Long considered (by myself, if no one else) perhaps England’s “most American” rocker, former Bad Company/Free vocalist Paul Rodgers was sworn in today as a Canadian citizen.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
*PAUL RODGERS SWORN IN AS A CANADIAN CITIZEN*
October 26, 2011 – At a public ceremony in Surrey, B.C. last Friday October 21st The legendary *Paul Rodgers* was sworn in as a Canadian Citizen.
A statement from Paul:
It may not be my native land but Canada is surely now my home. While I’ll always be an Englishman, Canada has given me so much for which I am grateful. My wife, your former Miss Canada Cynthia Kereluk, a new and extended family and the chance to be truly free in a country that with its quiet strength combines the best of so many worlds.
I’m proud to be a Canuck.
Thank you, Merci.
Paul Rodgers
I don’t know about you, but I’m hurt—and a bit pissed. Bad Co and Free were totally aimed at Americans! Any sales in the UK or Canada were a bonus. Bad Co so badly wanted to be American it wasn’t funny. I bet Rodgers was jealous of the English guys in Foreigner, who presented such a Corporate American Rock image that they could slip across our border without use of a passport. Play me one ragged Canadian chorus in any Bad Co song! Johnny didn’t travel to Toronto to become a shooting star, did he? Have you ever suspected the slightest sense of humor from any Bad Co recording? Canadians are funny, man! Everybody knows that. And what’s with the “Merci?” He’s gonna try to convince us he speaks French after 40 years touring the world with his brand of Goon Rock?
Surely Rodgers has been suffering through an identity crisis since his stirring induction speech for Bob Seger‘s entrance to Rock Town Hall’s Foyer of Fame. He thought he could replace Freddie Mercury in a reformed Queen. Wasn’t that like casting Clint Eastwood as the transvestite singer in The Crying Game? I know, Canada gave ’70s arena rockers around the world hockey sweaters, and as he mentions, he plucked his beautiful wife from their land, but still… I’m more Canadian than Rodgers. If Rodgers was going to defect he should have defected to the US of A.
Here’s hoping our Canadian correspondents will check in with their thoughts on this stunning news. I really don’t mean to take anything away from your great country. Everything Rodgers says about it is true. I just don’t like the fact that he chose you over us.
I find the clip tres amusant. I didn’t know they made relaxed fit leather pants.
Has anyone examined the possibility that the US wouldn’t take him?
Love will make you do crazy things. But, I’m not sure he necessarily chose us over y’all. This news is not without precedent. Recently, Joe Pernice left his beloved Boston Mass for the frozen slushie north of Toronto to be with his wife and newlywed Norman Blake of Teenage Fanclub has taken residence in Kitchener home of Canada’s largest Oktoberfest.
Paul Rodgers will fit right in here.
I can see him filling in lead vocals for all sorts of Hockey Rock bands; April Wine, Trooper, Triumph, even Haywire.
Perhaps he prefers the cold, snowy nights as opposed to all that smoggy sunshine of LA. Also the beer is better here.
We’ve gotta see where we can pick them up, right?
The president of his fanclub lives near me in Atlanta. I was invited to meet / jam with his band a few years back (solo band not Bad Co.) but when I got there I found that Paul had to fly to NYC for Ahmet Ertegün’s memorial. The guys were a cool group of rockers (including the guy from Heart,Howard Leese. Sorry I was not able to show Paul how good it would be to live in Hot-Lanta instead of Chilly-Canada!
Damn, to think you could have prevented this!
Never underestimate the power of poutine.
That beer thing is only true of the cruddy, heavily-advertised beers here, not our thriving craft brew culture. But your point holds, as Paul Rodgers strikes me as exactly the kind of guy who would only be aware of beers along the Miller/Bud/Coors/Molson/Labatt axis based on his workmanlike music career. He is, after all, the man behind Rock’s Least Essential Song, “Can’t Get Enough”.
I think I’m more interested in this clever Canadian plan of luring international rockers into the Great White North via marriage. It’s probably a plan to restock Team Canada for the next Rock World Cup, I bet.
This just proves that the Canadians DO have a good sense of humor.
I hesitate to tell you this Mod, since you’re taking this so hard, but I’m hearing rumors that what pushed Rodgers over the edge to choose Canada instead of the US is that he was really surprised by the recent outpouring of support for “Takin’ Care of Business” over “Rock ‘n Me”. This was supposedly the dealbreaker for Rodgers, according to some insiders on a Boz Burrell message board I frequent.
I appreciate your candid sharing, my man. If that was the tilting point, I have trouble blaming Rodgers for his decision.
You may be onto something, re: next Rock World Cup.
So I guess the real question is why Canadian women are so irresistible to rockers.