When Should Aging Rockers Retire?

Getting older... it happens to ALL of us. Someday we will be talking about how old Greta Van Fleet looks. Trust me... we will. This begs the question, is rock and roll an in veritable fountain of youth or do rockers have an expiration date?
Being a musician and getting a little older myself, I can tell you that the love of playing music for those of us who truly have it never goes away. When I strap on that Les Paul, I honestly feel pretty much the same way that I did when I was seventeen. I would imagine that it's no different for Pete Townsend, Keith Richards, Robert Plant or Bruce Dickinson. There is something about playing music that feels eternal no matter how long you have been doing it.

Still the question comes up when you hear about a Meatloaf reunion tour where, Meatloaf won't be singing. I will admit that that one is a real head scratcher for me too. It also comes into question when you go see and artist and it's obvious that they are only going through the motions with no real passion behind what they are doing. And of course it can be disheartening to hear one of your favorite rockers sound completly burnt out and singing terribly off key all night. When I see and hear things like this I am tempted to say, maybe it's time to rethink what you are doing.

But... who the hell am I to tell someone when it's time to stop playing music???

Ultimately the fans will decide when a rocker will retire. I have seen bands out there, like Whitesnake still doing it, with a grizzled and very tired sounding David Coverdale but people still turn out to the shows. Obviously, people still want to see them doing their thing. As long as fans will show up, there is no practical reason to stop touring.

People love artists for a lot of different reasons. It isn't always how well they sing or play... I will refrain from listing current bands... folks in their twenties who fall into THAT category. Sometimes its nostalgia; sometimes it's just being in the same room with a band that had a huge impact on their life, no matter how they sound now. There was something comforting knowing that Tom Petty, David Bowie, and Prince where still out there making music and very sad that they are no longer with us. It makes me feel good that the Stones put out a blues album and that Robert Plant is doing Americana. These artists, despite what they do are touch stones. These are the men and women who showed us what rock and roll is. They are our elders and while poking fun at celebrities seems to be a favorite past time of western culture, we should always have some reverence for those who laid the way for us. They should be given leway to sound as they sound, look as they look and to grow old gracefully... or not. Featured Loudini Artists: Hardcore Superstar
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