We’re in sad company.
Bad Company singer Paul Rodgers won’t be attending the 2025 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony on Saturday, Nov. 8, due to concerns regarding his health.
“My hope was to be at the Rock & Rock Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and to perform for the fans, but at this time I have to prioritize my health,” Rodgers, 75, announced on Instagram on Monday.
“I have no problem singing, it’s the stress of everything else,” he added. “Thanks for understanding.”
However, the “Can’t Get Enough” singer revealed that former bandmate Simon Kirke and “some outstanding musicians” will be “stepping in” for him at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on Saturday night.
“Guaranteed to rock,” he concluded his message.
Fans of the English rock supergroup, meanwhile, rushed to the comments section of Rodgers’ post to show their support and wish him well amid his unspecified health woes.
“Oh no! So looking forward to seeing one of the best rock frontmen ever perform,” one person wrote. “Take Care, though, your spirit will be alive there that night!”
“Ah man, I was looking forward to him performing,” added another. “Hope he’s ok, that’s all that matters.”
“We love you, Paul, take care!” commented a third fan, while a fourth shared, “Get well! That‘s most important.”
The Post has reached out to Rodgers’ rep for comment.
During an interview with CBS News back in 2023, the “Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy” crooner revealed that he had secretly suffered two major strokes and 11 minor ones.
The startling health scares left Rodgers without the ability to speak, and he almost lost his ability to sing.
“I couldn’t do anything to be honest,” he told the outlet two years ago. “I couldn’t speak. That was the very strange thing.”
He continued, “You know, I’d prepare something in my mind and I’d say it, but that isn’t what came out and I’d go, ‘What the heck did I just say?’”
The first major stroke occurred in 2016. He later suffered another in October 2019, which led to a major surgery.
“They told me, they’re very clear, ‘You may not come out of this alive,’” Rodgers recalled. “And I said, ‘Oh, well, that’s a plus, isn’t it?’”
“And when I woke up, I opened my eyes, I thought, ‘Oh, I’m still here,’” he added.
Rodgers did not specify whether his decision to drop out of the upcoming Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony was due to his ongoing stroke recovery.
Chubby Checker, another 2025 inductee, previously announced that he would be skipping the night as well.
Kirke, meanwhile, expressed his excitement to reunite with Rodgers on the Peacock Theater stage just a few days before the “Shooting Star” singer revealed he wouldn’t be attending the event.
“We’re going to play, and whatever Paul chooses is fine by me!” the drummer, 76, said during Lyndsey Parker’s “Lyndsanity” podcast on Oct. 28. “Just to play with him again is going to be a real thrill for me.”
“I missed him,” Kirke continued. “I missed playing with the band. I miss playing particularly with Paul. He’s such a wonderful singer.”
Rodgers and Kirke are the last two surviving members from Bad Company’s original formation. Bassist Raymond “Boz” Burrell passed away in September 2006 at the age of 60, while guitarist Mick Ralphs died this past June at 81.
But Bad Company, which formed in 1973 and seemingly disbanded for good in 2019, will still be honored during the biggest night in rock and roll on Nov. 8.
“Bad Company were one of rock’s first and most successful supergroups, both live and on record,” the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s official website reads. “By combining arena-ready blues-rock swagger with Top 40 hits, they distinguished themselves from their peers.”
