How long can the show last?7 rock acts you may never see in concert again – The Wake Up Call

I wrote two weeks ago, A Column About 7 Superstar Musical Artists Aging And the chances of seeing them play Metro again. I thought it would be a good time to see a solo artist and band from

But first, updates from two acts, The Rolling Stones and Paul McCartney, were included first. in an Instagram video hinting at its imminent release, further igniting the flames. This week, Variety broke the news that McCartney has recorded some bass parts for him with Jagger and Richards, and Ringo Starr plans to add some drums to the project as well.

Don’t expect a Traveling Wilburys-style supergroup, let alone a tour. The Stones song has been around for a while and will feature the late Charlie Watts on drums. The possibility of a Jagger/Richards/McCartney collaboration is intriguing to say the least, but McCartney may have simply acted as a musician in his very famous studio.

Anyway, back to the main event. Here’s a look at the seven senior acts and the chances we’ve already seen at their final concert.

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band

age: Springsteen, 73 years old. Stephen Van Zandt, 72 years old. Max Weinberg, 71 years old. Nils Lofgren, 71 years old. Roy Bittan, 73 years old. Gary Talent, 73 years old. Patti Shalfa, 69 years old.

dirt: Springsteen’s previous tour marked the 35th anniversary of his album, The River, and was the top-grossing worldwide tour in 2016 with $268.3 million. The following year, he launched his solo Broadway show, which ran for over a year, making his second performance in 2021. Back in 2019, Boss promised he would tour E Street with his band in 2020, but it was postponed due to the pandemic. It went on sale in Florida earlier this month.

Can we meet again: Springsteen is easily another decade in the making, but his audience will likely look a lot different from this point on.

When the tour went on sale last summer, Springsteen allowed it to go on sale via Ticketmaster’s dynamic pricing program. In response, the publisher of Backstreets Magazine (if not the longest running fan-run music magazine/website/community), after publishing his last issue, We have announced that we will stop publishing and updating our website. “Disappointment is a common sentiment among die-hard fans in her Backstreet community,” reads. long notes posted online From editor/publisher Christopher Phillips. These concerts are scarcely available to us. Many of our readers can’t afford it. As a result, a good portion of our readers lost interest… (we) have reached the end of an era. ”

Springsteen has always established himself as a Man of the People type of guy, with his most devoted fans filling the floor in front of him and attending many dates on each tour. These spots are now mostly filled by wealthy people who don’t necessarily have a deep respect for his music.

Billy Joel

Year: 73.

dirt: After 20 years of success, Billy Joel released his 12th album, River of Dreams, in 1993. Although it outsold the sales of his two previous records, reviews were mixed and the title produced the only hit on his track. While many musicians took it as a signal to take a break and rethink things, Joel made a very rare move and stopped making pop music altogether. (Anyway, mostly. Since then, he has issued an instrumental album and several singles, four of which were covers. In 2007, he released two new original songs, “All My Life.” and “Christmas in Fallujah”, and has avoided the studio ever since.)

However, Joel continued to tour, completing eight tours with fellow pianist Elton John. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in his 1999 year and gave a New Year’s Eve concert at New York’s Madison Square Garden that same year. At the time, he hinted that it might be his last live performance. (His 93rd MSG show is scheduled for his August 29th.)

shale

Year: 76.

dirt: Cher’s greatest strength is that she’s always joking around. She’s all about what she does, whether it’s music, acting, activism, or politics, but she never takes herself too seriously. And people love her for that.

So she embarked on a three-year farewell tour in 2002, but no one expected her to live up to that promise. It has staged two four-year residencies (2008-2011 and 2017-2020), including the Here We Go Again Tour, and two more tours.

Will I see her again: Last month, Cher announced on Twitter, her favorite way to communicate with the outside world, that she was working on her 27th album, likely starting a new residency in August. Her “Here We Go Again Tour” raised over $112 million and sold out most of her shows, making her next full tour feel more of a question of “when” than “if.”

Garth Brooks

Year: 61-year-old Harutori.

dirt: Garth Brooks, who rose to meteoric fame in the ’90s, has spoken several times about retiring from touring, citing a desire to spend more time with his family. He announced that he would put both touring and recording on hold until he graduated from high school.

He began preparing for his return to the live stage by playing weekend-only Las Vegas residencies that began in 2009. 3+ years. Just like when he was back in his prime, Brooks kept all ticket prices the same ($70.50 for him including service charge) and continued adding shows as long as there was demand. Minneapolis was his stop on his fifth tour, and at his 11th target center his concerts drew more than 203,000 fans.

After taking 15 months to catch his breath, Brooks embarked on the All Stadium Tour in 2019. Minneapolis landed as his fourth city on the itinerary, drawing about 140,000 fans in his two nights at US Bank’s stadium. (It’s a Vikings Stadium record that isn’t likely to be broken anytime soon, as Brooks played in the round stage, allowing seats to be sold throughout the stadium.) That tour ends in September at five nights. Did. Dublin.

Will I see him again: Next up for Brooks is a solo residency in Vegas starting in May. Given his ego and desire to break records, this cannot be his last show. I’m sure he’ll be back.

Tina Turner

Year: 83.

dirt: In the mid-’80s, the Anna Maybrock-born woman launched what Billboard called “one of the biggest comebacks in music history.” After more than a decade of well-deserved success, Turner announced that her Twenty Four Seven Tour in 2000 would be her finale. Soon after, she settled into her private life at home in Switzerland.

However, Turner revived from retirement to perform with Beyoncé at the Grammy Awards in 2008, earning $47.7 million in North America and nearly double that abroad, with enough interest to join the triumph’s 50th anniversary tour. and she disappeared from sight again.

Will I see her again: It’s entirely possible she’ll never make another public appearance, let alone give another concert. Beyond the fact that she clearly enjoys her secluded life, Turner suffered a string of health problems in her teens, including strokes, cancer attacks, and a kidney transplant.

For those still wanting their Tina Turner fix, there are two options. Her critically acclaimed 2021 documentary about her life, “Tina” It’s currently streaming on HBO Max.and Her jukebox musical of the same name will go on a nationwide tour next year.

Diana Ross

Year: 78.

dirt: Of the first wave of Motown stars, Diana Ross remains the brightest. She rose to fame with her breakthrough hit “Where Did Our Love Go” leading her Supremes, who will turn 60 in June 2024, and a successful solo act. , has established herself as an actress, fashion icon and over-the-top diva.

She probably won’t make the list of greatest live performers of all time, but Miss Ross knows how to throw a spectacle. In 1983, she performed in Storm in Central Park. Thirteen years later, she embellished her show at Super Her Bowl halftime, boarding a sparking crane and landing in a helicopter. She didn’t feel her age in the grandstands last year.

Will I see her again: She has performed 94 gigs a year, almost every year, for the past 50 years. If she decided to retire, I could see her launching an extensive tour or staying longer.

Willie Nelson

Year: 89.

dirt: With his hippie hair and headband and voice that resonates with wisdom but never tires, Willie Nelson has looked like an old man for decades. It has survived many obstacles that could kill a mere human career, including a collapsed lung that led to health problems, a serious run-in with the IRS, and numerous arrests of criminals. possession of marijuana.

Still, the weed-loving crooner turned 90 in April and has no end in sight. Know a Thing About Love: The Songs of Harlan Howard will be released on Friday. He’s also on the list of nominees for this year’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, alongside young whippersnappers like Kate Bush, Iron Maiden, The White Stripes, George Michael and Warren Zevon. (The latter two of him, of course, are no longer with us.)

Will I see him again: In the decade before the pandemic, Nelson was able to perform between 83 and 135 shows a year, with an additional 110 gigs in 2020, 2021 and 2022. – A night concert event/birthday party at the Hollywood Bowl on April 29th and 30th.