Bad Company and Mott the Hoople co-founder was 81

Mick Ralphs, co-founder of the influential rock bands Bad Company and Mott the Hoople and soon-to-be inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, has died. He was 81.

Ralphs’ death was announced with a post on the official Bad Company Facebook page, which did not give a date or cause of Ralphs’ death.

“It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved Mick Ralphs,” the band wrote. “Paul Rodgers of Free first met Mick Ralphs in 1971. After an inspired jam session and a mutual sharing of songs, Ralphs made the bold decision to leave Mott the Hoople and form a new band with Rodgers, and Bad Company was born. Adding former King Crimson bassist/vocalist Boz Burrell and drummer Simon Kirke, the band was complete. With the help of Led Zeppelin’s legendary manager Peter Grant, Bad Company became the first band signed to Zeppelin’s Swan Song label.”

Bad Company noted that Ralphs “suffered a debilitating stroke” after his final performance with them, on Oct. 29, 2016, at London’s O2 Arena, and “remained bedridden until his passing.”

Ralphs began playing blues guitar as a teenager in England, according to the Associated Press. In 1966, when he was in his early 20s, he co-founded the group that would eventually become Mott the Hoople. But while they attracted hard-core fans, including David Bowie, who gave them the song “All the Young Dudes,” their albums were unsuccessful.

He left to form Bad Company with Rodgers, and they were joined by Kirke and Burrell, who had all left their own bands. This new group was an immediate success, and its first three albums — 1974’s Bad Company, 1975’s Straight Shooter, and Run with the Pack (1976) — reached the top five on the charts both in the U.K. and the U.S. Songs such as “Bad Company,” “Can’t Get Enough,” “Shooting Star,” “Burnin’ Sky,” and “Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy” were radio hits.

“Feel Like Makin’ Love,” from 1975, for instance, became a staple of classic rock. And it was Ralphs who added “the big guitar bada ba bada ba,” according to the band’s bio.

While Bad Company broke up in 1982, various lineups continued to record over the following decades and to tour even beyond that. Ralphs was a part of much of it.

Bad Company is one of the 13 acts selected for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 2025 class, which will be inducted in November.

Rodgers shared in the post, “Our Mick has passed, my heart just hit the ground. 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. Our last conversation a few days ago we shared a laugh but it won’t be our last. There are many memories of Mick that will create laughter.”

Kirke gave his own statement: “He was a dear friend, a wonderful songwriter, and an exceptional guitarist. We will miss him deeply.”

Ralphs is survived by “the love of his life” Susie Chavasse, his two children, three stepchildren, as well as Rodgers and Kirke. The band said that, in addition, he “leaves behind millions of devoted fans and friends across the world.”