The celebrated guitarist, singer, and songwriter who co-founded the legendary British rock bands Bad Company and Mott the Hoople, Mick Ralphs, has died at the age of 81.
His passing was confirmed Monday in a statement released on Bad Company’s official website.
The band noted that Ralphs had suffered a stroke shortly after performing with Bad Company for the final time at London’s O2 Arena in 2016.
He had remained bedridden since. No additional details regarding the cause of death were provided.
Ralphs is slated to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame later this year as a member of Bad Company.
“Our Mick has passed, my heart just hit the ground,” Bad Company frontman Paul Rodgers said. “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.”
Among Ralphs’ most enduring contributions to rock music is the track “Ready for Love,” originally written during his time with Mott the Hoople. The song was later re-recorded for Bad Company’s self-titled 1974 debut album, which also included “Can’t Get Enough,” another Ralphs-penned hit. He co-wrote the 1975 classic “Feel Like Makin’ Love” alongside Rodgers.
Born in Stoke Lacy, Herefordshire, England, Ralphs discovered a love for blues guitar in his teens. By 1966, in his early twenties, he co-founded the Doc Thomas Group, which eventually evolved into Mott the Hoople in 1969—named after a 1966 novel by Willard Manus.
While their early albums gained a cult following, commercial success eluded the band until 1972, when David Bowie wrote and produced the glam-rock hit “All the Young Dudes.” Despite the breakthrough, Ralphs grew disillusioned with the direction under frontman Ian Hunter and left in 1973.
Soon after, he teamed up with Rodgers, who had recently exited the band Free, to form what would become Bad Company. Initially intending only to write and possibly record an album, the duo expanded their plans after Free drummer Simon Kirke and former King Crimson bassist Boz Burrell joined the lineup.
“We didn’t actually plan to have a band,” Ralphs recalled in a 2015 interview with Gibson Guitars. “It was all kind of accidental I suppose. Lucky, really.”
Kirke paid tribute to his longtime bandmate, saying, “Mick was a dear friend, a wonderful songwriter, and an exceptional guitarist. We will miss him deeply.”
Bad Company’s debut album quickly became a commercial triumph, reaching No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart. “Can’t Get Enough,” frequently mistaken for “Can’t Get Enough of Your Love,” peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming the band’s highest-charting single.
“We actually did the whole thing in one take live,” Ralphs recalled in the Gibson interview. “It wasn’t perfect, but we just said, ‘Yeah, that’s great, it’s going to capture the moment.’ That’s what I like to do in recording. It doesn’t have to be perfect as long as it captures the moment. That’s what it’s all about.”
Their second album, Straight Shooter, also achieved major success, climbing to No. 3 on both the U.S. and UK charts. Ralphs contributed “Good Lovin’ Gone Bad,” while “Feel Like Makin’ Love” became a rock radio staple.
According to the band’s statement, Ralphs is survived by his wife, Susie Chavasse, described as “the love of his life,” two children, three step-children, and his longtime collaborators Rodgers and Kirke.
“Our last conversation a few days ago we shared a laugh,” Rodgers added. “But it won’t be our last.”
