Bad Company Singer Paul Rodgers’ Vocals Spice Up His Canadian Citizenship Ceremony

SKH Music

Anybody who has heard Paul Rodgers‘ work with Free, Bad Company, The Firm and Queen knows he has a powerful voice and can stand alone as a singer.

But he’s not against sharing vocal duties with others, especially when it’s a special occasion.

Becoming a citizen of Canada surely qualifies as special, and during an hour-long ceremony in Surrey on Oct. 21, Rodgers led about 100 new Canadian citizens in a rendition of the national anthem, ‘O Canada.’

Unlike his signature songs, Rodgers did not have the lyrics to ‘O Canada’ memorized, and admitted before the performance, “I know most of the words, and I think I can get by.” He played it safe, using a lyric sheet.

Rodgers and his wife, 1984 Miss Canada winner Cynthia Kereluk-Rodgers, have homes in Surrey and Summerland, both of which are in the province of British Columbia.

“Canada has given me so much for which I am grateful: [my wife], a new extended family and the chance to be truly free in a country that, with its quiet strength, combines the best of so many worlds,” Rodgers said. “I am proud to be a Canuck.”

But that doesn’t mean Rodgers has forgotten his U.K. roots. On Dec. 3, he’ll perform as part of a fundraiser in Chichester, England, benefiting the Racehorse Sanctuary. Also on the bill is Debbie Bonham, the sister of late Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham.