With Bad Company getting inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame this year, many fans have been wondering whether the group’s two original surviving members, frontman Paul Rodgers and drummer Simon Kirke, will be performing at the ceremony.
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In a recent interview with American Songwriter, Kirke revealed that he and Rodgers would definitely be attending the event, but didn’t say if the two would be playing any of their classic tunes at the bash. Now, the drummer has confirmed during an appearance on the It’s Lyndsanity! with Lyndsey Parker podcast that he and Rodgers will indeed be performing.
As previously reported, the 2025 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will take place Saturday, November 8, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. Bad Company is one of seven artists being inducted this year in the Performer category.
“I think the secret is out that we will perform,” Kirke told host Lyndsey Parker. “I don’t know, I might get into trouble, but I saw some Google news that Bad Company will perform at the Hall of Fame. So I will cautiously say, ‘Yes.’”
Simon continued, “I’m not at liberty to say which songs. I mean, quite honestly, I don’t give a s—. We’re gonna play, and whatever Paul chooses is fine by me.”
Kirke Said He’s Looking Forward to Playing with Rodgers Again
One of the reasons there had been some question about whether Rodgers would be performing at the ceremony was that he’d experienced some serious health issues in recent years and hadn’t sung in public in quite some time.
In September 2023, around the time he released his latest solo album, Midnight Rose, Paul revealed that he’d suffered a series of strokes. Since then, the 75-year-old singer has said he’s retired from touring.
Regarding getting the chance to perform once more with his old friend and bandmate, Kirke said, “[J]ust to play with him again is gonna be a real thrill for me, ’cause I missed him. I miss playing with the band. I miss playing particularly with Paul, ’cause he’s such a wonderful singer.”
Simon then revealed that the most recent time he played live with Rodgers was at Bad Company’s last concert in 2019.
“We did our last show over five years ago, in Las Vegas of all places, where Bad Company and Lynyrd Skynyrd were flip-flopping a headline tour,” Kirke noted. “And it was one of the best gigs we ever played on. So thank God we finished on a good gig, and not a s—-y one.”
Asked about what condition Paul’s singing voice is in, Simon replied, “I haven’t heard him sing since [we last played together], quite honestly. I know he has sung, and we are gonna do a couple of rehearsals for the cameras and so on and so forth. But when you have a voice that naturally good, it’s gonna take a hell of a lot for it to fray or devalue or whatever. So I think he’s gonna be fine for the two songs that we’ve chosen.”
More About the 2025 Rock Hall Induction Ceremony
As previously reported, Bad Company had been eligible for induction into the Rock Hall since 1999, but were nominated for the honor until this year. The band members who will be inducted into the Hall of Fame are Bad Company’s four co-founders—Kirke, Rodgers, late guitarist Mick Ralphs, and late bassist Boz Burrell.
The other inductees in the Performer category are Chubby Checker, Joe Cocker, Cyndi Lauper, Outkast, Soundgarden, and The White Stripes.
In addition to the seven honorees in the Performer category, six other inductees will be welcomed into the Rock Hall in 2025.
Rap group Salt-N-Pepa and late singer/songwriter Warren Zevon will be inducted in conjunction with receiving the Musical Influence Award. Disco-era producer Thom Bell, late session keyboardist Nicky Hopkins, and legendary session bassist Carol Kaye will be honored while receiving the Musical Excellence Award. Lastly, veteran producer and music executive Lenny Waronker will be inducted while being presented the Ahmet Ertegun Award
The 2025 Rock Hall Induction Ceremony will stream live on Disney+. A highlights special will premiere on ABC on January 1, 2026, at 8 p.m. ET. The special also will be available on demand on Hulu starting a day later.
(Photo by Rick Diamond/Getty Images)
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