# What is the oldest band that could have a full reunion of its original members? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 1, 2012, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-oldest-band-that-could-have-a-full-reunion-of-its-original-members/614421 "2012-03-01T03:26:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2012, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-oldest-band-that-could-have-a-full-reunion-of-its-original-members/614421/1 "2012-03-01T03:26:53Z")
The Davy Jones thread has me wondering this: The Monkees are now 3/4, the Beatles 2/4, and The Rolling Stones and the The Who and The Temptations and other bands that continue to tour periodically have lost members over the years. How far back do you have to go to find a band whose original line-up had more than two members, all of whom are still alive? (They don’t have to be together anymore.) I can think of several from the '80s but off-hand I’m having trouble getting further back than that. For original lineup, I’ll go with “were on the first major album the group had” in order to take out the Pete Bests and Stuart Sutcliffe “before they were famous” members. ---
**Author:** ![koeeoaddi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/koeeoaddi/32/408_2.png) [@koeeoaddi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koeeoaddi)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2012, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-oldest-band-that-could-have-a-full-reunion-of-its-original-members/614421/2 "2012-03-01T03:33:45Z")
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young? ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2012, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-oldest-band-that-could-have-a-full-reunion-of-its-original-members/614421/3 "2012-03-01T03:34:47Z")
Probably not the oldest but Kiss is from 1973 and still kickin’. Same year for AC/DC, also alive. ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2012, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-oldest-band-that-could-have-a-full-reunion-of-its-original-members/614421/4 "2012-03-01T03:38:59Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > Same year for AC/DC, also alive. Bon Scott died in 1980. ---
**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:** [March 1, 2012, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-oldest-band-that-could-have-a-full-reunion-of-its-original-members/614421/5 "2012-03-01T03:45:15Z")
Simon and Garfunkel? (I guess it depends on the definition of ‘band’). ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2012, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-oldest-band-that-could-have-a-full-reunion-of-its-original-members/614421/6 "2012-03-01T03:46:24Z")
CSN were not really a band on one view but in any event their first album was 1969. Cream put out their first in 1966. I’m sure there are much older bands with members all still alive though. ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2012, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-oldest-band-that-could-have-a-full-reunion-of-its-original-members/614421/7 "2012-03-01T03:54:06Z")
Just for fun, I looked at Doper **aha** ’s band, _The Five Americans_. Their first single was in 1965, but alas, as I went to their website, the front page has an “In Memoriam” for their drummer, Jimmy Wright, who died just a few weeks ago. P.S. As I look at Wikipedia, only Mike Rabon ( **aha** ) and keyboardist John Durrill are still with us. ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2012, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-oldest-band-that-could-have-a-full-reunion-of-its-original-members/614421/8 "2012-03-01T03:59:14Z")
Yes 1968 Jethro Tull 1967 Cream 1966 ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2012, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-oldest-band-that-could-have-a-full-reunion-of-its-original-members/614421/9 "2012-03-01T04:00:16Z")
> [@F.U.Shakespeare](#): > > Simon and Garfunkel? > > (I guess it depends on the definition of ‘band’). OP: “more than two members” ---
**Author:** ![spifflog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@spifflog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spifflog)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2012, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-oldest-band-that-could-have-a-full-reunion-of-its-original-members/614421/10 "2012-03-01T04:03:37Z")
The Seekers formed in 1962 and are all alive and are still performing together! Someone might beat them, but it would be hard I’d think. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2012, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-oldest-band-that-could-have-a-full-reunion-of-its-original-members/614421/11 "2012-03-01T04:11:04Z")
> [@Lamar\_Mundane](#): > > Bon Scott died in 1980. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2012, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-oldest-band-that-could-have-a-full-reunion-of-its-original-members/614421/12 "2012-03-01T04:17:53Z")
[Manfred Mann](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manfred_Mann) was formed in 1962 and had its first hit in 1964. As far as I can tell, all members still kicking. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2012, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-oldest-band-that-could-have-a-full-reunion-of-its-original-members/614421/13 "2012-03-01T04:35:51Z")
Do vocal groups count? Because [The Fleetwoods](http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p4274/biography) (formed 1958) seem to all be still among us. ---
**Author:** ![Steophan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steophan/32/9595_2.png) [@Steophan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steophan)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2012, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-oldest-band-that-could-have-a-full-reunion-of-its-original-members/614421/14 "2012-03-01T05:14:06Z")
> [@Spoke](#): > > [Manfred Mann](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manfred_Mann) was formed in 1962 and had its first hit in 1964. As far as I can tell, all members still kicking. Similarly [The Hollies](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hollies), formed in 1962 and had their first single in 1963. ---
**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:** [March 1, 2012, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-oldest-band-that-could-have-a-full-reunion-of-its-original-members/614421/15 "2012-03-01T05:50:05Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > How far back do you have to go to find a band whose original line-up had more than two members, all of whom are still alive? (They don’t have to be together anymore.) I can think of several from the '80s but off-hand I’m having trouble getting further back than that. They’re hardly the oldest, but U2 has been making music with the same line-up since sometime in the 70s. ---
**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:** [March 1, 2012, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-oldest-band-that-could-have-a-full-reunion-of-its-original-members/614421/16 "2012-03-01T06:11:44Z")
I’ve mentioned this one before: ZZ Top. Not only is it the same line-up from 1969 but they don’t even have to reform - they’re still performing together. ---
**Author:** ![Beastly\_Rotter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/45deac/32.png) [@Beastly\_Rotter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beastly_Rotter)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2012, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-oldest-band-that-could-have-a-full-reunion-of-its-original-members/614421/17 "2012-03-01T06:47:20Z")
All of the original Deep Purple are still with us, although the whereabouts of Rod Evans seems to be unknown. ---
**Author:** ![Art\_Rock](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/art_rock/32/525_2.png) [@Art\_Rock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Art_Rock)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2012, 9:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-oldest-band-that-could-have-a-full-reunion-of-its-original-members/614421/18 "2012-03-01T09:55:46Z")
Genesis (1967) is another one that still has all founding members alive and kicking. ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2012, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-oldest-band-that-could-have-a-full-reunion-of-its-original-members/614421/19 "2012-03-01T13:36:17Z")
I believe all the Four Lovers are still around. They began as the Variatones in 1954 and changed their name when they added Frankie Valli in 1956; they then changed their name again in 1960, to the Four Seasons. Later member Nick Massi has died, but I can’t find that any of the originals has passed. I will look more later. ---
**Author:** ![Lunar\_Saltlick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/977dab/32.png) [@Lunar\_Saltlick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lunar_Saltlick)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2012, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-oldest-band-that-could-have-a-full-reunion-of-its-original-members/614421/20 "2012-03-01T14:19:42Z")
Bachman and Cummings and Petersen are all still very much active, and I believe the original bassist is still going, and actually owns the Guess Who name. I think the Guess Who’s classic line-up first formed in the mid-sixties, when Cummings joined, but the band actually had its origins in the late fifties. It’s all in Randy Bachman’s book. So it’s tough to call the start, but mid-sixties at the very latest and possibly late-fifties. I saw Cummings and Bachman in concert a few years ago. Man, Bachman lost a lot of weight. He actually looked great at sixty-something. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-oldest-band-that-could-have-a-full-reunion-of-its-original-members/614421.md?page=2)