Dennis Elliott

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Dennis Elliott: drums at Foreigner (1976-91); full name: Dennis Leslie Elliott; birthday: August 18th, 1950; birthplace: London, England, U.K.

Englishman Dennis Elliott described by Mick as "the pulse of the band" is another of Mick's "finds". A well known session drummer, his first professional gig was with The Chevelles, circa 1968.

In amongst numerous studio dates, Dennis also played with the likes of Ferris Wheel (with Linda Lewis), The Roy Young Band, Brett Marvin And The Thunderbolts, and If (for 2 years).

Having played percussives on Ian Hunter's debut solo album, Dennis was preparing to move to the States, when Ian Hunter requested his presence on the Hunter / Mick Ronson U.S. tour, meshing quite nicely with his plans. Coming over with that short lived combine, Dennis then took residence in New York. As he notes, "I was looking for something really good, and it took me a year to find it".

Meanwhile, backtracking a bit, we find Mick Jones meeting Dennis at Bobby Colomby's house in N.Y.C., where the two were sitting in for some Ian Hunter demos. Mick: "I was quite impressed with the simplicity of his playing - he really leaves the right spaces". And so a year after his move to the U.S., Dennis recieved that call from Mick Jones. By chance, Ian confirmed Mick's plan to place the call by independently suggesting that Dennis might be good for the band.

For Dennis, as with his other five mates in the group, Foreigner is very much a dream fulfilled. "This band is just what I was looking for - that's really all I can say. I could have joined other bands, but I would have been playing awful music. This band is playing just what I want - it's incredible".

Dennis would continue with the band through the rest of the 70's and into the 80's. On Foreigner's album "Inside Information" (1987), Dennis co-wrote the song "Out Of The Blue" with the other members of the band. And along with bassist Rick Wills, Dennis took part on the recordings for the Mick Jones' solo album in 1989.

In June of 1990, Dennis and Iona, his wife, were rescued by the Coast Guard after their yacht caught on fire, they were 45 miles east of the Florida coast, fortunately no one was injured.

After Foreigner's LP "Unusual Heat" and tour, Dennis left the band. In his words, "At the time Foreigner was not Foreigner. Lou Gramm was not the singer. He was pursuing a solo career. And I found it difficult if not impossible a Foreigner without Lou". After his departure Foreigner disbanded.

Now in days, Dennis has taken up a career as a wood sculptor, he is internationally recognized for his large lathe turned & carved burl wood wall sculptures and vessels, and his work is featured in several museum collections and he owns a craft gallery in West Hampton, New York. But Foreigner fans will not forget that the man behind the drums during the band's whirlwind success will always be "the basic pulse of the band".