Co-Founder of 70s Rock Groups Bad Company and Mott the Hoople, Mick Ralphs, Passes Away at 81

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Sad news out of the music world once again this week - the members of Bad Company announced on Monday (June 23) that co-founder of the group and guitarist Mick Ralphs had passed away at the age of 81.

Bad Company - whose roster of hits include "Bad Company," "Shooting Star," "Rock and Roll Fantasy," and "Can't Get Enough," is set to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame later this year.

This version of Bad Company would later be the first group signed to Led Zeppelin's label, Swan Song.

Bad Company became immensely famous in the 1970s with the aforementioned hits. Paul Rodgers, who had previously sung in the band Free, met Ralphs in 1971. At that time, Ralphs was with the group Mott the Hoople, a British rock group that saw success with an album title All the Young Dudes. A song by the same name made it as high as number 10 in the UK.

Ralphs would have much more commercial success with Bad Company.

Ralphs was still a member of Bad Company after Paul Rodgers left in the early 80s. Rodgers would be replaced by Brian Howe, and the group would go on to see renewed success with songs such as "If You Needed Somebody," " Holy Water," "Walk Through Fire," "How About That" and "This Could be the One."

Brian Howe died in 2020. Some years prior, the original lineup of Bad Company reformed and began playing concerts again.

A cause of death for Ralphs has not been publicly released. However, Ralphs' last performance with the group was in 2016. He had played with the group at London's O2 Arena in October, and days later, a debilitating stroke would eventually cause him to become bedridden.