Rick Wills thinks Foreigner should have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame much earlier.
During a recent conversation with Sirius XM’s Eddie Trunk, the bassist said it was frustrating to see his band always being overlooked:
“We’ve waited basically 21 years for this to happen. So when it did happen, it was a surprise in a sense. But it was also a relief that we finally could join our peers in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame because I think we’ve definitely earned our place with the singles and the songs we’ve written and performed over the years. You know, what did we do wrong? I don’t know.”
Wills was frustrated seeing artists from other genres get into the Hall of Fame while Foreigner waited:
“It is just weird sometimes how the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame voting goes and includes some people that, to me, don’t seem to belong in there because they’re not rock and roll, whereas we were. So, I don’t know. It’s a very difficult thing to understand sometimes.”
The Issues Between Foreigner Members
Foreigner will be inducted into the Hall of Fame this year after being eligible since 2003. However, it’s not known whether singer Lou Gramm will join the band in the induction ceremony. In an email to Billboard, Mick Jones said he’s fine with Gramm attending the ceremony:
“On a personal level, I have no hard feelings toward Lou. We did perform together at the 40th-anniversary concert. It has been so many years now since Lou left Foreigner; I like to think that those ill feelings are in the past. There is power in letting go of hard feelings and getting on with your life.”
Afterward, he mentioned he wanted to be present at the induction ceremony:
“Why carry the burden of hard feelings? It serves nothing in the long run. I do plan to attend. I’m sure my whole family will be there. As to whether I get up on stage and perform hasn’t really been decided as yet. In some ways, it might be nice just to be there to soak up the atmosphere and enjoy being inducted.”
After the announcement, Gramm celebrated Foreigner’s Hall of Fame induction on Instagram. Their induction ceremony is scheduled for October 19 in Cleveland, and the band is on a farewell tour that could last until 2025.