Happy Birthday today (Dec. 27) to Foreigner founder and guitarist Mick Jones. He's 73. Also celebrating is King's X drummer Jerry Gaskill (60).

As of 2016, Mick Jones remains the only original member in the current line up of Foreigner. Before Foreigner, Mick Jones was a member of the band Spooky Tooth. He formed Foreigner in 1976 with Ian McDonald and they recruited singer Lou Gramm. In addition to Foreigner, Jones is a producer who has worked on many big albums including Van Halen’s 5150 and Billy Joel’s Storm Front. He also co-wrote the song “Bad Love” with Eric Clapton for Clapton’s Journeyman album.
Foreigner are among the world’s best selling rock band’s with sales of over 80 million worldwide. Their career started with the successful self-titled debut album released in 1977 with hits like “Feels Like the First Time”, Cold as Ice”, and “Long, Long Way from Home”. The album Double Vision followed in 1978, Head Games in 1979. and the worldwide smash 4 in 1981. More albums and success would follow throughout the 1980’s. Foreigner remains a popular touring act with singer Kelly Hansen on lead vocals. The band celebrated it's 40th anniversary with a tour in 2017 which saw Lou Gramm and other original members of Foreigner showing up to play at a couple of random dates of the tour. Foreigner's 2018 Jukebox Heroes Tour with special guests Whitesnake and Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Evening will play SPAC on June 16. Check out the official Foreigner site here for more info on the band and upcoming tour.

King's X
Tigman hangin with King's X (Doug Pinnick, Jerry Gaskill, and Ty Tabor). Photo courtesy of The Rutigliano Archives
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