Despite the ebullient induction, the Foreigner camp was roundly sad not to have founder Mick Jones, who’s battling with Parkinson’s disease, in attendance. “We wish he was here, but we understand why he isn’t,” longtime bassist Rick Wills said. “He’s a very sick person right now, and he would be here if he could but he doesn’t want to be seen the way he is now. That’s not Mick. It’s just not his way. But he knows that we’re thinking of him, and we send all our love to him.” Original frontman Lou Gramm added, “And we’re representing him.”
Members of the group’s current lineup felt the same way. “To me it’s very tragic,” says Jeff Pilson, Foreigner’s bassist since 2007. “It really breaks my heart that he’s not here because this is his baby; we want to make sure that what we do is really right. I want to do that for him ’cause I love him dearly and I love his legacy and I love what he’s all about, so I want to make sure that he’s happy. So that’s what we’re doing and, yes, (Jones’ absence) does motivate us.”
Two of Jones’ children — actress daughter Annabelle and son Christopher — were in attendance on Saturday while the others were with their father at home, watching the stream on Disney+. “He was sad he couldn’t be here but was excited to watch on TV with our brother Alexander and our two sisters Charlotte and Samantha,” Christopher says. “They have balloons and everything. They’re doing a whole party.”
The two called the all-star performances “mind-blowing,” while Annabelle added, “I think it means the world to him. It’s a very kind of singular honor and recognition, and it means a lot to us. We’re extremely proud of him and really sad he can’t be here.”
Gramm, meanwhile, was less supportive of original drummer Dennis Elliott’s last-minute decision to skip the ceremony due to what he called “totally unacceptable” conditions — including, according to sources, the fact that band members’ wives were not permitted to join them on the small red carpet in the bowels of the arena. “He emailed us very angry, saying he and his wife wouldn’t be there and something, something, something and that’s it,” Gramm noted. “He’s real angry about something and we can’t figure out what it is, but he’s not coming. You’d think there’d be solidarity within the band, but not Dennis.”
