There was a little bit of drama as inductees began arriving and rehearsals started in Cleveland on Thursday (Oct. 17) for this year’s Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony as word spread that two original members of Foreigner – including founder Mick Jones – will not be attending this weekend.
Jones, who founded Foreigner during 1976 in New York, is battling Parkinson’s disease, which will keep him away from the festivities.
Drummer Dennis Elliott posted a note to Facebook that he would also not be attending the event, where the band will be inducted after receiving its first nomination this year. Elliott – who was with the band from 1976-1993 – wrote, “Dear Foreigner Fans & Friends. Don’t look too hard, we will not be there. 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 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. Hope you have a good time.”
Sources in Cleveland tell Billboard that one specific point of contention was that only band members were to walk the red carpet before the show, without their spouses.
The group did issue a statement via its social media saying, “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 Elliot, and Ian McDonald and Ed Gagliardi who are no longer with us.”
Members of the current Foreigner lineup are expected to perform during the ceremony on Saturday at the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, which will be streamed live on Disney+.
Fans responding to Elliott offered support, with one writing “this is very sad news” and another calling it a “travesty.”
Foreigner, eligible since 2002, was long considered one of the Rock Hall’s greatest slights over the years. The group has sold more than 80 million records worldwide, with hits such as “Feels Like the First Time,” “Cold as Ice,” “Hot Blooded,” “Juke Box Hero” and “I Want to Know What Love Is.” Foreigner finished third in the fan vote, with 528,000.
Foreigner will be part of a class of 2024 that also includes Mary J. Blige, Cher, the Dave Matthews Band, Peter Frampton, Kool & the Gang, Ozzy Osbourne and A Tribe Called Quest in the performer category.
