Foreigner Adds New Member Right After Thom Gimbel’s Departure

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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 โ I mean, I donโt know if anybodyโs 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 โ70s rock, so he could not be happier. He was in the band Train โ and what a great band they are โ but in this band, he really gets to play rock guitar like he loves,” Pilson said about Maldonado. “So his enthusiasm is palpable [and] heโs also an amazing singer.”
Luis Maldonado debuted with Foreigner at a show on May 19 in Orlando, Florida.