Rockers Foreigner will play BoS Center with Head East on May 16

The rock group Foreigner, which had a string of hits in the 1970s and 80s, including "I Want to Know What Love Is," "Hot Blooded," "Urgent" and "Cold As Ice," will play the Bank of Springfield Center on May 16.

Tickets are $45 to $95 and go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday at www.Ticketmaster.com.

Tickets also can be purchased at the BoS Center box office.

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Head East ("Never Been Any Reason") is the opening act.

Foreigner was booked to play a "Greatest Hits" concert at the University of Illinois Springfield Performing Arts Center on Nov. 5, 2021, but it was canceled due to COVID-19.

The group last played in Springfield at the 2018 Illinois State Fair Grandstand with Joan Jett and the Blackhearts.

In November, the band announced it was beginning its "Historic Farewell Tour" in the summer and going through the end of 2024.

Guitarist and primary songwriter Mick Jones, who turns 78 later in December, is the only original member of the band which was formed in New York City 1976.

Foreigner is fronted by lead singer Kelly Hansen, formerly of Hurricane. Lou Gramm exited the band in 2002, though he has reunited with Jones periodically through the years.

Gramm was at the helm of Foreigner's 10 multi-platinum albums and hits like “Waiting For A Girl Like You,” “Feels Like the First Time,” “Say You Will,” "Double Vision," "Head Games," "Dirty White Boy," "Blue Morning, Blue Day" and “Long, Long Way From Home."

Foreigner played the first Farm Aid concert Sept. 22, 1985, at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, organized by Willie Nelson, Neil Young and John Mellencamp.

Another original member of the band, Ian McDonald (King Crimson), died of cancer earlier this year.

More:Foreigner's Lou Gramm, Mick Jones talk 'burying the hatchet,' reunion shows and new music

The band has notched 80 million in sales. In addition to Jones and Hansen, Foreigner features bassist Jeff Pilson (Dokken), keyboard player Michael Bluestein, guitarist Bruce Watson, guitarist Luis Maldonado and drummer Chris Frazier (Whitesnake).

The east central Illinois-based band Head East recorded "Flat as a Pancake" at Golden Voice Recording Studio in South Pekin. It spawned the hit "Never Been Any Reason" in 1975 and has been a staple on AOR since.

The band had another minor hit in 1978 with "Since You Been Gone," which was written by former Argent guitarist Russ Ballad. The song later became a hit for the band Rainbow.

Contact Steven Spearie: 217-622-1788, sspearie@sj-r.com, twitter.com/@StevenSpearie.

This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Rockers Foreigner and Head East play Springfield's BoS Center