Legendary singer PAUL RODGERS (BAD COMPANY, ex-QUEEN) spoke with Miamiherald.com recently about a number of topics. A few excerpts from the chat follow:

Q: It's been 35 years since Bad Company's debut album. What keeps you going?

A: "When I first heard music at a very young age, when I was about 4 or 5, we always used to have the radio on in our house, and they would tell me I would always dance around when the music came on. I don't remember that, actually, but I've been taken by music since I can remember, and I've never been very far away from it. I went through different phases. I listened to a lot of pop music when I was 13 and 14, the same as everyone else, but then I discovered blues and soul, and I dug a little deeper. And I think I've been digging ever since. I started to write songs when I was about 17, just before I put together Free, and that's when I started to really become a songwriter, and I'm still writing songs. In fact, that's what I really want to focus on as soon as we're done the Bad Company tour."

Q: You collaborated with LED ZEPPELIN guitarist Jimmy Page on the group THE FIRM. Have you talked with him about doing something else together?

A: "We haven't really discussed it. It's always sort of there, but you get so busy."

Q: What Bad Company song really gets you going?

A: "I think 'Shooting Star' has a lot of poignancy for me. It's strange how some songs can sort of come to you and write themselves, and 'Shooting Star' and ELVIS PRESLEY are things I've been thinking about lately. For some reason, every time I turn around I'm finding Elvis Presley. It's so strange. Back in the '70s, I was sent a message by Elvis through my manager, and he sent me his autograph, and a message, and you know how people say 'Keep rockin' '' or whatever. Well, he said, ''Take time to live.'' And I thought, ''What does that mean?'' and he died soon afterward . . . He was very much a shooting star, you know?"

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