Bruce Johnston

[GA Russell]

Bruce Johnston, who is now 81, is retiring from touring, and will focus his energies on songwriting.

'60s rock legend announces departure from tour after 61 years

[Kevin Bresnahan]

I'm nowhere near 81 & even at my age I can't see myself performing on stages all around the world, night after night. I have enough trouble when we get back to back snowstorms up here in Maine. I am retired and hope to be able to enjoy not working.

I heard a story that 81 year old Steve Miller (now 82) backed out of a small tour at the last minute last year and some of the artists involved threatened to sue. I guess you can't even slow down when you get older in the rock world. You can only stop.

[Brad]

Dylan is still performing and he’s almost 85. 

[Kevin Bresnahan]

1 hour ago, Brad said:

Dylan is still performing and he’s almost 85. 

If you call what he does "singing", then sure.

[felser]

Neil Young, 80, cancelled his scheduled European tour.

[Kevin Bresnahan]

I've seen several elderly Jazz musicians in recent times that should have been retired. Their playing was not good. One sax player embarrassed himself up on stage.

Not every septuagenarian/octogenarian is physically capable of continuing their music career.

I wonder why Bobby Kimball retired? He was a great singer with Toto.

 

[medjuck]

I saw Benny Carter when (IIRC-- and I often don't) he was over 90.  He played just fine.  

Edited yesterday at 12:34 AM by medjuck

[felser]

George Coleman sounds great on the live albums recorded in his 80's.  Pharoah was strong until the end.    Roy Haynes, wow. OTOH, have heard decline in plenty of other musicians.  And the stories about McCoy Tyner's last performances are heartbreaking. 

[randyhersom]

3 hours ago, medjuck said:

I saw Benny Carter when (IIRC-- and I often don't) he was over 90.  He played just fine. 

Likewise Benny Golson

[Kevin Bresnahan]

I had a long reply written up but I deleted it, as I have fond memories of seeing older Jazz greats, even when they were not playing well. As I said, not every septuagenarian/octogenarian musician can continue to play at a high level.

I'll leave it at that.

[Stompin at the Savoy]

I happened to catch Joe Henderson and Bobby Hutcherson together at an engagement at Jazz Alley in Seattle around 2000 or just before.  Both men were looking quite frail but they played great.

[mjazzg]

Marshall Allen...

[mikeweil]

22 hours ago, Kevin Bresnahan said:

 As I said, not every septuagenarian/octogenarian musician can continue to play at a high level.

I'll leave it at that.

For some musicians it seems to be very hard to sense when you better stop performing.

[Dan Gould]

3 hours ago, mikeweil said:

For some musicians it seems to be very hard to sense when you better stop performing.

Reports about B.B. King suggest that he should have stopped before he did.

But when you spend so many days on the road your whole adult life I am sure it is hard, not even mentioning the $$$.

[felser]

On 3/6/2026 at 9:44 AM, Stompin at the Savoy said:

I happened to catch Joe Henderson and Bobby Hutcherson together at an engagement at Jazz Alley in Seattle around 2000 or just before.  Both men were looking quite frail but they played great.

And they would not have been all that old, around 60 (Henderson born in 1937, Hutch in 1941).

[Stompin at the Savoy]

2 hours ago, felser said:

And they would not have been all that old, around 60 (Henderson born in 1937, Hutch in 1941).

Henderson died about a year later.  Hutcherson lasted quite a while after that but was already having health problems then and was using oxygen when I saw him and got badly out of breath while playing.  Nevertheless both played well.