Foreigner singer Kelly Hansen will not only sit out the band's Canadian tour in October and November, but also their Latin American dates, which start on April 28th in Mexico.
He says, "Some issues have forced me to limit appearances outside of the U.S.A. this year, and this means, unfortunately, I will miss [our] South American run. However, our incredible bandmate Luis Maldonado has been recording some of our hits in Spanish and he will be handling most of the vocals along with [original Foreigner singer] Lou Gramm who will be guesting for those shows. I know they will smash it!"
Gramm, who will be the only original member in the line-up, did two songs with the band this past March 15th in Clearwater, Florida.
Taking Hansen's place in Canada is Geordie Brown, the male lead in the Canadian production of Juke Box Hero, The Musical.
In other Foreigner news, their 2009 three-disc set, Can’t Slow Down, has been certified gold by Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
Band founder, guitarist and principle songwriter Mick Jones says, "I am so thrilled that Foreigner has received this milestone recognition for an album that contained 12 entirely new songs from the current Foreigner. It is especially important to me since my stepson, Mark Ronson, produced ‘Fool For You Anyway’ for this record. His amazing talents as an artist, producer, and songwriter continue to make me so proud.”
In addition to the 12 new songs, the set also includes a collection of remixes, and a live DVD.