Foreigner frontman Kelly Hansen will play his final show with the band on Saturday in Atlantic City, New Jersey. And it sounds like he’s not totally sure what he’ll do next.
“I’m trying not to use the word retirement. I don’t even know what that means,” he tells People. “I’m not looking for future work. I’m so fortunate to be able to make that choice.”
He adds, “Although I love what I do, I’ve been in this business nearly 50 years, and I put in my time.”
When it comes to his final show, Kelly says, “I want it to be joyous and I want it to be memorable and I want it to be fun.”
“I’ve been telling the audience that I’m taking mental snapshots because this year is different than the 20 years prior, because the 20 years prior were the blur of being in the thick of it,” he says. “Now I’m poking my head out of the forest, and I’m seeing the pasture ahead, and I’m not just fighting the trees every day. I’m seeing the sun, the pasture in front of me.”
And while Kelly’s life will certainly change once he comes off the road, he tells People he’s “not troubled by living a smaller life.”
“I mean, I’ve lived, my whole life has been loud music and bright lights and a lot of s***, and I spent a lot of my time trying to avoid f****** landmines, and I don’t want to have to do that,” he says. “I just want to live my life with my friends and my family and just dig it.”
Foreigner guitarist Luis Maldonado will take over frontman duties when Hansen leaves. A complete list of Foreigner dates can be found at Foreigneronline.com.
Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
