Free

Forever associated with one of rock's most classic tracks "All Right Now", Free's dynamic guitar sound and exciting stage shows made them influential forerunners of heavy metal. Their unflinching dedication to wild rocking along with the presence of one of the world's greatest singers, Paul Rodgers, gives them a revered place in British rock history. They were all teenagers when they played their first gig at the Nag's Head pub in Battersea, South London in 1968, initially basing their style on a mutual love of the blues - they were named Free by British blues guru Alexis Korner - and recorded their first album Tons of Sobs in 1968. However, after touring constantly, it was their third album Fire and Water in 1970, which included "All Right Now" and catapulted them to international stardom. The swiftly recorded follow-up Highway flopped and amid internal disputes and the drug problems of guitarist Paul Kossoff, the band announced their split in 1971. They reformed the following year with new members but fell apart again in 1973 as Paul Rodgers and Simon Kirke left to form Bad Company. On a flight from Los Angeles to New York City on 19 March 1976, Paul Kossoff died from a pulmonary embolism at the age of 25. Subsequently, the original bassist Andy Fraser died on 16 March 2015 at 62, and his replacement, Japanese bassist Tetsu Yamauchi, died on 4 December 2025 at 79.