Singer of Legendary Rock Band Announces His Exit: ‘Time to Pass the Mic’
The band’s longtime guitarist will assume vocal duties.
NBC/Tyler Golden/NBC via Getty Image
Foreigner’s lead singer Kelly Hansen announced he is leaving the legendary rock band after nearly 20 years, dropping the bombshell reveal on live TV. Appearing on Tuesday night’s finale of The Voice, Hansen said: “After 20 magical years performing with this band, this will be my last year with Foreigner. This summer, a new great voice will sing these songs for you, my friend Luis Maldonado.” In a later statement, he added: “Being the voice of Foreigner has been one of the greatest honors of my life. 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, the band’s longtime guitarist, added: “This music has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. I’m ready to honor Foreigner’s legacy and bring my heart to every performance.”
See more of our coverage in your search results.
Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here.
Register below to read this article for free or subscribe
to unlock unlimited access to The Daily Beast.
Monthly
$1
First month then $5.99/month
Annual
$35
First year then $59.99/year
Premium
$79
First year then $119.99/year
*Substack access provided by the next business day, using your subscription email. Choosing the Premium plan constitutes your permission to share your subscription email with Substack and your agreement to Substack’s Privacy Policy.
Already have an account? Sign In
Looks like you already have a subscription!
You're all set!
Thanks for subscribing.