After 49 years, iconic rock band Foreigner is getting ready to say goodbye, but frontman Kelly Hansen will not be joining them. On May 20, during the season finale of The Voice, Hansen announced that he will be leaving Foreigner and the band’s guitarist, Luis Maldonado will be taking his place. Hansen served as the band’s lead vocalist since 2005 after the band’s co-founder and original frontman, Lou Gramm left.

In a recent statement, Hansen explained, “Being the voice of Foreigner has been one of the greatest honours 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 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.”

Foreigner’s co-founder and leader, Mick Jones also weighed in on the decision, stating, “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.” He continued by praising Maldonado, “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.”

According to NME, “Foreigner confirmed that Hansen would not be performing with the band on the Canadian leg of their ongoing farewell tour this autumn.” Additionally, he did not perform at their shows in Mexico or South America. Although Mick Jones is the last remaining original member of Foreigner, he is unable to perform live with them. He stopped performing live with the band in 2022 due to health issues and has since revealed that he has Parkinson’s disease.