One of British rock’s most soulful and understated guitarists, Mick Ralphs—whose work with Mott the Hoople and Bad Company helped define the sound of 1970s rock—has died at the age of 81. His death was confirmed on Monday, marking the end of a career that left behind some of the most enduring riffs in rock history.
Ralphs had been largely out of the public eye since suffering a stroke in 2016. Though he’d retired from performing, the music he helped create continued to resonate with new generations, from gritty glam to arena-filling anthems.
A Quiet Force Behind Some of Rock’s Loudest Moments
Born in the Herefordshire village of Stoke Lacy in 1944, Ralphs grew up surrounded by countryside and music. He picked up the guitar in his teens and never looked back. By the late ’60s, he’d found early fame with Mott the Hoople, the band that would break through with hits like “All the Young Dudes” and “Roll Away the Stone.”
But it was Ralphs’s songwriting—particularly “Ready for Love”—that hinted at something bigger. When he left Mott in 1973, it wasn’t because he was stepping back. He was stepping up.
That year, he joined Paul Rodgers, drummer Simon Kirke, and bassist Boz Burrell to form Bad Company—a new kind of rock band with blues roots, hard edges, and an emotional core. Their debut album was a smash hit, and Ralphs’s signature song, “Can’t Get Enough,” opened the record with a riff that would go on to become one of the most iconic in classic rock.
A Career That Let the Guitar Do the Talking
Mick Ralphs wasn’t a flashy guitarist. He wasn’t known for shredding solos or stadium theatrics. What made him stand out was his feel—his ability to play exactly what a song needed, and nothing more.
His riffs were the kind that stick in your head for decades. Songs like “Movin’ On,” “Rock Steady,” and “Feel Like Makin’ Love” were anchored by his crisp, warm tones and rock-solid rhythm. Even when he wasn’t front and center, you could always hear his fingerprint in the music.
In a 2015 interview, Ralphs talked about how “Can’t Get Enough” was recorded in a single take. “We just hit record and went with it,” he said. That spontaneity, that looseness—it’s what gave his music so much life.
A Final Curtain After Years of Silence
Ralphs played his last live show with Bad Company in 2016, just days before suffering the stroke that would end his touring career. Since then, he had lived privately, surrounded by family and longtime friends.
He leaves behind his wife, Susie, two children, three stepchildren, and the bandmates who stood beside him on some of rock’s greatest stages.
Though his death wasn’t unexpected, it still hit hard across the music world. Paul Rodgers remembered him as “a gentle soul with a wicked sense of humor and an incredible musical gift.” Simon Kirke called him “one of the good ones.”
A Legacy That Won’t Fade
Even if you don’t know Mick Ralphs’s name, you know his sound. It’s in the radio hits that still play daily. It’s in the way young guitarists learn to write riffs that are simple, solid, and unforgettable. And later this year, when Bad Company is inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, his absence will be felt—but so will his legacy.
From the glam stage to the stadium spotlight, Ralphs helped write the soundtrack to a generation. And for fans who grew up on those riffs, his passing feels personal.
