SIMON KIRKE

Simon Kirke was born in London and is a highly recognizable name in the music industry, particularly within the classic rock genre. He is best known as the co-founder and drummer for two major British rock bands: Free (1968-1973) and Bad Company (1973-2020).

Free was developed out of London’s booming blues scene. They were most known for the enduring classic rock anthem “All Right Now”. On January 25, 1971 Free played at Carnegie Hall. Simon was only twenty-two years old. One of the many highlights of their career, they played at the Isle of Wight Festival to an audience of 600,00, alongside Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan, Sly & the Family Stone, The Who, and Joni Mitchell. Free sold more than 20 million records worldwide.

After the disbanding of Free, Paul Rodgers and Simon again teamed up to form the supergroup Bad Company. Simon was the only continuous member of BC since its inception. They were the first band signed to Led Zeppelin’s Swan Song label. In 1980, Led Zeppelin invited Simon to come on stage for their encore in Munich to play “A Whole Lotta Love” alongside his friend, John Bonham. Bad Company has nine platinum albums, totaling over 50 million sales. Both Free and Bad Company toured through Europe, America, and Asia.

Simon also toured worldwide with Ringo Starr’s All Starr Band on three occasions.

He is also an accomplished singer-songwriter and has produced three solo albums.

Simon is most proud of being on the boards for Road Recovery and Right Turn, which are not-for-profit organizations out to help teenagers and musicians recover from addiction.

In November 2025, Simon was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Bad Company.

Although Simon is known for being a legendary drummer, he also plays piano and guitar. He loves collecting vintage guitars.