On This Day, March 19, 2005: Paul Rodgers makes public debut as Queen’s lead singer

On This Day, March 19, 2005 …

Queen and Bad Company frontman Paul Rodgers performed together at Nelson Mandela’s 46664 charity concert in George, South Africa.

While the two acts had previously collaborated for Queen’s October 2004 induction into the U.K. Music Hall of Fame, the Mandela concert marked the public debut of what was dubbed Queen + Paul Rodgers.

They performed Queen classics “We Are The Champions,” “We Will Rock You,” “Crazy Little Thing Called Love and “Radio Gaga,” as well as the Bad Company tracks “Can’t Get Enough,” and “Feel Like Makin’ Love,” as well as “All Right Now,” by Rodgers’ former band, Free.

That same year, Queen + Paul Rodgers launched a world tour, which hit North America in 2006.

Queen released one album with Rodgers, The Cosmos Rocks, in 2008, followed by the Rock The Cosmos tour.

The collaboration between Queen and Rodgers ended in 2009, when Rodgers left to reunite with Bad Company.