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Guitar World
Guitar World
Entertainment
Nick Bowcott

“David Bowie gave them the song, but Mick wrote the intro – the lick of all licks”: A tribute to Mick Ralphs, Mott the Hoople and Bad Company's rock-steady straight shooter

UNSPECIFIED - JANUARY 01: Photo of BAD COMPANY and Mick RALPHS; Mick Ralphs performing on stage (Photo by Fin Costello/Redferns).

On June 23, 2025, the guitar world lost Mick Ralphs of Bad Company and Mott the Hoople fame. He was 81. He was an amazing songwriter, and a blues/rock guitarist who played with wonderful feeling, phrasing, melody, groove, and tone.

Ralphs was underrated partly because he was a master of restraint, who could say more with a few perfectly placed notes than most shredders can say with a furious flurry of “look-at-me” sweep arpeggios.

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