Grammy-nominated band Foreigner was founded in 1976 in New York City. Since then, it's become a classic rock icon with performances all over the world with several platinum albums including two that went platinum seven times. While band members have come and gone, Foreigner is still going and is not slowing down, with two Georgia stops on a tour that still has over 20 shows left before November.
On Thursday, we spoke to Jeff Pilson, who has been Foreigner's bassist for over 20 years, about its anniversary milestone, honoring the past, and looking ahead to the future.
Q: Congratulations on 50 years of Foreigner. What were the main areas of focus for celebrating this incredible milestone?
A: "The number one thing we can do is just spread the word.
We're just playing as many shows in as many places as we can. We just released a record called 'In the Eye of the Storm' which was recorded on Ellis Island....There's a whole feature film surrounding it that's going to be coming out later this fall." Its tentative title is also 'In the Eye of the Storm.'
"We're trying to celebrate in as many ways as we can....We're going to be doing a whole 50th anniversary tour next year. We have a record coming out on Valentine's Day that's going to be a very special record featuring five different love songs from the Foreigner catalog that people are going to really like. We've reimagined them in some case."
Q: Ellis Island seems like a very cool and unique place to record. What was that experience like?
A: "Ellis Island is such a great place and, of course, what better place for Foreigner to do a show? But, what happened was, there was almost no preparations made for the weather, and we had been telling them for months....When filming day came, there was just an absolute onslaught of a downpour. It looked like it was going to be a tragedy, and it almost didn't happen. At the last minute, things did kind of come together, and I'll let the feature film kind of explain everything that happened because it's quite a fun and interesting story."
Q: Speaking of venues, you have two shows coming up in Georgia. Foreigner has performed here many times in the past. Any notable experiences or stories?
A: "Our first show with Lynyrd Skynyrd this summer was in Georgia...That was really fun. Georgia's very special to us, and it's really special to Lynyrd Skynyrd as well. So it was a great first show for that summer tour, which was a phenomenal success and just loads of fun."
"We've been there over the years so many times. We've made so many friends there. It's a special place because Georgia was the place that Mick Jones joined us for the first time in a year, in 2012, when he came back and played."
Q: Foreigner has a long history with so many fans and great hits over the years. How do you balance staying true to your roots while also changing with the times?
A: "That's something I'm actually proud of, in the way that we've dealt with it because we do fresh takes on certain things. Like, as a rule, we're very aware that people know the songs a certain way, and we try and do the best to deliver that as close to the original as possible. What seems right?"
"I try to approach it like 'What if all the original guys were still there, but they were doing these songs this many years?' They would want to change little things....For years, we did 'Say You Will' acoustically, which is a whole reimagining of the song, and people really seem to like that. But, just recently, we started doing an electric version that is really cool, and it's heavier than the original record."
Q: Similarly, another song you recently re-recorded was 'Feels Like the First Time.' How did you approach this longtime Foreigner standard?
A: "The version that's on 'In the Eye of the Storm' was kinda unique because it actually featured all three of our singers in fairly recent memory. So, Lou Gramm sings on it, Kelly Hansen who was our front man for 20 years and did an amazing job, and now Luis Maldonado our new front man....They bring a real interesting flavor to it. There's some really powerful, almost gospel-y moments with the three of them singing. So that was really just a chance to let three of our singers do their thing....It just made a magical moment and I'm very, very proud of that.
Pilson at one point affectionally called them 'The Three Amigos.'
Q: You mentioned 'Foreigner' already has plenty of plans for the future, but where would you like to see the band go from here?
A: "There's basically the world. We've done some Australia. I'd like to definitely do considerably more Australia. I love Australia, New Zealand, fabulous places to tour, fabulous countries....Hoping to get there by the end of next year."
"We're doing very well in Europe currently. We just went there this summer and we're going back in October of '27, and that's going to be a phenomenal tour....I'd love to go back to South America....Mexico's turned into a fabulous market. We're going to Mexico next April, and I'm very excited about that. That's going to be a real fun tour.
"So, yeah, lots of great stuff in the world and the more the merrier. If we can get it to Antarctica, then we'll have been to all seven continents!"
Foreigner in Georgia
Foreigner will first be in Macon at the Macon City Auditorium on Friday, Sept. 18 at 7:30 p.m. with tickets starting at about $103.
The band will be in Augusta at the Bell Auditorium on Saturday, Sept. 19 with tickets starting at about $65.
Top Foreigner songs
Foreigner's most popular song might be "I Want to Know What Love Is," which is easily the top hit on Spotify with nearly 1.5 billion streams.
Other notable hits include "Jukebox Hero," "Cold as Ice," and "Waiting for a Girl Like You."
Is Foreigner in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?
Foreigner was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2024. Here's what the hall says about the band:
"With their distinctive fusion of crunching riffs and infectiously catchy hooks, Foreigner proved a band could rock hard and rise to the top of the pop charts. Their potent synthesis of gritty American attitude and classic British melodicism, plus their winning way with an emotional rock ballad, ensured an enduring legacy. Generations of fans and ambitious rockers alike continue to find inspiration in this Anglo-Yank quintet’s perennial radio hits."
Foreigner 2027 concert dates
Foreigner goes back on tour in 2027 with its first confirmed shows being in Florida on the week of Feb. 17. A couple months later they'll be in Europe with performances in Dublin on April 12, London on April 14, and Paris on April 16 to start. For more tour info, go to foreigneronline.com/tour.
Miguel Legoas is a Deep South Connect Team Reporter for USA Today. Find him on Instagram @miguelegoas and email at mlegoas@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Foreigner celebrating 50 years with 2 GA concerts. See our interview
