Queen + Paul Rodgers was formed in 2004 when British rock guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor joined British vocalist Paul Rodgers, former frontman of Bad Company, Free, and The Firm. The collaboration began with a performance at Queen’s induction into the UK Music Hall of Fame on 10 October 2004, where they performed "We Will Rock You" and "All Right Now". In 2005 the group released the live album Return of the Champions and embarked on the Return of the Champions tour, performing in Europe, North America, and South Africa. The partnership produced the studio album The Cosmos Rocks in 2008, released by EMI in the EU on 15 September 2008 and by Capitol in the US on 28 October 2008, featuring tracks such as "Say It’s Not True" and "C-lebrity". The band continued touring with the Rock the Cosmos tour in 2008, including a performance at Hyde Park for Nelson Mandela’s 90th birthday. In May 2009 Paul Rodgers announced the end of the collaboration, stating it was never intended as a permanent arrangement. The project left a legacy of two world tours, a studio album, and several live recordings, and it was followed by the later collaboration Queen + Adam Lambert.
