Al Greenwood surveyed the backstage scene at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Cleveland last weekend, and became appreciably star struck. The lifelong rock musician was overcome by the power of the moment, and the music of his past.
“These are legends that I’ve looked up to, all being inducted at the same time, Dionne Warwick, Cher, Peter Frampton, Ozzy (Osbourne), Dave Matthews, Kool & The Gang,” says Greenwood, co-founder of Foreigner who turned 72 the day after the Oct. 19 event. “It was fantastically spectacular. We were all brought up about the same time, we were listening to the same things on the radio. I’m a fan of music, whatever it is.”
Greenwood and fellow longtime Foreigner member and bassist Terry Wills join the band in its return to The Venetian through Nov. 9. The sold-out run opened Friday night. This is the first time the Foreigner favorites from the 1970s have performed an entire run with the band.
Frontman Kelly Hansen leads the current Foreigner roster, which has performed together for 20 years, including several engagements at The Venetian. There are talks to bring original singer Lou Gramm to the stage, if not in Las Vegas on the just-expanded U.S. tour. Foreigner has added dates through October 2025, demand enhanced after the band’s Hall of Fame induction.
Greenwood dates to the band’s incarnation in 1976, recording “Foreigner,” “Double Vision,” and “Head Games” before leaving in 1980 to form Spys with original bassist Ed Gagliardi. Willis then stepped in, playing on the breakthrough album “4” and spending 14 years with the band.
Founding guitarist Mick Jones has performed briefly with the band in its Las Vegas dates the past several years. But the 79-year-old Jones has been unable to perform since 2023, revealing in February he has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. Jones’ daughter Alexandra Dexter-Jones accepted the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame award on his behalf.
Greenwood says Jones’ absence was deeply felt during the ceremony.
“There was such a camaraderie of friends, all congratulating each other and hanging out and laughing and joking and telling stories,” Greenwood says. “The only sad part was that Mick couldn’t be there with us, and that put a bit of a damper on it. He is the founder of Foreigner, and the greatest force that propelled Foreigner all through the years.”
The band’s legacy and live performances have been sustained through the Hansen era. The powerhouse singer made pleas to the crowd this past spring to vote for Foreigner to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.
“Kelly is just a tremendous performer, and it’s a great show. It really gets, he gets the audience involved,” Greenwood says. “It’s an interactive fun fest, and everyone sings along with every song, because every song’s a hit.”
Greenwood said he was wondering if Foreigner would ever be honored by the Hall of Fame. He says, “Everybody sort of gave in,” that they would not be included.
“I don’t know what the reasons were, but we certainly had the credentials to warrant us getting in there,” Greenwood said. “I’m just glad we’re in, frankly, and I think the doors are going to crack open for a lot of these artists who are waiting on the outside.”
Greenwood ran through a few of his personal favorites, including Emerson Lake & Palmer, Jethro Tull, Humble Pie and Bad Company.
“There are just so many artists out there, on the outside waiting to get in,” the keyboard great says. “I hope more deserving artists will be honored. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s subtitle is, ‘Music’s highest honor,’ and that’s what it is.”
The Raiders Show
Hip-hop outfit Cypress Hill performs at halftime and Starship’s Mickey Thomas sings the national anthem at Sunday’s Raiders-Chiefs tilt at Allegiant Stadium. Named after an L.A. street, Cypress Hill was co-founded in the early ’90s by B-Real, Sen Dog and DJ Mugs. Their 1993 album, “Black Sunday,” debuted at No.1 on Billboard’s Top 200 and amassed three Grammy Award noms.
Thomas fronted Starship in the 1980s, after hitting the charts with “Fooled Around And Fell In Love” with the Elvin Bishop Band.
With Jefferson Starship, Thomas sang “Jane,” “No Way Out,” “Find Your Way Back,” “Stranger,” and “Layin’ It on the Line.” Renamed Starship in the mid-’80s, Thomas continued the string of hits with “We Built This City,” “Sara,” and “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now.”
Fred “The Hammer” Williamson, a Raider from 1961-65, is lighting the Al Davis Memorial Torch. Williamson was a starting defensive back on the ‘63 team that posted the greatest single-season improvement in pro football history, going from 1-13 to 10-4.
Williamson then signed with the Chiefs, and was a member of the AFL championship team that lost to the Packers in the first Super Bowl. Suffice to say that “The Hammer,” now 86, was a focal point in that game. Williamson later became a busy actor in his post-football career.
David Perrico and the Raiders House Band, which is continuing its 10 p.m. Friday series at Front Yard at Ellis Island, is back at the stage in front of the Al Davis Torch (or Club Kats, when I’m there, which I won’t be this week). The game is 1:25 p.m., get there an hour prior to partake in the revelry.
Cool Hang Alert
Christine Shebeck plays Myron’s at 7 p.m. Tuesday. “Soul Serenade: An Intimate Evening of Music” features songs of love, loss and renewal. If you’re expecting death metal, you’re in the wrong room.
The stylings of such music legends as Stevie Wonder, Judy Garland, Don McLean, Barbra Streisand, The Beatles are celebrated. Bill Zappia is back as music director. Singer Travis Cloer percussionist Pepe Jimenez are featured guests. The show is partnering with the Las Vegas charity Hope For the City with a teddy bear drive. Everybody attending the show is encouraged to bring a teddy bear. Nothing elaborate, just a clean, new bear. And go to thesmithcenter.com for show intel.
John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. His “PodKats!” podcast can be found at reviewjournal.com/podcasts. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on X, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.