Mick Jones Emotional Comeback

Foreigner main man Mick Jones says the first show he played after suffering a heart attack was particularly emotional because he’d feared his career was over.

The guitarist underwent emergency surgery in February after months of speculation over his health. He’d missed a number of shows during Foreigner’s 2011 tour without having explained his absence.

He’s made a full recovery and recently returned to playing live.

Jones tells Artisan: “I’m feeling well. I did a show a couple of weeks ago and I’m just working my way back in, making sure I’m healthy enough. Everything is behind me now.”

Asked to describe his return to the stage in Atlanta, Georgia, he says: “It was really emotional – really. I’d never missed a show in my life. But the band is so good I wanted to keep it going. I could not let go of it. Everybody was very supportive.”

However, he admits he’d been forced into considering retirement as a result of his health scare.

“It was a thought at one point,” he explains. “I didn’t know what was going to happen. I was coming to terms with the fact that might be a possibility.

“But at the end of the day, it’s what keeps me alive and happy.”

Foreigner’s current lineup includes singer Kelly Hansen, drummer Brian Tichy and bassist Jeff Pilson.