Bad Company

After their split from Free, Paul Rodgers and Simon Kirke joined ex-Mott The Hoople guitarist Mick Ralphs and former King Crimson bass player Boz Burrell to form in 1973 the no frills Bad Company – taking their name from a western movie Rodgers had seen the previous year. They released their self-titled debut album in 1974 and, with each member well-known in his own right, it was an immediate success, topping the US charts. Second album Straight Shooter in 1975 was even more successful, and included the hit singles "Good Lovin' Gone Bad" and the blues-rock classic "Feel Like Makin' Love", resulting in Bad Company becoming one of the first arena bands. Run with the Pack in 1975 was their third consecutive platinum-selling album, though Burnin' Sky in 1977 was a relative flop and, although 1979's Desolation Angels was better received, the group decided to disband after their 1982 album Rough Diamonds. Ralph and Kirke revived the band in 1986 with Brian Howe in Rodgers' old vocal role and they adopted a poppier approach. When Brian Howe quit in 1994, he was replaced by Robert Hart, Rodgers returned in 1998, only to quit again in 2002. However, by 2010 Rodgers was back in the fold once more as Bad Company again hit the road. After launching a successful solo career spanning over two decades, Brian Howe sadly died on May 6th, 2020 from a cardiac arrest at the age of 66, followed by Mick Ralphs on June 23, 2025, at the age of 81.