Bad Company’s Paul Rodgers said that the band is not going anywhere and expressed hope that they might tour again in the future. On Oct. 18, 2019, the group had its last performance at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. It was the conclusion of a successful tour by Bad Company, in which they had opened for another rock legend, Lynyrd Skynyrd.ย
According to Rodgers, the band at the time was “in the studio, just kicking things around and seeing what we’ve got.” Despite that, Bad Company has barely been heard from since then. In a recentย interview with Sirius XM’s Eddie Trunk, Rodgers was asked if Bad Company are done for good.
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“I don’t think so,” the singer replied. “I think there’s still a lot of life there. We’ll see. Give it time.” While Rodgers has taken on the attitude “never say never” when it comes to the future of Bad Company, he added that “there are no plans” in place regarding the group’s next steps.
In the Bad Company’s most recent lineup, Rodgers sang lead vocals, along with co-founder Simon Kirke on drums, guitarist Howard Leese and bassist Todd Ronning. Brian Howe, who fronted the band from 1986-94 while Rodgers was away, died in 2020.ย
Mick Ralphs, the band’s original guitarist, has been in a care home since suffering a stroke in 2016. “He’s doing OK,” Rodgers said, noting they remain in regular contact. “Not too brilliantly, but he’s still chipper, he’s still very cheerful, still making jokes.”
Similar to Ralphs, Rodgers has also suffered significant medical problems in recent years. The singer had a total of 13 strokes over the last seven years, including one in 2019 that left him severely impaired. “I couldn’t do anything, to be honest,” Rodgers said onย CBS Mornings. “I couldn’t speak. That was the very strange thing. You know, I’d prepare something in my mind and I’d say it, but that isn’t what came out and I’d go, ‘What the heck did I just say?’”
After undergoing surgery to remove a plaque clogging one of his arteries, Rodgers spent several months recuperating. His latest album,ย Midnight Rose, is his first solo LP in approximately 25 years.
After splitting from their previous band, Free, Rodgers, and Kirke formed Bad Company with Mott the Hoople guitar player Ralphs and King Crimson bassist Boz Burrell. They released their self-titled debut album on Led Zeppelin’s custom label Swan Song, and it became a hit straight away, reaching the top of the charts. In 1982, Rodgers left the band and was replaced by Brian Howe, who was replaced by Robert Hart in 1995. ย
Although the band has had many lineup changes over the years, the original lineup is responsible for some of the band’s most famous songs, including “Can ‘t Get Enough” and “Feel Like Makin’ Love.”
