Death of bass player from Free ….

We are at a time when these kinds of obituaries are becoming more frequent. Those of us of ‘a certain age’ will recall a golden period in rock music in the 1970s and 80s and Andy Fraser was one who truly cemented his place in rock history by co-writing the anthem ‘All Right Now’ by the British blues-rock band, Free.

Whilst it might by loved by the masses more than your hardcore Free fan, it was a single which sold around the world and enjoyed countless air plays and commercial soundtracks. It certainly put Free on the map, a band who never received the level of recognition which big hitters such as Zeppelin, Purple and Sabbath had.

Fraser came and went, returned and left again within the space of four years, he helped form the band in ’68 before leaving for good in 1972. By the end of the seventies he had relocated to California and had written hits for Rod Stewart, Chaka Khan, Robert Palmer, Paul Young and the late Joe Cocker.

In later life he was diagnosed HIV positive and then contracted a rare form of cancer. It is perhaps a timely reminder to dig out those old Free albums or introduce yourself to a band who on their day where as good as anyone.