Foreigner’s Kelly Hansen Why He Isn’t On The Band’s Most Recent Tour

Because of U.S. residency rules, Foreigner's lead singer Kelly Hansen has to skip the band's upcoming shows in Canada and Latin America. He said, "Residency issues have forced me to limit appearances outside of the USA this year and this means that I will miss some international shows."

Luis Maldonado will fill in as singer for the Latin American tour starting in Mexico City on April 28. The shows will get even better with special guest spots from original singer Lou Gramm.

In Canada, local performer Geordie Brown will handle singing duties for fall shows, starting in St. John's, Newfoundland on October 21. Brown's already familiar with Foreigner's songs - he's performed their hits before and joined them on stage in Halifax in 2019.

While overseas shows are getting new singers, Hansen continues performing in the U.S. The busy schedule includes a special show at the Long Beach Grand Prix on April 12, as part of more than 60 shows this year.

Canadian band 54-40 will open the fall shows. These concerts help build up to the 2026 comeback of "Jukebox Hero: The Musical."

This change in singers comes as founding member Mick Jones deals with health issues. The guitarist recently shared that he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease earlier this year.

Hansen, who took over from Gramm in 2005, made his mark on the band's 2009 album "Can't Slow Down." The record went gold, according to Recording Industry Association numbers.

Adding something special, Maldonado plans to sing Spanish versions of the band's hits during Latin American shows. Hansen fully supports the replacement singers, saying "I know they will smash it!"