Mick Ralphs, a guitarist, songwriter, and founding force behind both Bad Company and Mott the Hoople, passed away at the age of 81. The announcement of the guitarist’s passing was confirmed in a statement posted Monday on Bad Company’s official site.
He last had his time on the stage at a 2016 performance at London’s O2 Arena. Days after the stage performance, Ralphs suffered a stroke. He became bedridden after then till his final breath. The statement didn’t mention further information.
Ralphs will posthumously join the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame with Bad Company in November this year. A long-overdue recognition for a man whose guitar work powered a generation.
He wrote “Ready for Love” in the Mott days. Later, Bad Company gave it a new edge on their 1974 debut, where Ralphs also delivered the hard-hitting anthem “Can’t Get Enough.” He joined Paul Rodgers to co-write 1975’s “Feel like makin’ love”.
Ralphs, who was born in Stoke Lacy, Herefordshire, started out on blues guitar as a teenager. By 1966, he co-founded the Doc Thomas Group. Three years later, they became Mott the Hoople, borrowing their name from a Willard Manus novel.
Their first album had raw energy but the next two could not do as much. Then David Bowie stepped in. His 1972 anthem “All the young dudes” gave Mott fame but not freedom. Ralphs felt boxed in by Ian Hunter’s vision.
Bad Company wasn’t meant to happen. Ralphs and Rodgers just wanted to write songs. Then Free’s Simon Kirke joined. They added Boz Burrell from King Crimson, and suddenly they were a band with fire in its gut.
Their first album topped Billboard. Ralphs’ “Can’t get enough” peaked at No. 5 on the Hot 100. The song’s still misnamed by fans as “Can’t get enough of your love,” but no one’s ever forgotten its hook.
Kirke called Ralphs “a dear friend, a wonderful songwriter, and an exceptional guitarist” on Monday. He’s not wrong.
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