Lou Gramm says "a fast one" was pulled on original Foreigner members at HOF Induction

CLASSIC Foreigner vocalist Lou Gramm says he “would have preferred to sing” more at the band’s Rock’n’Roll Hall of Fame induction, claiming “a fast one” was pulled on original members by organisers of the event.

The likes of Kelly Clarkson, Demi Lovato and Sammy Hagar were on mic during the induction ceremony on October 19 in Cleveland as an all star band performed Foreigner hits “Hot Blooded”, “Feels Like The First Time” and “I Want To Know What Love Is”.

In reference to the band’s manager, Gramm told Sirius XM: “I would have preferred to sing. This is what I asked Phil Carson … ‘we go right into ‘Juke Box Hero’ and we do a shortened version of that.

“I’ll sing this big ballad. Of course I will. But I want a chance to rock on that night too.

“So I asked Phil Carson about that and he says ‘I don’t think so Lou’.

“It was mentioned to me it was time restraints.

“He didn’t explain to me, he just said ‘no, it’s not going to work’.”

Further reflecting on the situation, he said: “I am first and foremost a rock singer. It is the Rock Hall Of Fame and for one reason or another I couldn’t sing a rock song at the Rock Hall Of Fame when I’m being inducted.

“It doesn’t make any sense to me and it sticks in my craw.”

Gramm, 74, reiterated that he would retire from touring next year, adding he was reluctant about any involvement in Foreigner’s farewell tour. He said he was concerned about the safety of international travel in the current climate and that he had been denied permission to perform certain songs.

“There are concerns about Kelly’s ego,” he said in reference to current Foreigner singer Kelly Hansen.

He was also asked about drummer Dennis Elliot boycotting the ceremony completely, telling the Faction Talk station: “As soon as Dennis found out we weren’t performing on our night, he decided he wasn’t going to come.

“We were going ‘Dennis, c’mon, we’re going to play…’ and Dennis goes ‘I’m not gonna come’.

“We found out the afternoon of the show we weren’t going to perform. We thought we were performing and Dennis was going to be there.

“We found out at the last minute it was the new Foreigner who was going to be playing and Rick (Wills) and Al Greenwood would be standing there singing background vocals.

“Dennis knew about it before anyone else and said ‘if I’m not playing, I’m not going’.

“When I found our why he didn’t come I got even more anger – but not at him. It was almost like there was a fast one being played. It’s not the way I envisioned going into the Rock Hall Of Fame.

“I enjoyed the night but that stuck in my craw. The way it went down just strikes me like it’s from the old playbook of rock’n’roll when the managers used to play fast ones on the band members.

“I don’t know whether it was the managers of the Rock Hall Of Fame who were behind this …. none of the original band were going to play except I was going to sing and we were being backed up by the new Foreigner.

“I’m thinking to myself ‘what in the world is this all about?’ I like the new guys in the band and I think they do a respectable job but why has this become their night suddenly?

“I see the guys with mics in front of them singing background on songs they made hits … and I wasn’t even on stage except when it was my turn to sing … to me, it reduced the original band … and completely negated it to the audience.

“I would have thought management would have wanted to use this opportunity to honour the original band that wrote, recorded and and made those hits – then give some credence to the new band.

“I didn’t like the way it went down.”

Gramm said Wills “tried to keep a happy face on but he was disgruntled”.

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