LOS ANGELES — Bad Company will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame this November. Only two of the band’s original members, singer Paul Rodgers and drummer Simon Kirke, remain. Kirke has said the odds of them performing at the ceremony are “very good.”
“It’s not definite just yet,” Kirke told Defenders of the Faith. “I know that we’ve been approached to play a couple of songs. I’ve spoken with Paul. Paul’s health, as you know, is not good, but I think… I’m crossing my fingers that we will be able to play at least one song. I don’t know what it is yet, and I don’t even know who’s gonna be inducting us yet.”
Kirke mentioned that a house band is preparing a “handful” of Bad Company songs “just in case.”
“I think the odds of us performing are very good,” he reiterated.
Bad Company’s Eligibility
Formed in 1973, Bad Company has been eligible for the Rock Hall for over 20 years. This is the first year they have been nominated.
“We influenced a couple of generations of bands, so it’s about time and we’re very happy,” Kirke said. “I’m also happy because dear old Mick Ralphs, our guitarist who passed away a couple of months ago, learned that Bad Company was going to be inducted just a couple of weeks before he finally passed away. That made us very, very happy indeed.”
Rodgers’ Perspective
Rodgers also expressed enthusiasm for the upcoming ceremony, scheduled for Nov. 8 in Los Angeles.
“It is pretty amazing and very cool to be part of an iconic American institution that celebrates music, musicians and sometimes unsung heroes behind the scenes,” he told Billboard in April. “I know that our fans, friends and some media have wanted this for a long time, so they will be pleased at last.”
