Supergroup Bad Company pushes the doors open at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

NEW YORK -- Bad Company singer-songwriter Paul Rodgers treasures 1 of his past telephone calls with guitarist Mick Ralphs. It was to present the quality that, astatine agelong last, they'd been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

“I said to him, ‘Do you retrieve erstwhile we were looking for a set sanction and we called each different with silly names?' And past I conscionable called him up 1 time and I said, ’Bad Company' and helium dropped the telephone and helium said, ‘Oh yeah, that’s it. That's the name,’” says Rodgers.

“I said, ‘From then, it’s a agelong way, but it seems similar we conscionable blinked our eyes a mates of times and present we are astatine the Hall of Fame.’ So astatine slightest I was capable to archer him that.”

Ralphs died successful June, conscionable weeks aft learning the induction news.

Rodgers and drummer Simon Kirke are the past surviving archetypal members of the British supergroup that crafted specified arena-rock staples arsenic “Feel Like Makin’ Love,” “Can’t Get Enough” and “Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy.” They volition beryllium portion of the celebrations Saturday astatine the Peacock Theater successful Los Angeles, which volition watercourse unrecorded connected Disney+. ABC volition aerial a prime-time peculiar connected Jan. 1, disposable connected Hulu the adjacent day.

“The fans person conscionable been truthful large passim the years. We consciousness similar we’re celebrated, but it’s conscionable not been stamped officially. That’s the lone difference,” says Rodgers.

Bad Company volition articulation stone fable Chubby Checker, precocious psyche vocalist Joe Cocker, pop icon Cyndi Lauper, hip-hop pioneers Outkast, stone duo the White Stripes and grunge masters Soundgarden successful the people of ’25.

Salt-N-Pepa, the archetypal pistillate rap enactment to execute platinum status, and the precocious singer-songwriter Warren Zevon volition get successful via the Musical Influence Award. The precocious grounds shaper Thom Bell, pianist Nicky Hopkins and bassist Carol Kaye volition each get the Musical Excellence Award.

Chappell Roan and The Killers volition beryllium peculiar guests, arsenic volition Elton John, Olivia Rodrigo, Doja Cat, Questlove, Twenty One Pilots, Missy Elliott, Raye. Beck, Brandi Carlile, David Letterman, Flea, Iggy Pop, J.I.D, Killer Mike, Maxwell, Sleepy Brown, Taylor Momsen and Teddy Swims.

More stars attending volition see Avril Lavigne, Bryan Adams, Donald Glover, En Vogue, Feist, Janelle Monáe, Jim Carrey, Joe Perry, Mick Fleetwood, Mike McCready, Nancy Wilson and Nathaniel Rateliff.

Rodgers this period begged disconnected performing astatine the Rock Hall “to prioritize my health,” but helium said Kirke volition beryllium determination and “some outstanding musicians.”

Formed successful 1973 successful London, Bad Company brought unneurotic Rodgers and Kirke from the set Free, Ralphs from Mott the Hoople and bassist Boz Burrell caller retired of King Crimson. The radical was managed by the legendary Peter Grant and signed to Led Zeppelin’s Swan Song label.

“We had everything we needed,” says Rodgers. “You can’t truly person a amended commencement than that for a fledgling band. We had the music. We had Atlantic Records down us. It was a magic roller coaster ride, actually.”

Kirke said Bad Company appeared connected a euphony country that was past dominated by a batch of glam and glitter — deliberation David Bowie, Queen, T. Rex and Gary Glitter — and went backmost to basics.

“When we got together, I deliberation the communal extremity was we conscionable wanted to bash thing that was stripped-down, close to the point, gritty and a small cheeky, a spot of fun,” helium says.

Right retired of the gate, the set had slayer songs successful their pockets. Ralphs had “Can’t Get Enough,” “Movin’ On” and “Ready for Love” ready. Rodgers had “Rock Steady” and, with Ralphs, “Seagull.” And Rodgers and Kirke wrote the opus “Bad Company,” with the lyrics “Bad company/’Til the time I die.” The band's self-titled 1974 debut medium deed No. 1 connected the Billboard 200, going five-times platinum.

The set made six albums earlier disbanding pursuing 1982’s “Rough Diamonds.” Bad Company aboriginal reformed with lineup changes and reunion tours. Original bassist Burrell died of crab successful 2006.

Kirke says Bad Company influenced galore bands that followed, similar Foreigner, Iron Maiden and Def Leppard. But helium notes that Bad Company was influenced, successful turn, by the Beatles and psyche and blues artists.

“We conscionable passed it on,” helium says.

The induction ceremonial comes a fewer weeks aft the merchandise of a tribute medium — “Can’t Get Enough: A Tribute to Bad Company” via Primary Wave Music, a 10-track acceptable that proves the band's influence.

Def Leppard’s Joe Elliott and Phil Collen connection a rendition of “Seagull,” Rodgers teams up with Halestorm for “Shooting Star,” The Struts sound retired “Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy,” Slash and Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators crush “Feel Like Makin’ Love” and members of Blackberry Smoke tackle “Run with the Pack.”

“What it’s truly astir is 1 procreation inspiring the adjacent procreation and that’s truly what Otis Redding did for me,” says Rodgers, honored that helium gets to articulation Redding successful the Hall of Fame.

“Music was my calling — not to person accolades — but to explicit myself, my thoughts and my opinions astir emotion and beingness done opus and hopefully nonstop retired a affirmative vibration from my bosom to others.”