All the musicians who are retiring from touring in 2018
Paul Simon, Elton John and Aretha Franklin are among those who have announced their retirements this year
Paul Simon
Simon has hinted for some time that the end of the road might be close before making the official announcement, telling in 2016: 鈥淪howbiz doesn鈥檛 hold any interest for me.鈥� But it wasn鈥檛 until February 5 that he confirmed it.
鈥淚鈥檝e often wondered what it would feel like to reach the point where I鈥檇 consider bringing my performing career to a natural end,鈥� Simon wrote in . 鈥淣ow I know: it feels a little unsettling, a touch exhilarating, and something of a relief.鈥� He explained that the time away from his family was taking a toll, but that he hoped to do 鈥渢he occasional performance in a (hopefully) acoustically pristine hall, and to donate those earnings to various philanthropic organizations, particularly those whose objective is to save the planet.鈥�
Simon鈥檚 last show is set for July 15 at Hyde Park in London.
Elton John
John announced his retirement from touring on January 24th in an interview with , explaining that he wants to spend more time with his two children. But the decision isn鈥檛 effective immediately—he鈥檚 embarking on a three-year, 300-gig tour beginning in September of 2018, by which point it鈥檚 fair to say he will have earned a break.
鈥淏y the time the tour finishes I鈥檒l be 74, and there鈥檒l be so much more for me to do creatively, but it won鈥檛 be touring,鈥� he said. 鈥淒avid [his husband] and I sat down with a school schedule, and I thought, I don鈥檛 want to miss too much of this… When I stop, they鈥檙e going to be 10 and 8, and that鈥檚 a very important time of their lives. I see them a lot anyway. But I love them so much. I don鈥檛 want to miss them and I don鈥檛 want them to miss me.鈥�
But John is not retiring from making records—he expects to make 鈥渁 couple more albums鈥�—and didn鈥檛 rule out future concert performances. 鈥淚 would imagine it would be something like a residency, like Kate Bush did at the Hammersmith Apollo; she did three weeks. I don鈥檛 want to travel."
Neil Diamond
Diamond on January 22, following his diagnosis with Parkinson鈥檚 Disease. In a statement, Diamond said that he plans to keep for as long as his health allows. 鈥淚t is with great reluctance and disappointment that I announce my retirement from concert touring,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 have been so honored to bring my shows to the public for the past 50 years.鈥�
The last stage of Diamond鈥檚 world tour—in Australia and New Zealand—was set to begin in March, but that leg has been cancelled. His last public performance was on Dick Clark鈥檚 Rockin鈥� New Year鈥檚 Eve.
Aretha Franklin
Franklin will play her last concerts in 2018, she confirmed in an interview last year. 鈥淚 will be recording, but this will be my last year in concert,鈥� she told Detroit鈥檚 . 鈥溾淚 feel very, very enriched and satisfied with respect to where my career came from and where it is now. I鈥檒l be pretty much satisfied, but I鈥檓 not going to go anywhere and just sit down and do nothing. That wouldn鈥檛 be good either.鈥�
Franklin鈥檚 last concert is currently scheduled for June 2 in Boston. But as part of , she has expressed interest in opening a nightclub in downtown Detroit, and has noted that she would perform there should that dream come to pass.
Lynyrd Skynrd
The band will retire from touring after one last run of concerts, they announced in January. 鈥淚t鈥檚 hard to imagine, after all these years, the band that Ronnie Van Zant, Allen Collins and myself started back in Jacksonville, would resonate for this long and to so many generations of fans,鈥� guitarist Gary Rossington . 鈥淚鈥檓 certain they are looking down from above, amazed that the music has touched so many.鈥�
鈥淭he Last of the Street Survivors Farewell Tour鈥� will kick off on May 4 in West Palm Beach, Florida, and will conclude on September 1 in Atlanta, Georgia.
Paul Simon
Simon has hinted for some time that the end of the road might be close before making the official announcement, telling in 2016: 鈥淪howbiz doesn鈥檛 hold any interest for me.鈥� But it wasn鈥檛 until February 5 that he confirmed it.
鈥淚鈥檝e often wondered what it would feel like to reach the point where I鈥檇 consider bringing my performing career to a natural end,鈥� Simon wrote in . 鈥淣ow I know: it feels a little unsettling, a touch exhilarating, and something of a relief.鈥� He explained that the time away from his family was taking a toll, but that he hoped to do 鈥渢he occasional performance in a (hopefully) acoustically pristine hall, and to donate those earnings to various philanthropic organizations, particularly those whose objective is to save the planet.鈥�
Simon鈥檚 last show is set for July 15 at Hyde Park in London.
Elton John
John announced his retirement from touring on January 24th in an interview with , explaining that he wants to spend more time with his two children. But the decision isn鈥檛 effective immediately—he鈥檚 embarking on a three-year, 300-gig tour beginning in September of 2018, by which point it鈥檚 fair to say he will have earned a break.
鈥淏y the time the tour finishes I鈥檒l be 74, and there鈥檒l be so much more for me to do creatively, but it won鈥檛 be touring,鈥� he said. 鈥淒avid [his husband] and I sat down with a school schedule, and I thought, I don鈥檛 want to miss too much of this… When I stop, they鈥檙e going to be 10 and 8, and that鈥檚 a very important time of their lives. I see them a lot anyway. But I love them so much. I don鈥檛 want to miss them and I don鈥檛 want them to miss me.鈥�
But John is not retiring from making records—he expects to make 鈥渁 couple more albums鈥�—and didn鈥檛 rule out future concert performances. 鈥淚 would imagine it would be something like a residency, like Kate Bush did at the Hammersmith Apollo; she did three weeks. I don鈥檛 want to travel."
Neil Diamond
Diamond on January 22, following his diagnosis with Parkinson鈥檚 Disease. In a statement, Diamond said that he plans to keep for as long as his health allows. 鈥淚t is with great reluctance and disappointment that I announce my retirement from concert touring,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 have been so honored to bring my shows to the public for the past 50 years.鈥�
The last stage of Diamond鈥檚 world tour—in Australia and New Zealand—was set to begin in March, but that leg has been cancelled. His last public performance was on Dick Clark鈥檚 Rockin鈥� New Year鈥檚 Eve.
Aretha Franklin
Franklin will play her last concerts in 2018, she confirmed in an interview last year. 鈥淚 will be recording, but this will be my last year in concert,鈥� she told Detroit鈥檚 . 鈥溾淚 feel very, very enriched and satisfied with respect to where my career came from and where it is now. I鈥檒l be pretty much satisfied, but I鈥檓 not going to go anywhere and just sit down and do nothing. That wouldn鈥檛 be good either.鈥�
Franklin鈥檚 last concert is currently scheduled for June 2 in Boston. But as part of , she has expressed interest in opening a nightclub in downtown Detroit, and has noted that she would perform there should that dream come to pass.
Lynyrd Skynrd
The band will retire from touring after one last run of concerts, they announced in January. 鈥淚t鈥檚 hard to imagine, after all these years, the band that Ronnie Van Zant, Allen Collins and myself started back in Jacksonville, would resonate for this long and to so many generations of fans,鈥� guitarist Gary Rossington . 鈥淚鈥檓 certain they are looking down from above, amazed that the music has touched so many.鈥�
鈥淭he Last of the Street Survivors Farewell Tour鈥� will kick off on May 4 in West Palm Beach, Florida, and will conclude on September 1 in Atlanta, Georgia.
Paul Simon
Simon has hinted for some time that the end of the road might be close before making the official announcement, telling in 2016: 鈥淪howbiz doesn鈥檛 hold any interest for me.鈥� But it wasn鈥檛 until February 5 that he confirmed it.
鈥淚鈥檝e often wondered what it would feel like to reach the point where I鈥檇 consider bringing my performing career to a natural end,鈥� Simon wrote in . 鈥淣ow I know: it feels a little unsettling, a touch exhilarating, and something of a relief.鈥� He explained that the time away from his family was taking a toll, but that he hoped to do 鈥渢he occasional performance in a (hopefully) acoustically pristine hall, and to donate those earnings to various philanthropic organizations, particularly those whose objective is to save the planet.鈥�
Simon鈥檚 last show is set for July 15 at Hyde Park in London.
Elton John
John announced his retirement from touring on January 24th in an interview with , explaining that he wants to spend more time with his two children. But the decision isn鈥檛 effective immediately—he鈥檚 embarking on a three-year, 300-gig tour beginning in September of 2018, by which point it鈥檚 fair to say he will have earned a break.
鈥淏y the time the tour finishes I鈥檒l be 74, and there鈥檒l be so much more for me to do creatively, but it won鈥檛 be touring,鈥� he said. 鈥淒avid [his husband] and I sat down with a school schedule, and I thought, I don鈥檛 want to miss too much of this… When I stop, they鈥檙e going to be 10 and 8, and that鈥檚 a very important time of their lives. I see them a lot anyway. But I love them so much. I don鈥檛 want to miss them and I don鈥檛 want them to miss me.鈥�
But John is not retiring from making records—he expects to make 鈥渁 couple more albums鈥�—and didn鈥檛 rule out future concert performances. 鈥淚 would imagine it would be something like a residency, like Kate Bush did at the Hammersmith Apollo; she did three weeks. I don鈥檛 want to travel."
Neil Diamond
Diamond on January 22, following his diagnosis with Parkinson鈥檚 Disease. In a statement, Diamond said that he plans to keep for as long as his health allows. 鈥淚t is with great reluctance and disappointment that I announce my retirement from concert touring,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 have been so honored to bring my shows to the public for the past 50 years.鈥�
The last stage of Diamond鈥檚 world tour—in Australia and New Zealand—was set to begin in March, but that leg has been cancelled. His last public performance was on Dick Clark鈥檚 Rockin鈥� New Year鈥檚 Eve.
Aretha Franklin
Franklin will play her last concerts in 2018, she confirmed in an interview last year. 鈥淚 will be recording, but this will be my last year in concert,鈥� she told Detroit鈥檚 . 鈥溾淚 feel very, very enriched and satisfied with respect to where my career came from and where it is now. I鈥檒l be pretty much satisfied, but I鈥檓 not going to go anywhere and just sit down and do nothing. That wouldn鈥檛 be good either.鈥�
Franklin鈥檚 last concert is currently scheduled for June 2 in Boston. But as part of , she has expressed interest in opening a nightclub in downtown Detroit, and has noted that she would perform there should that dream come to pass.
Lynyrd Skynrd
The band will retire from touring after one last run of concerts, they announced in January. 鈥淚t鈥檚 hard to imagine, after all these years, the band that Ronnie Van Zant, Allen Collins and myself started back in Jacksonville, would resonate for this long and to so many generations of fans,鈥� guitarist Gary Rossington . 鈥淚鈥檓 certain they are looking down from above, amazed that the music has touched so many.鈥�
鈥淭he Last of the Street Survivors Farewell Tour鈥� will kick off on May 4 in West Palm Beach, Florida, and will conclude on September 1 in Atlanta, Georgia.
Paul Simon, Elton John and Aretha Franklin are among those who have announced their retirements this year
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Though we鈥檙e barely into the second month of 2018, there鈥檚 already been a huge amount of bittersweet news on the music front. Several beloved and iconic musicians have announced that they will be retiring this year, with many of their final shows slated for the spring and summer.
So that you can prepare yourself emotionally for all of this year鈥檚 farewells, here鈥檚 a running list of the musicians who have confirmed retirements in 2018.