Lou Gramm has expressed his frustration with the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, claiming they pulled a “fast one” on Foreigner right before their recent induction ceremony. The original lead vocalist, along with fellow founding members, keyboardist Al Greenwood and bassist Rick Wills, anticipated a significant role in the evening’s performance. However, they were blindsided just hours before the event when they learned that a lineup featuring current band members and special guests—including Sammy Hagar, Slash, Chad Smith, Demi Lovato, and Kelly Clarkson—would take center stage with a shortened set of Foreigner classics instead.

READ MORE: How One Person Saved Foreigner From Obscurity

The induction ceremony proceeded without two original members: band leader Mick Jones, who was unable to attend due to ongoing health issues, and drummer Dennis Elliott, who chose not to participate after learning he wouldn’t be allowed to perform. Gramm noted that this absence was particularly disappointing given the circumstances.

“As a rock singer, it feels surreal to be at the Rock Hall of Fame without being able to sing a rock song during my own induction,” Gramm shared in a candid interview with Eddie Trunk on SiriusXM. “The entire situation didn’t sit well with me, and it truly baffles my mind that I couldn’t perform at such a pivotal moment in my career.”

He explained that the organizers cited “time restraints” as the rationale behind the decision, to which Trunk pointedly remarked that if others were singing, the same time constraints would apply. “It’s perplexing because I know for a fact that no one else performed ‘Juke Box Hero’,” Gramm added. “They did manage to fit in ‘Hot Blooded’ and ‘Feels Like the First Time.’ I thought a medley featuring an edited version of ‘I Wanna Know What Love Is’ followed by ‘Juke Box Hero’ would have worked well, but the response was simply ‘No, it’s not gonna work.’”

Regarding Elliott’s absence, Gramm clarified, “Dennis decided not to attend after management informed him days in advance that we wouldn’t be performing. Once he realized we were sidelined, he opted out, which left us disheartened because we had initially planned for him to join us. We were all hopeful that we would perform together, with our current guitarist mixing in some familiar parts.”

Lou Gramm Reflects on the Disappointment of Missing Performance

“Dennis was frustrated when he learned we wouldn’t have a performance that night,” Gramm recounted. “We kept urging him to come. It felt like we were going to play, and with the new guitarist from Foreigner set to contribute, we envisioned a great collaboration. But to our dismay, we discovered in the afternoon that it would be the new lineup performing, relegating Rick and Al to background vocal roles.”

When asked whether he would have attended had he known the performance plans earlier, Gramm hesitated. “I genuinely don’t know. I was in the dark until the last moment, and discovering that this was the reason for Elliott’s non-attendance only added to my frustration. It felt like we were being played, and the entire experience left a bitter taste.”

Listen to Lou Gramm on SiriusXM