Heard on the radio yesterday, that ABBA is releasing a new album and doing a virtual concert with ABBA-tars, where they’re singing, but are replaced by holographic versions of their younger selves. https://www.ft.com/content/b54e81f0-e708-4a04-826b-935f642b78bd
While I’m impressed by Rindy Ross’ of Quarterflash appearance at 60 in 2011 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_r3E0srIGws. Her voice, while close to her prime, shows signs of age. Same with her appearance, which is remarkable, but it shatters my memories of her nearly 40 years earlier.
Same with Cream. I got into Cream in the late 70’s and was super excited about their 2005 reunion. Again, as great as the their playing was, it’s wasn’t like their live work in the 60’s. The basics of their singing and playing was the same, but it was obvious that this wasn’t the same band that played with and sometimes against each other in their live jams.
IMO, some things, especially music are best left to the time they were from.
I’ve seen Sam Myers, Son Seals, link Wray, Koko Taylor, Pinetop Perkins, and others perform their “final tour” (dead a year later or less) and enjoyed them all. Many old time blues musicians played to pay the rent.
I saw B.B. King in his prime, then again decades later mostly confined to his chair. Both were great shows.
On April 17, 1987, during a performance at University of California, San Diego’s Mandeville Hall, Shawn suffered a heart attack and collapsed face-down on the stage. The audience initially assumed that it was part of his act; but after he had remained motionless on the stage for several minutes, a stage hand examined him and asked if a physician was present.[6]
After CPR had been initiated, the audience was asked to leave the auditorium. Most in attendance remained, still assuming that it was all part of Shawn’s act and only began leaving after paramedics arrived.[6] A notice in the following day’s San Diego Union newspaper announced that Shawn had died during the performance at the age of 63.[7] Shawn was interred at Hillside Memorial Park, a Jewish cemetery in Culver City, California.[8].
In a lot of cases, members of formerly-popular musical acts may not be as well-off as you might think, and touring may be one of the best tools they have to make money now. Yes, some of them may have blown their fortunes on drugs, women, etc., but others may not have made much money in the first place – it’s not uncommon for musicians to have been working under contracts which gave most of the control of their work (and most of the money) to their record labels, or their managers.
As @kayaker notes, as long as fans still want to see them perform, and as long as they’re still able to do so, more power to them.
Heck, Tony Bennett just announced his retirement from performing concerts, and what appears to be his final album (another collaboration with Lady Gaga) comes out next month; he’s 95.
I think it was Grace Slick who retired saying it would be sad for someone in their 50s or 60s to be on stage singing rock and roll. Personally I think entertainers should keep on entertaining for as long as they have the desire and ability to perform. Though at times it does seem sad to hear a bunch of people in their 60s singing songs about teenage love. I had to smile when I watched the OP’s linked video of Rinny Ross singing “Harden My Heart.” It’s weird that someone’s Nana would be singing that song though it’s even weirder that 60 does seem so old to me anymore.
There are a few examples of where I think the entertainer should have retired. When Dick Clark returned to host his New Year’s Rockin’ Eve following his stroke he was difficult to understand and it was just kind of sad. He just wasn’t able to be an effective host and it was kind of sad.
R.E.M.'s guitarist emeritus, Peter Buck (can’t believe it’s been 10 years since they called it quits!) has said, “For me, not performing is like not breathing,” which is why he plays a lot of club dates with assorted performers.
At least one of them runs an ABBA dinner theater. I saw it in Better Late Than Never. As an FYI William Shatner got a bigger round of applause than the ABBA guy did when they showed up as a group.
This was the situation that Leonard Cohen faced in his old age. His manager had stolen most of his money, so he had to begin recording new albums and touring in his 70s. I’m sure it wasn’t much fun for him, but for us fans it was fortunate that this happened. IMHO he did his best work in his 70s. I’m still kicking myself that I missed his show in Austin in 2014, when he was 78 years old.
Then the lights begin to flicker and the sound is getting dim
The voice begins to falter and the crowds are getting thin
But he never seems to notice, he’s just got to find another place to play
Attending a concert is more about the atmosphere than the actual music part of the performance, I’d say.
I always had a recording at home (vinyl LP back then) that provided better quality music than the live performance did. Often I could barely hear the music over the audience noise, and I wondered if the group could even hear themselves.
But I still enjoyed those concerts immensely. So the fact that their voice isn’t as good as it was 30, 40, or 50 years ago, and their actions on-stage are probably slowed down hardly matters! I come for the performance & presence, even knowing it’s different (and probably inferior) to the studio recording. So as long as they can perform, the audience will still come – canes, walkers, hearing aids included.
Speaking of which, I took my teenage son to see The Who at Madison Square Garden a few years ago. Amazing show, and I’m so grateful for the chance for me to see them again and for him to experience the live wonder of a band he grew up listening to so darn much. (And he wears the t-shirt all the damn time) ETA: yes, the way they played and sang was different than before, but the adaptations were interesting!
Like @kayaker, I’ve seen B.B. King several times, and he was seated for most of the show for the last one…and he tore the house down!
And guys, if you’ve never seen Billy Joel do one of his MSG in-residence shows, you’re missing out on something very very special (even if you are not the biggest Billy Joel fan)
I’ve also seen some older musicians do acts that were fair-to-middling, but the shows were still worth my time.
So, yeah. Count me in amongst the “as long as they want to” crowd
I cant remember the band but in an interview the lead singer was talking about how they hated touring so much that they didn’t tour for 2 or 3 albums and they ended up being so bored that they were playing covers on open mic nights under a fake name in dive bars and realized even if touring wasn’t their most favorite thing in the world it was a realization of " hey that’s what musicians do we go out on tour " and went on a 3 year "we’re not dead "world tour
I hope they would have most of their musical prowess still intact or wisely leave a good memory alone. Music for me is about listening, not watching. Still got the voice, skills, etc.? I’m listening. I don’t particularly like Phil but if I did, I wouldn’t feel cheated that he sang from a chair. We’re all getting older, so belt it out if you can.