The many lives of Paul Rodgers

 

If you say the name ‘Paul Rodgers‘, people may not react in the same way they will if you utter those of ‘Jim Morrison‘, ‘Freddie Mercury’ or ‘Jimmy Page’. Even though Rodgers had fairly direct connections with all of these artists as well as a long-lasting and successful career in his own right, you would probably place him in the Steve Winwood / Jeff Back category — a revered musician’s musician. With a bit more eclecticism.

Rodgers started his career outright with Free, a band he joined in 1968 — at age 19. Two years later, the outfit released their third studio album, Fire and Water, on which was featured “All Right Now”, one of blues rock’s definitive anthems, not all that far behind Led Zeppelin‘s early work circa “Good Times Bad Times” and “Whole Lotta Love”. The comparison is anything but fortuitous: not only are both bands evolving in a similar musical realm, but Rodgers and Zeppelin iconic guitarist Jimmy Page came to be close friends — and collaborators.

As it happens, both subsequent bands Rodgers was involved in were associated with Page. Bad Company, Rodgers’ subsequent group effort after Free breaking up in 1973, was actually signed on Led Zeppelin’s recently created record label Swan Song. And that decision turned out to be fruitful for both parties: Bad Company went on to have significant success throughout the 1970’s, including with their classic hit “Feel Like Makin’ Love”. As its members eventually chose to go their separate ways in 1982, Rodgers launched a successful solo career — and another band, The Firm, with… you guessed it, Jimmy Page.

We will have to skip several chapters in the man’s authentically storied life and focus on one of its most recent chapters — Rodgers’ involvement with yet another musical monument, Queen. After playing “All Right Now” onstage with Queen guitarist Brian May in 2004, the two decided to keep working together, which eventually lead to a Queen + Paul Rodgers world tour, with the help of Queen drummer Roger Taylor (since the untimely passing of Freddie Mercury, Queen bass player John Deacon chose to retire from the music business altogether). Five years and an original album later, this union came to an end, with Queen eventually founding a new voice with Adam Lambert. And Rodgers going back to his solo work…

You may think that we mentioned Jim Morrison in the beginning and then forgot about it — but we didn’t. Decades later, it was revealed that, upon Morrison’s sudden passing, The Doors’ remaining members chased down Rodgers, with an offer to fill the seat left empty by the Lizard King. Apparently, the singer was unreachable and people moved on. That’s OK: Paul Rodgers bounced back…