Lou Gramm, Foreigner's legendary lead vocalist and co-founder, has expressed deep disappointment over the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame's handling of the band's recent induction ceremony. In a revealing interview with SiriusXM, Gramm shared his frustration about being denied the opportunity to perform the band's classic hits during their own induction.
Instead of featuring the original members performing a medley of their greatest songs, the Rock Hall opted to have pop stars Kelly Clarkson and Demi Lovato, along with rock veteran Sammy Hagar, perform Foreigner's music. Gramm was limited to a brief duet with Clarkson on "I Want to Know What Love Is."
"Being a rock singer and getting inducted into the Rock Hall of Fame, but not being allowed to sing a rock song? It makes no sense," Gramm said during the interview. The situation became even more complicated when original drummer Dennis Elliott refused to attend the ceremony, citing an "totally unacceptable" schedule from the organization.
The ceremony was already missing key original member Mick Jones, who couldn't attend due to his ongoing battle with Parkinson's disease. Only Gramm, keyboardist Al Greenwood, and bassist Rick Wills represented the original lineup in Cleveland.
According to Gramm, the band remained unaware of these performance arrangements until "the afternoon of the show." The Rock Hall cited "time restraints" as the reason for limiting the original members' participation. Adding to the frustration, Gramm revealed they discovered at the last minute that the current incarnation of Foreigner would perform while original members Greenwood and Wills were relegated to background vocal duties.
Despite the controversy, Gramm maintains he's uncertain whether he would have skipped the ceremony had he known about these arrangements beforehand. The situation has left a bitter taste for the vocalist, who continues to actively tour and perform the band's beloved hits.