From intimate acoustic performances to sold out European arenas, the band proves their hits still resonate five decades later
On February 25, 1976, in a small New York rehearsal room, Mick Jones gathered the musicians who would become FOREIGNER. Al Greenwood, the first recruit, remembers that day vividly. “This was the day I first heard Feels Like The First Time and I knew we had something very special.”
Exactly fifty years later, FOREIGNER celebrates that milestone with the launch of their 50th Anniversary Year at the Vilar Performing Arts Center in Beaver Creek, Colorado. Luis Maldonado on lead vocals, Jeff Pilson on bass, Michael Bluestein on keyboards, and Bruce Watson on guitar will present a very special acoustic set, commemorating five decades of hits, worldwide tours, and a rock legacy that endures.
The anniversary tour spans an impressive variety of performances. Following the intimate Colorado shows, FOREIGNER embarks on an orchestral tour beginning with a residency at the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas and culminating with the San Diego Symphony. In April, fans in Florida will enjoy a rare reunion with original vocalist Lou Gramm during the FOREIGNER 4 Deluxe tour with a full-album performance of the band’s seminal 4 alongside a selection of their Top 10 hits.
Europe takes center stage in June with a 26-date tour across Germany, the UK, Switzerland, and Scandinavia featuring multiple sold out shows that highlight the band’s enduring global appeal. Later this summer, FOREIGNER will co-headline a U.S. amphitheater tour with Southern rock legends Lynyrd Skynyrd in a historic pairing of rock icons across generations.
At the heart of FOREIGNER’s legacy is founder Mick Jones, a Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee whose songwriting, guitar work, and leadership have guided the band for five decades. “When I started FOREIGNER in 1976, I never could have imagined that these songs would carry us through fifty years and still resonate with audiences around the world,” Jones reflects. “This anniversary is a celebration not just of the music but of the fans who have been with us every step of the way.”
FOREIGNER’s commercial and critical impact is staggering. The band has more Top 10 hits than Journey, as many as Fleetwood Mac, and their weekly catalog sales have at times eclipsed Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, the Rolling Stones, The Who, Def Leppard, Van Halen, Aerosmith and most of their classic rock peers according to Nielsen SoundScan. With ten multi-platinum albums, sixteen Top 30 hits, and over 80 million records sold, FOREIGNER is celebrated as one of the most popular rock acts in the world. Business Insider recently recognized the band’s catalog among the Top 40 Best Selling Music Artists of All Time.
Their repertoire of enduring anthems includes Juke Box Hero, Cold As Ice, Hot Blooded, Waiting For A Girl Like You, Feels Like The First Time, Urgent, Head Games, Say You Will, Dirty White Boy, Long, Long Way From Home, and the global number one hit I Want To Know What Love Is, a member of Spotify’s exclusive Billions Club. Even fifty years later, FOREIGNER continues to dominate the charts with massive airplay and streams approaching 20 million per week.
Today FOREIGNER’s lineup of Luis Carlos Maldonado on lead vocals and guitar, Jeff Pilson on bass, Michael Bluestein on keyboards, Bruce Watson on lead guitar, and Chris Frazier on drums carries the band’s legendary anthems into the next fifty years.
For tickets, tour updates, and all things 50th Anniversary, visit ForeignerOnline.com.