Kelly Hansen Reflects On Why He Is Playing His Final Foreigner Show This Weekend

10-07-2025

Longtime Foreigner frontman Kelly Hansen will be taking the stage for the final time with band this weekend and as he approaches his swansong with the legendary band, he spoke with People about his decision to retire.

Kelly revealed that he stated contemplating stepping away from the group during the pandemic lockdown. "I started to have the sense of being home. I started to say, 'Wow, this is something I haven't had in my life for a very long time. I had this feeling of what it's like to be home and also with a sense of, I feel I have some kind of stability financially and otherwise, where I could start thinking about making a choice that's different than what I'm doing. Although I love what I do, I've been in this business nearly 50 years, and I put in my time.

"I think that Americans, in a way, have a work ethic that says, work till you die, and I thought to myself, I've traveled the world, I've seen a lot of places, I've seen a lot of cultures and I've experienced how other people in other countries approach living and the style of living. I said to myself, I want to enjoy and live my life. I have many other passions and pursuits."

He said of what's ahead from him after he hangs up his microphone, "I really am not troubled by living a smaller life. I really am not. I mean, I've lived, my whole life has been loud music and bright lights and a lot of sh*t and I spent a lot of my time trying to avoid f***ing landmines, and I don't want to have to do that. I just want to live my life with my friends and my family and just dig it."