Founding Free and Bad Company frontman Paul Rodgers is frequently listed among the artists most overlooked by the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, but in a recent interview, he revealed that he actually turned down an invitation to be inducted into the Rock Hall.
Speaking with SiriusXM radio host Eddie Trunk, Rodgers recalled, “Years and years ago, Ahmet Ertegun [head of Atlantic Records and a co-founder of the Rock Hall] said to me, ‘Paul, we’re making this museum of rock ‘n’ roll. Do you guys want to be part of it?’”
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The powerhouse vocalist remembered that he responded by telling Ertegun, “I don’t think rock ‘n’ roll belongs in a museum,” and then admitted that he was asked “a couple [more] times” if he wanted to be inducted, but he again refused the offer.
Rodgers added about not being an inductee, “It doesn’t affect my daily life. It doesn’t affect what I do in any way at all.”
Last month, the 73-year-old singer released a new solo album titled Midnight Rose, his first collection of new original songs in 24 years. As he revealed in an interview last month with CBS Mornings, he recorded Midnight Rose after recovering from a series of strokes he suffered between 2016 and 2019. In 2019, after experiencing a second major stroke, he underwent a risky operation called a carotid endarterectomy to get rid of plaque in his arteries. Thankfully, the procedure was a success and he was able to throw himself into making the new record.
As for touring behind Midnight Rose, Rodgers told Trunk that he has “no plans.” However, Rodgers’ wife and manager, Cynthia Kereluk, who co-produced the album, reported, “We might tape something acoustically for the fans, instead of having to take it on the road and do the dog and pony show.”
Trunk also asked Rodgers what the status of his old band Bad Company was, to which the singer responded, “There are no plans there, too.”
However, when Rodgers was pressed on whether the band was done, he said, “I don’t think so. I think there’s still a lot of life there. We’ll see. Give it time. I mean, I’ve really been focusing on making this album right now, so…never say never.”