Free (band)
English rock band / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Free were an English rock band formed in London in 1968 by Paul Rodgers (vocals), Paul Kossoff (guitar), Andy Fraser (bass, piano) and Simon Kirke (drums, percussion). They are best known for their smash hit songs "All Right Now" and "Wishing Well".[1] Although renowned for their live performances and non-stop touring, their music did not sell well until their third studio album, Fire and Water (1970), which featured the massive hit "All Right Now". The song helped secure them a performance at the 1970 Isle of Wight Festival, where they played to an audience of 600,000 people.[2] In the early 1970s they became one of the best-selling British blues rock[3][4][5] groups; by the time they disbanded, they had sold more than 20 million records worldwide and had played in more than 700 arenas and festival concerts. "All Right Now" remains a staple of R&B and rock, and has entered ASCAP's "One Million" airplay singles club.[6][7]
Free | |
|---|---|
Free in Amsterdam with Steve Winwood c. 1970. Left to right: Winwood, Andy Fraser, Paul Rodgers, Simon Kirke, Paul Kossoff. | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | London, England |
| Genres | |
| Discography | Free discography |
| Years active | 1968 (1968)–1973 |
| Labels | Island, A&M, Polydor |
| Spinoffs | |
| Past members | Andy Fraser Simon Kirke Paul Kossoff Paul Rodgers John Bundrick Tetsu Yamauchi Wendell Richardson |
| Website | freebandofficial |
Free disbanded in 1973; lead singer Paul Rodgers went on to help form and front the more successful rock supergroup Bad Company, which also featured his Free bandmate Simon Kirke on drums.[8] Guitarist Paul Kossoff formed Back Street Crawler in 1973, but died from a pulmonary embolism at the age of 25 in 1976.[9] Bassist Andy Fraser formed Sharks in 1972, and died on 16 March 2015 at 62.[10][11]
Rolling Stone has referred to the band as "British hard rock pioneers".[12] The magazine ranked Rodgers No. 55 on its list of the "100 Greatest Singers of All Time",[13] and Kossoff at No. 51 on its list of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time".[12] Free were signed to Island Records in the UK and A&M Records in North America.