# Oldest Main Stream Musician Still Kicking? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 19, 2012, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-main-stream-musician-still-kicking/613320 "2012-02-19T13:13:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Myglaren](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f1d935/32.png) [@Myglaren](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Myglaren)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2012, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-main-stream-musician-still-kicking/613320/21 "2012-02-19T15:19:05Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > Does anybody here remember Vera Lynn? Yep, vividly. ---
**Author:** ![F.U.Shakespeare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aca169/32.png) [@F.U.Shakespeare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.U.Shakespeare)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2012, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-main-stream-musician-still-kicking/613320/22 "2012-02-19T15:34:15Z")
> [@Myglaren](#): > > [Acker Bilk](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acker_Bilk), 83. > There was an interview with him last week where he said that he was sick of ‘Stranger On The Shore’ Acker performed on The Ed Sullivan Show on February 23, 1964, the night of the Beatles’ third appearance there. It would have been hard to imagine that he’d survive (at least) two of them. ---
**Author:** ![Enuma\_Elish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5e9695/32.png) [@Enuma\_Elish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enuma_Elish)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2012, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-main-stream-musician-still-kicking/613320/23 "2012-02-19T15:35:04Z")
I was going to say Les Paul when a tiny death-pool voice said: “Wait a minute now…” ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2012, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-main-stream-musician-still-kicking/613320/24 "2012-02-19T15:44:45Z")
**Jerry Lee Lewis** is 76 (Who would have guessed, with his lifestyle, that he’d be the last survivor among the [Million Dollar Quartet](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Million_Dollar_Quartet)?) **Little Richard** is 79 **The Everly Brothers** are 73 and 75 **Earl Scruggs** is 86 **Kitty Wells** , onetime queen of country music, is 92 ---
**Author:** ![Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/le_ministre_de_l_au-dela/32/12181_2.png) [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2012, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-main-stream-musician-still-kicking/613320/25 "2012-02-19T16:01:27Z")
**[Sonny Rollins](http://www.sonnyrollins.com/itinerary.php)** will turn 82 this year, and he’s still touring. [Roy Haynes](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roy_Haynes), seen [here](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-vc6AUeLi0) tap dancing with Jack DeJohnette at the NEA Jazz Masters’ Awards, turns 87 this year. [Bucky Pizzarelli](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bucky_Pizzarelli) is now 86. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2012, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-main-stream-musician-still-kicking/613320/26 "2012-02-19T16:02:56Z")
**Doris Day** , who released an album last year at the age of 87. ---
**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:** [February 19, 2012, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-main-stream-musician-still-kicking/613320/27 "2012-02-19T17:53:44Z")
[Roy Clark](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roy_Clark), 78, performed two concerts this month and has several more scheduled for this year. He’s been playing professionally since 1950, so his career is now in its seventh decade. ---
**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:** [February 19, 2012, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-main-stream-musician-still-kicking/613320/28 "2012-02-19T17:58:12Z")
Another longevity record must belong to ZZ Top. I was in Houston last week and their concert there this month was being advertised. The line-up of Billy Gibbons, Dusty Hill, and Frank Beard have been performing together since 1969. ---
**Author:** ![missred](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/missred/32/14096_2.png) [@missred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missred)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2012, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-main-stream-musician-still-kicking/613320/29 "2012-02-19T18:36:20Z")
> [@Steophan](#): > > George Jones is 80, and still performs. > > Ralph Stanley is 84, and also still touring. > > I suspect there will be a few country or bluegrass performers even older, but I can’t think of any more in their 80s. > > ETA Pete Seeger is 92, and was still active a couple of years ago. Doc Watson is still doing limited touring and he’ll be 89 in a couple of weeks. ---
**Author:** ![sitchensis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sitchensis/32/4892_2.png) [@sitchensis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sitchensis)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2012, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-main-stream-musician-still-kicking/613320/30 "2012-02-19T18:44:40Z")
> [@freckafree](#): > > How about [Tony Bennett](http://tonybennett.com/), 85? Good lord, the man is still touring! Still playing 8 shows a month. I just looked at his schedule, in the next two months; New York, Minnesota, Florida, Australia…. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2012, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-main-stream-musician-still-kicking/613320/31 "2012-02-19T19:05:42Z")
based on this thread i checked. Vera Lynn is the oldest mentioned here at 94. Pete Seeger at 92 is the oldest performer being on a compilation album released this year. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2012, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-main-stream-musician-still-kicking/613320/32 "2012-02-19T19:29:12Z")
Did I whoosh the old people ?😃 ---
**Author:** ![xenophon41](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xenophon41/32/253_2.png) [@xenophon41](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xenophon41)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2012, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-main-stream-musician-still-kicking/613320/33 "2012-02-19T19:35:06Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > Did I whoosh the old people ?😃 Yes. We were flummoxed by your reference to a 30-year-old song lyric from the career heyday of a popular 1970’s and 80’s band, written by a now 68 year old musician. ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2012, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-main-stream-musician-still-kicking/613320/34 "2012-02-19T20:02:46Z")
If you’re willing to consider “Classical” music, two-time Pulitzer-prize-winning American composer [Elliott Carter](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elliott_Carter) turned 103 last December, and is still composing prolifically, with commissions and performances from major orchestras and institutions all over the world. ---
**Author:** ![sco3tt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@sco3tt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sco3tt)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2012, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-main-stream-musician-still-kicking/613320/35 "2012-02-19T21:21:39Z")
[Ray Price](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Price_(musician)) is still touring at 86. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2012, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-main-stream-musician-still-kicking/613320/36 "2012-02-19T21:29:22Z")
> [@Enuma\_Elish](#): > > I was going to say Les Paul when a tiny death-pool voice said: “Wait a minute now…” I immediately thought of [Les Paul](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Les_paul). I knew he had died recently, but before he did, he was very much “still kicking” into his 90s. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2012, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-main-stream-musician-still-kicking/613320/37 "2012-02-19T21:31:56Z")
[Dave Brubeck’](http://www.davebrubeck.com/live/) most recent show was August of last year. He’s _92_. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2012, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-main-stream-musician-still-kicking/613320/38 "2012-02-19T23:00:24Z")
> [@xenophon41](#): > > Yes. We were flummoxed by your reference to a 30-year-old song lyric from the career heyday of a popular 1970’s and 80’s band, written by a now 68 year old musician. Didn’t realize you were one of the ones who replied. Must have missed that. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2012, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-main-stream-musician-still-kicking/613320/39 "2012-02-19T23:18:52Z")
[Chuck Berry](http://www.facebook.com/ChuckBerry)is 86 and still plays live about once a month. ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2012, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-main-stream-musician-still-kicking/613320/40 "2012-02-19T23:43:11Z")
> [@Cicero](#): > > I was thinking of that old bat Tina Turner, and possibly Gerry Marsden from Gerry and the Pacemakers. Only one of the original band is left, so it’s just Gerry and his pacemaker now. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-main-stream-musician-still-kicking/613320.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-main-stream-musician-still-kicking/613320.md?page=3)