Mick Ralphs, the guitarist and co-founder of Bad Company, has died at the age of 81, according to an announcement on the band’s Facebook page.
The English rocker’s cause of death was not disclosed, but he had reportedly been in poor health for the past decade and suffered a stroke in 2016.
Ralphs, who was also the founding guitarist of the glam rock act Mott The Hoople, helped pen ’70s classics like Bad Company’s “Can’t Get Enough” and “Feel Like Makin’ Love.”
His death comes just months before the blue-infused hard rock outfit Bad Company is set to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Bad Company singer Paul Rodgers remembered his bandmate in the Facebook statement, writing, “Our Mick has passed, my heart just hit the ground. He has left us with exceptional songs and memories.”
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“He was my friend, my songwriting partner, an amazing and versatile guitarist who had the greatest sense of humor,” the post read. “Our last conversation a few days ago we shared a laugh but it won’t be our last.”
“There are many memories of Mick that will create laughter,” Rodgers wrote, concluding by saying, “I will see you in heaven.”
Drummer Simon Kirke called Ralphs “a dear friend, a wonderful songwriter, and an exceptional guitarist,” and added, “We will miss him deeply.”
Considered one of the defining supergroups of ’70s hard rock, Bad Company teamed Ralphs with former Free bandmates Rodgers and Kirke, along with King Crimson’s Boz Burrell as bassist.
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Prior to the all-star ensemble in 1973, Ralphs founded Mott The Hoople, best known for their David Bowie-penned anthem “All The Young Dudes.”
In his later years, the guitarist performed and recorded with the Mick Ralphs Blues Band.
His last live performance with Bad Company was at London’s O2 Arena on Oct. 19, 2016, just days before he sustained a stroke which left him confined to bed until his death.
He is survived by his partner Susie Chavasse, two children and three step-children.
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