Photo: Hulton Archive
Foreigner is getting inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on Saturday (October 19) but two important members won't be present. Founding guitarist and current member Mick Jones won't be there because of his battle with Parkinson's Disease, and founding drummer decided to skip the event because of a "totally unacceptable" issue with the Rock Hall.
The band addressed this situation in a Facebook post, writing: “Foreigner is greatly looking forward to Saturday’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony. The band will be joined by Demi Lovato, Sammy Hagar, and Kelly Clarkson in a set celebrating the induction of the guys who started it all almost fifty years ago. Original members Lou Gramm, Al Greenwood, and Rick Wills will be there to accept the awards on behalf of the band’s leader and founder Mick Jones, drummer Dennis Elliott, and Ian McDonald and Ed Gagliardi who are no longer with us.”
Elliott shared his own message, where he discussed the dispute that led him to his decision. "Dear Foreigner Fans & Friends, Don't look too hard, we will not be there," he wrote on Facebook. "We were finally given the schedule last night, and it is not to our satisfaction. So we are staying home. We have been asking for this for weeks, and they have waited until the very last minute to send it knowing we were all packed and going to bed. Totally unacceptable to us."
According to Billboard, Elliott, who was with the band from 1976-1993, is upset because the Rock Hall won't let band members walk the red carpet with their spouses.
The Rock Hall Class of 2024 also includes Dave Matthews Band, Cher, A Tribe Called Quest, Mary J. Blige, Peter Frampton, Ozzy Osbourne, and Kool & The Gang. The induction ceremony will be held October 19 in Cleveland, Ohio.