You can add the Eagles to the growing list of 70s rock acts slowly winding up their touring careers.
The Eagles have announced a long farewell tour through 2025 with opening act Steely Dan. They are each managed by super manager Irving Azoff, who also counts Fleetwood Mac and Earth Wind and Fire among his legendary stars.
Of course, The Eagles are lacking a key player in Glenn Frey, who died a few years ago. Steely Dan is missing Walter Becker. Fleetwood Mac lost Christine McVie and got rid of Lindsey Buckingham.
Everyone has gotten a lot older.
Paul Simon stopped touring a couple of years ago. Aerosmith and KISS have each announced they are wrapping things up soon.
But some perennials keep on going. Sting is working nonstop. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, the Rolling Stones, Ringo Starr and his All Starr Band, and likely Paul McCartney are not ready to say goodbye yet. U2 is settling into a Vegas residency.
What’s kind of interesting is that the ones who are done also get tons of royalty money from radio play. But the singers still out there on the hustings — and are in their 80s now — depend on gig money to keep going. (They also enjoy performing.) But Diana Ross, Gladys Knight, Patti Labelle — all still touring. Dionne Warwick, ditto. Judy Collins is 84 years young and selling out venues all over the country. (Smokey Robinson still tours, but he does get radio money.) Tom Jones is over 80 and working hard. Frankie Valli is 90 and he keeps going.
This is all because legislation to get a radio performance royalty is constantly stopped by the National Association of Broadcasters. They don’t want to pay performers on their stations, and they fight this with millions of dollars and top lobbyists. The result is dozens if not hundreds of performers, all who should be able to choose retirement, staying out on the road.
So congrats to the ones who can hang up their sequins and tell the roadies good night. And we’ll just keep supporting all the great 60s and 70s singers who are still out there.
