Foreigner Adds New Member Right After Thom Gimbel’s Departure

He Just Played His First Concert With Them

Hot on the heels of longtime multi-instrumentalist Thom Gimbel’s departure, Foreigner brought a new musician onboard to complete their lineup – guitar player Luis Maldonado. According to bassist Jeff Pilson, when Gimbel told them his decision to leave, they went on a hunt to find a multi-instrumentalist who could take over all of Gimbel’s duties.

“We tried a few and everybody did a good job,” Pilson told UCR. “But nobody – I mean, I don’t know if anybody’s ever going to be able to top Thom Gimbel as far as being able to play all of those instruments so well.”

Instead, they began looking for a guitarist who could also sing. That’s how Maldonado landed the gig. He previously played guitar for Grammy Award-winning rock band Train. However, his roots are in classic rock and he cited The Who’s Pete Townshend, Black Sabbath’s Tony Iommi, and AC/DC’s Angus Young as some of his musical influences.

“He loves ‘70s rock, so he could not be happier. He was in the band Train – and what a great band they are – but in this band, he really gets to play rock guitar like he loves,” Pilson said about Maldonado. “So his enthusiasm is palpable [and] he’s also an amazing singer.”

Luis Maldonado debuted with Foreigner at a show on May 19 in Orlando, Florida.