# Bands that formed in the 60s or earlier whose founding members are all still alive **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 11, 2009, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-formed-in-the-60s-or-earlier-whose-founding-members-are-all-still-alive/517192 "2009-11-11T16:01:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2009, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-formed-in-the-60s-or-earlier-whose-founding-members-are-all-still-alive/517192/21 "2009-11-11T18:36:21Z")
Can we count the Firesign Theatre as a “band”? ---
**Author:** ![Valgard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/7feea3/32.png) [@Valgard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Valgard)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2009, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-formed-in-the-60s-or-earlier-whose-founding-members-are-all-still-alive/517192/22 "2009-11-11T18:54:54Z")
> [@TreacherousCretin](#): > > No way. Ancient history, but IIRC Brian Jones and Ian Stewart were the defacto founders of the group that was joined by Mick, Keith, Charlie, and Bill. Shortly before they hit the big time Ian was demoted to “unofficial” member status. > > ANYWAY, Brian died in 1968. Ian passed in 1985. > . (Smacks head) ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2009, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-formed-in-the-60s-or-earlier-whose-founding-members-are-all-still-alive/517192/23 "2009-11-11T19:05:01Z")
Aerosmith was formed in 1970 so it’s not a sixties band. But all of its members, past and present, are still alive. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2009, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-formed-in-the-60s-or-earlier-whose-founding-members-are-all-still-alive/517192/24 "2009-11-11T19:11:41Z")
Another near-sixties band - all of the Eagles (formed in 1971) are still alive. ---
**Author:** ![Ichbin\_Dubist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/51bf81/32.png) [@Ichbin\_Dubist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ichbin_Dubist)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2009, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-formed-in-the-60s-or-earlier-whose-founding-members-are-all-still-alive/517192/25 "2009-11-11T19:14:36Z")
The Holy Modal Rounders. I think. (Peter Stampfel has a shot at being the most well-known person without a Wikipedia page.) At least one of the guys on _Safe As Milk_ is dead, but the lineup of Captain Beefheart’s Magic Band circa _Trout Mask Replica_ are all alive. (OK, those 2 are pretty obscure.) Surprised that two founding members of Buffalo Springfield are deceased. And I was going to go with The New Lost City Ramblers, formed 1958, but apparently Mike Seeger died a few months ago. Sorry to hear it. ---
**Author:** ![Sparky812](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Sparky812](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sparky812)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2009, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-formed-in-the-60s-or-earlier-whose-founding-members-are-all-still-alive/517192/26 "2009-11-11T19:16:39Z")
Scorpions ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2009, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-formed-in-the-60s-or-earlier-whose-founding-members-are-all-still-alive/517192/27 "2009-11-11T19:19:29Z")
I think all of the members of Gerry & the Pacemakers (formed in 1959) are still alive. Gerry Marsden, Freddie Marsden, Les Chadwick, and Les Maguire all are. But while I couldn’t find any mention of Arthur Mack’s death I also couldn’t confirm he’s still living. ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2009, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-formed-in-the-60s-or-earlier-whose-founding-members-are-all-still-alive/517192/28 "2009-11-11T19:23:35Z")
> [@want2know](#): > > The Four Seasons > > (Pretty sure about these–no cites in wikipedia regarding the deaths of any original members.) No, [Nick Massi](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nick_Massi), who sang bass, died in 2000. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2009, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-formed-in-the-60s-or-earlier-whose-founding-members-are-all-still-alive/517192/29 "2009-11-11T19:26:36Z")
> [@](#): > > I think all of the members of Gerry & the Pacemakers (formed in 1959) are still alive. Gerry Marsden, Freddie Marsden, Les Chadwick, and Les Maguire all are. But while I couldn’t find any mention of Arthur Mack’s death I also couldn’t confirm he’s still living. Sorry. While doing some more searching for Mack, I found out that my information on Freddie Marsden is out of date. He died in 2006. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2009, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-formed-in-the-60s-or-earlier-whose-founding-members-are-all-still-alive/517192/30 "2009-11-11T19:28:16Z")
Kraftwerk formed in 1970, although the two founders Florian Schneider and Ralf Hutter had collaborated in other groups before this. They are both still alive although Florian is no longer in the group. ---
**Author:** ![Labdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Labdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labdad)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2009, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-formed-in-the-60s-or-earlier-whose-founding-members-are-all-still-alive/517192/31 "2009-11-11T21:44:51Z")
Alvin Lee, Ric Lee, Chick Churchill, and Leo Lyons - the original members of Ten Years After - are all still with us. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2009, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-formed-in-the-60s-or-earlier-whose-founding-members-are-all-still-alive/517192/32 "2009-11-11T22:53:32Z")
Simon, Alvin, and Theodore are all still alive and the Chipmunks were founded in 1958. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2009, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-formed-in-the-60s-or-earlier-whose-founding-members-are-all-still-alive/517192/33 "2009-11-12T01:22:00Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Simon, Alvin, and Theodore are all still alive and the Chipmunks were founded in 1958. But David Seville\* died long ago. All members of [Pentangle](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pentangle_%28band%29) (first album: 1968) are still alive. For a group better known for hits, there’s the [The Spencer Davis Group](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spencer_Davis_Group) (“I’m a Man” and “Gimme Some Loving”) \*Cousin to William Saroyan, Seville (nee Ross Bagdasarian) also appeared in Hitchcock’s rear window as the composer character. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2009, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-formed-in-the-60s-or-earlier-whose-founding-members-are-all-still-alive/517192/34 "2009-11-12T01:33:34Z")
Creedence Clearwater Revival John Fogerty, Stu Cook and Doug Clifford are still alive Tom Fogerty died in 1990 CCR played at Woodstock but they aren’t in the documentary movie. ---
**Author:** ![Sateryn76](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@Sateryn76](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sateryn76)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2009, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-formed-in-the-60s-or-earlier-whose-founding-members-are-all-still-alive/517192/35 "2009-11-12T01:34:26Z")
Steely Dan. Mr. Fagen and Mr. Becker are very much alive - they rocked my socks off last Saturday night 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2009, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-formed-in-the-60s-or-earlier-whose-founding-members-are-all-still-alive/517192/36 "2009-11-12T01:40:42Z")
Their original bassist (who left the group within two years of their formation) is dead, but otherwise, The Moody Blues members are all still alive and kicking. ---
**Author:** ![Coalcracker0](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b38774/32.png) [@Coalcracker0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coalcracker0)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2009, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-formed-in-the-60s-or-earlier-whose-founding-members-are-all-still-alive/517192/37 "2009-11-12T02:16:17Z")
Jefferson Airplane ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2009, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-formed-in-the-60s-or-earlier-whose-founding-members-are-all-still-alive/517192/38 "2009-11-12T03:19:09Z")
> [@Coalcracker0](#): > > Jefferson Airplane Nope. Both original drummer Skip Spence and his replacement, Spencer Dryden, are dead. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2009, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-formed-in-the-60s-or-earlier-whose-founding-members-are-all-still-alive/517192/39 "2009-11-12T03:30:28Z")
The Doors! Elvis! (They tour regularly. Andy Kaufman warms up the crowd.) ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2009, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-formed-in-the-60s-or-earlier-whose-founding-members-are-all-still-alive/517192/40 "2009-11-12T04:02:22Z")
Given that the OP specifies bands that formed in the 1960’s, and that most founding band members are in their 20’s, most of these people are approaching or in their 70’s. Even ignoring the stresses of the ‘rock star’ lifestyle, just looking at the life expectancy of males born in the 1940’s, you would expect to see many of them dying about now. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-formed-in-the-60s-or-earlier-whose-founding-members-are-all-still-alive/517192.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-formed-in-the-60s-or-earlier-whose-founding-members-are-all-still-alive/517192.md?page=3)