Updated: Lou Gramm Says He Has ‘Not Been Asked’ to Join Foreigner’s Summer Tour
Lou Gramm is denying published reports that he will join Foreigner on select upcoming 40th anniversary tour dates.
1/9 Update: Gramm says that after some "crossed wires and miscommunication," he can now confirm that he will indeed be rejoining the group "for a song or two."
"I have not been asked to join any part of the summer 40th Foreigner anniversary tour," Gramm wrote on Twitter. Ultimate Classic Rock reached out to Foreigner’s team for a comment and will update this story when they respond.
Billboard reported that a trio of Foreigner's original members, including Gramm, would join the band this summer. Cheap Trick and former drummer Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Experience share the bill, which reportedly would also feature guest turns by Gramm's fellow departed Foreigner co-founders Ian McDonald and Al Greenwood.
Gramm is also firing back at another recent story that seems to confirm his imminent retirement. He's quoted by the Democrat and Chronicle as saying "I'm tired of the business. It's time to hang up the mic." Gramm then initially issued a tweet labeling that report "lies," but then softened his stance by admitting that he was caught off guard by the question.
In the same piece, Gramm says he received a call from co-founding Foreigner guitarist Mick Jones' manager, who said there had been "some kind of mix-up," and that Jones hadn't meant to indicate that Gramm would be joining his old band for some concerts this year.
Foreigner’s summer tour kicks off on July 11 and includes nearly 40 stops. Jones told Billboard that a two-disc, 40-track compilation featuring some new material is also set for release this year, along with his memoir, A Foreigner’s Tale.
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