When Bad Company are inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this weekend, only one member will be present to revel in the moment.
It’s been confirmed that drummer Simon Kirke, who founded the band with his Free bandmate Paul Rodgers in 1973, will head to the Los Angeles event solo, after Rodgers pulled out over concerns about his health.
Founding bass player Boz Burrell, who joined the group after two years with King Crimson, passed in 2006. Former Mott the Hoople guitarist Mick Ralphs, whose electric guitar playing harmonized with Rodgers’ songwriting craft, passed away in June. But Rodgers has revealed that he did at least get to revel in the joy of the band’s recognition as greats of the genre before Ralphs died.
In an interview with U.K. newspaper The Independent, Rodgers says one of his last-ever phone calls with the guitarist, who died from complications of a stroke he suffered in 2016, was to tell him the good news, and to reminisce about a key event i the group's history.
“I said to him, ‘Do you remember when we were looking for a band name and we called each other with silly names?'
“And then I just called him up one day and I said, ’Bad Company.' And he dropped the phone and he said, ‘Oh yeah, that’s it. That's the name.’” Rodgers and Ralphs had reminisced.
“I said, ‘From then, it’s a long way, but it seems like we just blinked our eyes a couple of times and here we are at the Hall of Fame.’ So at least I was able to tell him that.”
Like Rodgers, who found fame before Bad Company with the English rock group Free, Ralphs achieved success in Mott the Hoople with tunes like “All the Way to Memphis” and the David Bowie tune “All the Young Dudes.” Ralphs had said the latter song was both a blessing and a curse. While it did establish Mott as hitmakers, their glam-rock status was too off the mark for Ralphs. who had a number of songs he felt were better suited to a rock band. In that regard, Bad Company came along at the right time.
The guitarist was a disciple of Leslie West, and the Mountain guitarist introduced him to a guitar that would be a pivotal player in his Bad Company career. His got this particular “hunk of wood” for $100 from a junk store.
Rodgers is suffering from his own stroke-related health issues, citing the “stress” of the event, rather than his voice, for his pulling out of performing at the ceremony. Kirke, however, will push on with their plans for the band to be represented at an event that will also see Soundgarden, the White Stripes, and session legend Carol Kaye inducted.
“Simon, along with some outstanding musicians, will be stepping in for me,” Rodgers said on Instagram, “Guaranteed to rock.”
It's not confirmed who Kirke will perform alongside, but with Aerosmith's Joe Perry confirmed as an attendee — a man who once sounded out Rodgers about replacing Steven Tyler in Aerosmith — it could be possible he's among the chosen cast.
The singer had reacted to the offer with Pulse Radio (via Blabbermouth) in 2010. He had said that while handling Tyler’s parts wouldn’t be a strain on his voice, they’d have been “a strain on the spirit,” believing his heavy touring days to be behind him.
Meanwhile, Soundgarden have opted for a Seattle-heavy guest list for their induction, with Jerry Cantrell, Mike McCready, Nancy Wilson, Brandi Carlile, and Taylor Momsen all set to augment the band and celebrate the life and legacy of the late Chris Cornell. Guitarist Kim Thayil believes the band's induction would have meant the world to Cornell.
Carol Kaye will also be a notable absentee on the night. She launched a volley of criticisms of the Rock Hall back in June, believing it goes against everything she stands for.
