LOU GRAMM Has "Very Strange Mixed Feelings" About FOREIGNER's Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Nomination
February 15, 2024, 9 months ago
Foreigner, Ozzy Osbourne, and Jane's Addiction are among the nominees for induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2024.
Original Foreigner vocalist, Lou Gramm, recently spoke with Eddie Trunk on SiriusXM’s Trunk Nation. During their conversation he talks about Foreigner's nomination, as well as his relationship with Mick Jones. Excerpts from the chat, courtesy of SiriusXM’s Trunk Nation, follows...
Lou Gramm has mixed feelings about being on the ballot: "I had very strange mixed feelings about the fact that we were nominated. I'm happy about it now, but all the stuff that went down for years while our rock compatriots from our era were getting in the hall left, right and center and I don't know if we were even nominated once, or maybe once. But, I mean, decades went by and there was no word about us. And it just seemed that obviously our credentials warrant the nomination and it just seemed something was strangely wrong. And I got the sickening feeling that it was personal."
On if he’d perform at the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame ceremony:
Eddie Trunk: "If this happens and you do get inducted, I assume you'd be okay going up with Mick and the surviving members who are inducted and performing?"
Lou Gramm: "Yes. I don't know what the vibe would be with Mick because the funny thing is when I left the band in 2003, we hadn't communicated at all until that Songwriters Hall Of Fame. And, so that was almost 10 years. And then after the Songwriters Hall Of Fame, we haven’t communicated until now. If we make it in, I'll be anxious to see if he's willing to communicate then."
On his relationship with Mick Jones:
Lou Gramm: "The last time Mick and I talked was the night we were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame."
Eddie Trunk: "Wow. That's a few years ago, right?"
Gramm: "That was 2000, I think, 2012 or 2013."
Trunk: "Oh my gosh. Did anything go down or is that just how you guys, are you guys that distant these days?"
Gramm: "I mean, I felt that I was very friendly towards him and he was social towards me. I wasn't surprised after that evening was over, that I didn't hear from him. I just, I didn't expect to."
SiriusXM's Trunk Nation, hosted by SiriusXM's Eddie Trunk, airs daily at 3pm ET on SiriusXM’s Faction Talk and on the SiriusXM app.
With more Top 10 hits than Journey, as many as Fleetwood Mac, and ten multi-Platinum albums, Foreigner is universally hailed as one of the most popular rock acts in the world with a formidable musical arsenal that continues to propel sold-out tours and album sales, now exceeding 80 million. Responsible for some of rock and roll’s most enduring anthems, Foreigner still rocks the charts more than 40 years into the game with massive airplay and continued Billboard “Top 200” album success. Streams of Foreigner’s hits are over 15 million per week.
Says Mick Jones, founding member, songwriter, and lead guitarist, “I deeply appreciate the recognition from the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame committee. It is wonderful that Foreigner has maintained its presence all these years and brought the music to our fans. Getting this news today is an incredible endorsement of what we have achieved over time. I know I speak for my fellow Foreigner nominees, Lou, Rick, Al, Dennis, and the families of Ed Gagliardi and Ian McDonald."
Foreigner‘s founder is Songwriters Hall Of Fame member Mick Jones. A visionary maestro whose stylistic songwriting, indelible guitar hooks and multi-layered talents continue to escalate Foreigner's influence and guide the band to new horizons.
As Foreigner manager and former Atlantic Records Executive Vice President Phil Carson says, "Under the overall leadership of John Sykes, and Rick Krim’s chairmanship of the nominating committee, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is fast becoming a more relevant, inclusive and vibrant place. I am thrilled that the committee has selected Foreigner as a nominee for the 2024 induction, and I join Mick Jones and the band in expressing our deepest gratitude for this recognition of Foreigner’s part in the rock & roll universe.”
To be eligible for nomination, an individual artist or band must have released its first commercial recording at least 25 years prior to the year of nomination. None of the acts nominated for a potential 2024 induction have been added to the ballot in their first year of eligibility.
The complete list of 15 nominees for the 2024 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame that will be voted upon by the Rock Hall's body for induction include:
Mary J. Blige
Mariah Carey
Cher
Dave Matthews Band
Eric B. & Rakim
Foreigner
Peter Frampton
Jane's Addiction
Kool & the Gang
Lenny Kravitz
Oasis
Sinead O'Connor
Ozzy Osbourne
Sade
A Tribe Called Quest
To access the FanVote visit this location. Fans can pick up to 7 acts once per day through April 26.