Foreigner are touring Canada this fall — and it sounds like they'll have a new singer in tow, as frontman Kelly Hansen has announced that his time with the band will be over by the end of the summer.
Hansen announced the news in a segment that aired on last night's (May 20) live finale of The Voice, with Foreigner taking the stage to perform a medley of hits like "I Want to Know What Love Is," "Feels Like the First Time" and "Jukebox Hero."
"After 20 magical years fronting this band, this will be my last year with Foreigner," the frontman — who joined the fold in 2005, taking over for co-founder Lou Gramm — told the audience. "At the end of this summer, a new, great voice will sing these songs for you: my friend, Luis Maldonado."
And with that, previous Train guitarist Maldonado, who has been playing with Foreigner since Thom Gimbel's retirement in 2021, took the mic. Earlier this spring, he had filled in for Hansen when the singer had to miss some of the band's scheduled performances in Latin America.
"Being the voice of Foreigner has been one of the greatest honours of my life," Hansen said in a statement. "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."
Maldonado added, "This music has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. I'm ready to honour Foreigner's legacy and bring my heart to every performance."
Co-founding bandleader Mick Jones, who no longer performs live with Foreigner after revealing his Parkinson's diagnosis last year, explained:
In 1976, my goal was to assemble the finest group of musicians I could find. Results have shown that it worked! About 30 years later, Jason Bonham encouraged me to do it all over again and create a brand-new Foreigner, and the magic was still there.
I was especially fortunate in the choice of lead singer. Kelly Hansen is one of the best frontmen in our business and over the last 20 years, he has breathed new life into our songs. 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.
I wish Kelly great happiness in his next endeavours after our summer tour, and I look forward to welcoming Luis to his new position. Luis was my choice as a guitarist and he has already shown us what he can do on lead vocals by fronting the band in South America to incredible reviews. He will soon lead the charge that will carry us forward to new heights.
Watch Hansen make the announcement during the band's performance on The Voice below.