When should entertainers call it quits? It’s entirely up to them and whatever reasons they may have for carrying on. Some need/want the money, some enjoy performing for an audience.
I wonder what she thinks of the Rolling Stones, the Grateful Dead, Tina Turner, Cher, The Who, Aerosmith, and countless other geriatric rock performers who are still giving stage performances well past their 50s and 60s.
She’s pretty much stuck to her guns for the most part other than a few occasions where she’s gotten together with the band to sing for a special occasion. Earlier this year it occurred to me that the Rolling Stones have outlasted most of the the jokes about them being old. Those were fairly common jokes throughout the 90s but I guess they became so hackneyed and unfunny that most people don’t make them anymore. Or maybe they were always hackneyed and unfunny?
I wonder for Grace if part of it was that she thought it was pathetic for someone to be on stage in their 50s singing the same songs they were singing in their 20s. At some point Billie Joel was asked about new music and he said something like, “Nobody comes to my concerts wanting to hear anything new from me. They want to hear the songs they already know.” Back when Cracked was a halfway decent website they had an article titled [Realities of the Rock Star Life 50 Years After Fame | Cracked.com](https://Realities of the Rock Star Life 50 Years After Fame). The article is about a member of Herman’s Hermits who was still touring as of 2017. Dude wasn’t an original member of the band but just one of the many replacements made over the years.
No, the Steel Wheelchairs Tour joke is still funny. And still relevant.
Especially as IMO they haven’t made good new music since, oh, about 1983.
I saw Gordon Lightfoot perform at age 80. His voice is not what it was, but it sure was a joy to see and hear him sing “If you could read my mind”, “Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald”, “Sundown”, and other great old stuff, plus some new musings of his. If he comes to down again, I’ll go see him again.
I live in constant terror of the day I wake up to the news that Alice Cooper isn’t touring anymore. Seeing him every year is one of my greatest pleasures, and it doesn’t matter how old he is. Just saw him Friday and it was fantastic.
This. Performing is their job. There is no reason to expect them to be mega-stars of the past. If they enjoy working and there is a fan base that still appreciates their talents, they should continue to share their creative endeavors.
My God! That was Awful! I regret clicking on that link, for sure.
My wife and I saw Pat Benatar/Giraldo about a year and a half ago, just before the pandemic. Even tho she is now someone’s grandmother, it was still awesome and fun.
And yet, she was 50+ when Jefferson Airplane released their 1989 album, and toured supporting it. Jefferson Airplane was their final album and tour as the (mostly) original lineup, 17 years after their previous release. I bet making some cash was one of the motivators for “getting the band back together” one more time. IMHO it’s not a horrible release, but definitely not of the same caliber as some of their previous work at their peak.
What was awful, the ABBA link, or the Quarterflash link?
I saw the holographic ABBA video. It doesn’t do justice to their old songs, that’s for sure. And what’s wrong with being 70 years old, and looking like it?
1/4 Flush*. Bad Sax, Bad Singing… just Bad.
It was like a Beckwreck thread.
*Left a turd in the bowl
And you know what? I wanna go on record (since I been long into the Pints) and say that Chrissie Hynde is a Shit singer. There.
I only came back to edit and spell her name right in respect to Martin, James and Pete.