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Foreigner
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Miami Vice Performer
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Members
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Mick Jones
Thom Gimbel Kelly Hansen Jeff Pilson Michael Bluestein Mark Schulman |
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Active
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1977-present
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Foreigner is an English-American rock band whose songs "I Want to Know What Love Is" (in "Rites of Passage") and "Women" (in "The Dutch Oven") appeared in the show Miami Vice.
Foreigner was formed in 1976 with founding members Mick Jones (guitar), Ian McDonald (guitar, 1946-2022), Lou Gramm (vocals), Dennis Elliott (drummer), Al Greenwood (keyboards), and Ed Gagliardi (bass, 1952-2014). Their debut album, Foreigner produced their hits "Feels Like The First Time", "Cold As Ice", and "Long, Long Way From Home". The followup, Double Vision included the title track, "Hot Blooded", and "Blue Morning, Blue Day". 1979 brought the album Head Games, with the singles "Women", the title track, and "Dirty White Boy". 1981's album 4 was the group's biggest seller, including "Urgent", "Juke Box Hero", "Break It Up", and "Waiting For A Girl Like You", which stayed in the #2 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 (under Olivia Newton-John's megahit "Physical") for ten weeks without reaching #1, a record not matched for 21 years. Agent Provoacteur, which produced the group's only #1 song, "I Want to Know What Love Is" and "That Was Yesterday". 1987's Inside Information produced Foreigner's last big chart hit, "I Don't Want To Live Without You". In 1990 Gramm left the band for a solo career, rejoined in 1992, then left for good in 2003. Currently Jones is the only original band member left, though he has missed some tour dates due to poor health. Foreigner toured with fellow 80's bands Def Leppard and Styx in 2009, in 2010 they toured with Kansas and Styx, in 2011 Foreigner was part of a triple-billing tour which included Journey and Night Ranger, followed by another tour with Styx and former Eagles guitarist Don Felder in 2014, and toured with Kid Rock in 2015. Original bass player Ed Gagliardi passed away in 2014, ending any chance of an original Foreigner reunion. In 2017 Gramm rejoined Foreigner and they held a series of "Foreigner Then & Now" concerts in 2018 featuring original and newer members of the group. Guitarist Ian McDonald passed away in 2022.