Why Foreigner Founding Members Won’t Be Attending Their Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction

It seems like a bit of drama is putting a damper on Foreigner’s upcoming Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony today. The ceremony is set to kick off today in Cleveland, Ohio at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Classic rock outfit Foreigner is finally getting inducted, but it looks like two Foreigner founding members won’t be attending the bash. Guitarist Mick Jones and former drummer Dennis Elliott are going to sit the ceremony out.

So, what happened? When it comes to Mick Jones, the reason he won’t be in attendance is pretty heartbreaking. Jones announced just a few months ago that he has been battling Parkinson’s disease and would not be physically able to travel and perform with the band on their most recent tour. It’s likely that he won’t be attending the event tonight because of his health.

When it comes to Dennis Elliott, however, things get a bit more complicated. Elliott took to Facebook yesterday to voice his frustration with the way that the showrunners handled the induction schedule.

Just as well, Elliott was allegedly unhappy with organizers preventing the band members from walking the red carpet with their spouses.

Elliott was the drummer for Foreigner from the late 1970s through the 1980s and left the band (sans a few select performances in later years) in 1993.

It’s a shame that Elliott and Jones won’t be attending the ceremony. However, fans appear to be more or less understanding about both situations.

“The original band will live on Forever regardless!” said one fan in Elliott’s Facebook comments. “You will always be one of the greatest rock drummers of all time.”

Who Else Is Getting Inducted Into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Today?

Despite Foreigner founding members Mick Jones and Dennis Elliott being absent, the remaining current members of Foreigner will perform at tonight’s induction ceremony per a statement from the band. They will also launch their Las Vegas residency later in October.

A number of other inductees will be honored at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame tonight. Just a few big names include Dave Matthews Band, Peter Frampton, Ozzy Osbourne, Cher, Mary J. Blige, and more.

Quite a few special guests will also be in attendance and perform tonight with the inductees. Kelly Clarkson, Dua Lipa, Slash, Keith Urban, and Jelly Roll are just a few of the artists who are expected to perform in honor of the inductees.

Fans can watch the induction ceremony live via Disney+.

Photo by Michael Putland/Getty Images

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