Introduction
As the anniversary approaches, memories come flooding back of hearing Rick’s unmistakable voice, long after he was gone.
Rick Parfitt, aged 68, passed away in a Spanish hospital on December 24, 2024, after developing an infection following his third heart attack. The news broke early that morning when his long-time friend Francis Rossi received a call from Rick’s manager—and yet, he insists, it wasn’t the only voice he heard.
“I was sitting at home when I distinctly heard Rick say, ‘You see, Frame, I didn’t die on a show day,’” Francis, now 68, told iN10. “He always called me ‘Frame,’ so I knew it was him. People might dismiss stories of hearing lost loved ones, but I know what I heard—and it was so like him, knowing the chaos of canceling a concert at the last minute.”
Rick’s health struggles dated back decades; he underwent quadruple bypass surgery in 1997. In the summer of 2016, Francis watched in horror as Rick collapsed onstage during a tour in Turkey. “To us, it felt like he died that day,” Francis recalled before Quo’s recent Glasgow date at the Clyde Auditorium. “We saw him lying there, and while the medics worked on him, I remember uncrossing his feet. They did everything they could, but when they took him away, he was gone.”
Yet Rick’s resilience shone through. The next morning, the band was told he was on life support and unlikely to survive the day—or, if he did, that recovery would be painful. By the evening, though, he was sitting up in a London hotel room, calmly drinking tea. “That was Rick,” Francis said. “Incredible strength.”
With Rick’s first death anniversary looming, Francis expects a bittersweet reflection. “It won’t be morbid or overly sad,” he says with a wry smile. “I might even laugh thinking about what he said. And one day, when it’s my turn, folks will say, ‘And there goes the other one.’ But death is just part of life.”
Before his final illness, Rick had been advised to stop touring altogether. He entrusted young guitarist Richie Malone to carry the torch, and Status Quo’s legacy—rocking stages since their 1968 breakthrough hit, “Pictures Of Matchstick Men”—lives on. The current “Plugged In – Live And Rockin’” tour promises a full-electric set, blending classic power chords with fresh energy.
Francis has fond, if slightly wild, memories of early Quo shows in Scotland: the creaking balcony at the old Apollo in Glasgow, trembling three feet when the crowd jumped; and even earlier nights at Green’s Playhouse, where the long-haired band members faced off against stiff-necked bouncers. “I still can’t believe we made it out of there,” he laughs.
Now, approaching 70, Francis feels healthier and more energized than ever. “At first, I was hesitant about bringing in a new guy,” he admits. “But Richie does it his way, and maybe we needed that kick. I don’t know if we’re proving something, but I haven’t enjoyed playing like this in years.”