In a recent interview with Daily Boom, original FOREIGNER singer Lou Gramm spoke about his decision to retire from performing as a solo artist. He said: "At the end of last year, I disassembled my own band and that was that. Different variations of that band had been together for 13 or 14 years, and we had great shows. Whether there was a FOREIGNER reunion or not, I knew that it was time for me to put an end to that. This year, I've played on and off with ASIA. They do their songs and then they do arrangements of my solo work, plus FOREIGNER songs. They're very good and we have a lot of fun on stage, but even that is coming to an end later this year." He continued: "I'm in the process of winding down and I'm at peace with it. I've been doing this at a professional level, usually extremely busy and working hard, for 45 years. I can still sing; I don't know if I'm as good as I was 40 years ago, but I can still cut the parts. I've just lost the desire to be out on the road performing constantly. I've done enough. I've got a lot of other things that I'd like to turn my attention towards like my family and my obsessive hobby [laughs] — American muscle cars! I have a lot of fun with that, and I've been into it since before I was old enough to drive. When you tour, it's usually in the summer, so by the time the tour is over, it's almost too late to get the car out and drive it. I live in the Northeast, so come October, that's when everyone is putting everything away." Shortly after Gramm announced that he was retiring from performing as a solo artist last December, he clarified that he wasn't completely walking away from performing live. By the time Gramm left FOREIGNER for the first time in 1990, he had already released two successful solo albums: 1987's "Ready Or Not" and 1989's "Long Hard Look". He went on to launch LOU GRAMM BAND, which released an all-Christian rock album in 2009. He followed it up with "My Baby" in 2015. The 69-year-old Gramm left FOREIGNER for good in 2002 and has battled health issues in recent years, including the removal of a non-cancerous tumor. He told the Democrat & Chronicle last year that he was planning to retire, but still reunited with FOREIGNER for several shows in 2018 to celebrate the band's 40th anniversary. Gramm was the voice on FOREIGNER's biggest hits, including "Feels Like The First Time" and "Cold as Ice" from the band's eponymous debut in 1977, and later songs like "Hot Blooded" and "I Want to Know What Love Is". FOREIGNER replaced Gramm with Kelly Hansen in 2005. Guitarist Mick Jones, the only remaining original member, suffered from some health issues beginning in 2011, eventually resulting in heart surgery in 2012.
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