Lou Gramm Sets Final Solo Show Before Select Foreigner 50th Anniversary Reunion

Lou Gramm will close out his touring career with a final solo performance on December 19, 2026, at the Des Plaines Theatre in Des Plaines, Illinois. The former Foreigner frontman has also been confirmed for a limited run of Foreigner 50th anniversary shows in 2027, meaning his retirement from the road will not be his last time onstage.

Gramm Reaffirms Retirement From Touring

Gramm, 76, first announced in 2025 that 2026 would be his final year on tour. In interviews reported on October 20, 2026, he reiterated that the end of his current North American run would mark the end of his touring career.

‘I’m very fortunate that at my age I can still sing and hit the notes and everything, but I don’t wanna get to the point where I’m faking it or lowering the key two steps to do the song,’ Gramm said. ‘I think this is, for me, a high point, this tour. And finally getting into the Rock Hall of Fame and all the good things, I wanna go out with a bang, and I think that this summer tour is it.’

He added: ‘I’ve been doing this over 54 years, (including) Black Sheep. I just feel like there’s some other things that I want to do. I want to spend more time with my children — my older children and younger child — and spend more time playing with my cars while I’m still capable of driving.’

Gramm said he is looking forward to being able to ‘stay off the road and enjoy my home, the surroundings and my family and friends, something that I’ve had to sacrifice for over 50 years.’ He also said he feels he has accomplished everything he could have hoped for. ‘I’ve done all there is to do I feel,’ he said. ‘And being in the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame are huge milestones for me. You know, I think in this business, you just know when it’s time.’

Foreigner Reunion Shows Set for 2027

On September 16, 2026, Foreigner announced that Gramm and founding keyboardist Al Greenwood would reunite with the band for select 50th anniversary performances. Gramm is scheduled to join Foreigner aboard the Rock Legends Cruise, which departs from Miami on February 21, 2027, and runs through February 25. He will then perform six shows with the band at The Venetian in Las Vegas from March 10 to March 20, 2027.

The reunion places Gramm back with the group during the anniversary of its self-titled debut album, released in 1977. Foreigner was formed in New York in 1976 and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2024.

‘New York is where Foreigner began, so there could be no better place to celebrate 50 years of our music,’ Foreigner founder Mick Jones said in a statement. ‘The songs have connected Foreigner with audiences for five decades, and these four shows will be a celebration of the fans who have been with us since the beginning.’

Jones, 81, remains the only original member officially in the band but no longer performs live due to Parkinson’s disease. The current Foreigner lineup includes singer Luis Maldonado, bassist Jeff Pilson, keyboardist Michael Bluestein, guitarist Bruce Watson and drummer Chris Frazier. Maldonado became lead vocalist in October 2025 after Kelly Hansen wrapped up a 20-year run with the band.

Greenwood will also return for five Foreigner shows in spring 2027, including an April 27 date at the Beacon Theatre in New York City. Gramm and Greenwood are not scheduled to appear at the same shows.

Gramm’s Career and Recent Activity

Gramm joined Foreigner’s original lineup in 1976 and sang on the band’s debut album as well as Double Vision, Head Games, 4 and Agent Provocateur. His voice powered hits including ‘Feels Like the First Time,’ ‘Cold as Ice,’ ‘Hot Blooded,’ ‘Double Vision,’ ‘Urgent’ and ‘I Want to Know What Love Is,’ which reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1985.

He left Foreigner in 1990 and again in 2003 to pursue a solo career. In March 2026, he released Released, a third solo album made up of previously unreleased songs from his archives. He has also made guest appearances with Foreigner over the past year, including a July 2026 show in Toronto where he sang ‘Hot Blooded.’

As of October 21, 2026, no further updates have been announced regarding Gramm’s final solo show or the 2027 Foreigner dates. His scheduled performance in Des Plaines on December 19 remains his last confirmed solo concert, while the Foreigner appearances in February and March 2027 represent his only announced post-retirement engagements.