Mick Ralphs Music reveals ‘latest painful years’ from the musician

Bandmate Mick Ralphs node Bad Company, Simon Kirke He commented on the health conditions and the last years of his friend’s life, killed at the end of June at the age of 81.

During an interview with the radio station Q104.3from New York, Kirke remembered the stroke that Ralphs He suffered in 2016, which, according to the drummer, damaged in a determining manner the health and quality of life of the guitarist and composer.

“As most people know, he suffered a stroke about nine years ago, which damaged him all the left side … So he could no longer play the guitar. His last years were very painful to witness.”

Kirke and Ralphs They lived for over 40 years. The two met at the end of last year and also talked by phone on the guitarist’s birthday, a few months before his death.

“He couldn’t talk, but I just said he loved him. I can’t say anything else beyond that. He was a very, very good solo guitarist; and a good base guitarist. I made up good songs. But above all, I just liked to be with him. And we were practically from day one in all different formations. Mick was always there. And one of the funniest faces I remember.”

Reaction to the rock and roll fame hall

The death of Mick Ralphs It happens during a moment of celebration for the Bad Companywhich must be introduced to Rock and Roll Hall of Fame At the end of 2025. In the interview, Simon Kirke He also remembered his friend’s reaction to the news.

“Before I completely lost the ability to speak, when I received the news, which I think was about six weeks ago, he kind of grumbled to his wife. She replied: ‘Mickyou and the Bad Company finally are in Rock and Roll Hall of Fame‘. And the Mick Said, ‘Does that mean we’ll get a big dog for free?’ Kirke. “You will understand. After 50 years of waiting, that was his first statement.”

Mick Ralphs trajectory

Born on March 31, 1944, Ralphs touched several adolescence bands before becoming a member of the Silencea hereford band, near Wales. When the vocalist Ian Hunter joined the band in 1969, the group changed their name to MOTT THE HOOPLE (in honor of a novel of Willard Manus). In this band, Ralphs composed one of his first successes, “Rock and Roll Queen”and started using glam costumes with the group. (“Ready For Love” It was also recorded for the first time by Mott.)

The tension between Hunter and Ralphs led the guitarist to leave the band in 1973. “I always felt part of the Mottbut things have changed a lot since then, “he said Ralphs the Rolling Stone that year. “THE Ian Since it has taken the initiative now, which is great for the band as a whole, but not very good for me as an individual. I should be singing and composing more than I am, but instead of fighting with Ian All the time, I thought it better just leave. “

Coincidentally, Ralphs I had already known Rodgerswhich was frustrated with their own band, Freedespite having made a great success with “All Right Now”. “I started talking to Paul And he looked like me a little, “he said Ralphs the Rolling Stone In 1974. “We were both in situations when we had no complete freedom to do what we wanted.” Ralphs stayed with MOTT THE HOOPLE during the production of Mottand the recording of a studio fight between Hunter And it was included in “Violence”the same song they were discussing on.

With the drummer Simon Kirke and the bassist Burrell Boza Bad Company It was released in 1974. Compared to other so -called supergroups of the time, the band was more cohesive, both in musical and image. But, thanks to solid management (Peter Grantfrom LED ZEPPELIN) and support (they were one of the first bands to sign with the new seal of LED ZEPPELIN, Swan Song), driven by “Can’t Get Enough”his eponymous album of 1974 reached first place on the album parade Billboard.

On “Can’t Get Enough”, Rodgers recalled, in the booklet of an anthology of Bad Company: “I remember him playing for me. I was absolutely sure it would be a success. It was one of the reasons I thought we had a future together.”

Compared to MOTT THE HOOPLEthe simplest music and the least flashy songs in Bad Company They were preferable. “All that glitter thing!” Ralphs in 1974. “Since David Bowieit became something from the past. “They say that Ralphs also named the band: after Rodgers I told you that I had written a song called “Bad Company”the guitarist insisted that this should also serve as a nickname. But, as I said in 1978: “It’s not literal; we didn’t get to town and hit anyone.”

After the dissolution of Bad Company original in the early 80’s, Ralphs recorded a solo album, but soon reformed the band with Kirke and the first of the two new vocalists who would replace Rodgers. The group recorded four albums from the 80s, but in 1990, Ralphs He was left out of one of his tours, claiming that he had never liked the road and needed to take care of his sick father.

Keeping its nature discreet, Ralphs spent the next decades returning to the studio and the road with the Bad Company and even met with Hunter for shows in the UK. But after a series of presentations in November 2016, the family of Ralph He announced that he had suffered a stroke, from which he never fully recovered.