the album cover is Lisanne Falk, better known as perky Heather McNamara from the ’80s teen classic Heathers). It reached number 5, and single “Dirty White Boy” hit number 12 on Billboard’s top 100.

Head Games was the first album to feature new bassist Rick Willis after original bassist Ed Gagliardi was ousted. He was the first original member to leave, but he wouldn’t be the last; the following year, Greenwood and McDonald would also be shown the door. In his memoir, Gramm said of the firings, “The chemistry that made the band right in the beginning didn’t necessarily mean it would always be right. I think a pretty major communication lapse appeared and I don’t think anybody really knew what anybody was feeling.” McDonald countered in a 1999 interview that “Mick and Lou decided they wanted to be the focus of the band. Mick wanted to make it more apparent that it was his group, so he decided to make a smaller group. That was his decision. I wouldn’t have left – I loved the group, it was not my decision.”

May 1982: Rock band, 'Foreigner' playing at Wembley stadium in London

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Foreigner’s Biggest Hits in the ’80s

The new four-piece Foreigner regrouped, working with producer Mutt Lange to release 1981’s 4, which spent 10 weeks as the number one album in America. The album revealed a more varied sound, incorporating synthesizers and soulful touches on songs. The album also featured keyboard work by a pre-fame Thomas Dolby and a sax solo on urgent by Motown multi-instrumentalist Junior Walker. 4 contained the band’s first hit ballad, “Waiting for a Girl like You,” which reached number two on the charts; “Urgent” hit number four, while “Jukebox Her0” peaked at 26.

After dedicating the next few years to touring and releasing a greatest hits album, in 1984, Foreigner released Agent Provocateur, which contained their first number one hit, “I Want to Know What Love Is.” Jones said of the song “‘I Want to Know What Love Is’ came up at three in the morning sometime in 1984. I don’t know where it came from. I consider it a gift that was sent through me.” Featuring backing vocals by New Jersey Mass Choir and Broadway star Jennifer Holliday, the dreamy, dramatic ballad has been covered by artists from Wynonna Judd to Mariah Carey, and is sung by Tom Cruise in the 2012 musical Rock of Ages.

Rock musicians Mick Jones, on electric guitar, and singer Lou Gramm (born Louis Grammatico), both of the group Foreigner, perform onstage at Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, New Jersey, July 9, 1982.

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In 1987, Lou Gramm released his first solo album, Ready or Not, which led to discord in the band; though he remained through their 1987 release Inside Information, he released a second solo album, Long Hard Look, in 1989, and departed the band in 1990. Gramm wasn’t the only band member interested in solo pursuits; Jones had begun producing other bands’ albums, including Van Halen‘s 5150 in 1986 and Billy Joel‘s Storm Front in 1989. In that same year, he released a solo album, Mick Jones.

With new singer Johnny Edwards, Foreigner continued on, releasing the album Unusual Heat in 1991. But in 1992, Jones and Gramm reconciled, with Gramm rejoining the band for the 1995 album Mr. Moonlight. In 1997, Gramm underwent surgery to remove a brain tumor; this was followed by a long recovery period, as the surgery and follow-up medications took a toll on Gramm’s body and voice.

Mick Jones of the group Foreigner performs at Prudential Center on June 26, 2014 in Newark, New Jersey

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Where Is Foreginer Now?

In 2002, Gramm left the band again; Jones cited communication issues as the culprit behind the split. New singer Kelly Hansen joined up in 2005. Other founding members including Gramm have periodically appeared live with Foreigner’s new line-ups. Original bassist Ed Gagliardi passed in 2014 after a struggle with cancer; founding multi-instrumentalist Ian McDonald also passed after a long battle with cancer in 2022. The band will be inducted into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame on October 19, 2024.

Jones is currently the band’s only remaining founding member, though health issues related to Parkinson’s disease have kept him from participating in several recent tours. The band is currently on a tour of the southwest and west coast, culminating in a residency at the Venetian in Las Vegas from Oct. 25 to Nov. 9. You can keep up to date with any further tour dates on their website.