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Founding member of the classic UK rock bands Bad Company and Mott the Hoople, their guitarist, singer, songwriter Mick Ralphs, has died at the age of 81.
A statement posted to Bad Company’s official website announced his death, with no other details. Ralphs had a stroke just after what would be his final performance with the band at London’s O2 Arena in 2016 and had been bedridden ever since, the statement said.
Like inductees last year that prematurely passed just beforehand (John Mayall, Wayne Kramer) Ralphs was to be an official member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, inducted with Bad Company this November.
“Our Mick has passed, my heart just hit the ground,” Bad Company singer Paul Rodgers’ statement reads, “He has left us with exceptional songs and memories. He was my friend, my songwriting partner, an amazing and versatile guitarist who had the greatest sense of humour.” Drummer Simon Kirke said in his statement that Ralphs was “a dear friend, a wonderful songwriter, and an exceptional guitarist. We will miss him deeply.”
Born in Stoke Lacy, Herefordshire, England on March 31, 1944, Ralphs began playing blues guitar as a teenager, and would co-found the Doc Thomas Group in his early 20’s. In 1969, that band would become Mott the Hoople, a name taken from a 1966 novel by Willard Manus.
The band’s glam-rock breakthrough was on the 1972 David Bowie written / produced song “All the Young Dudes” but tensions between he and singer-songwriter Ian Hunter made Ralphs leave the following year.
He would meet Paul Rodgers, who had left his band, Free, to soon form Bad Company. The project was initially only thought of as a one-off, but when Free’s drummer Simon Kirke sat in, they were only missing a proper bassist and found one in ex-King Crimson member Boz Burrell.
They were signed to Led Zeppelin’s Swan Song label and their self-titled debut album went to No. 1 on Billboard and numerous hits followed, most still in regular airplay on classic rock stations everywhere.
The band’s statement says Ralphs is survived by “the love of his life,” his wife Susie Chavasse, along with two children, three stepchildren, and his “beloved band mates.”
Also R.I.P. Bobby Sherman, the onetime teen idol singer of the '60s/70s, and later an actor, and paramedic, who also passed at 81 on June 24.
| John C ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ X / twitter.com |
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