27 Rockers Going Strong After 70
Paul Simon was just 26 years old when he looked his distant future with Art Garfunkel on the song “Old Friends.” “Can you imagine us years from today sharing a park bench silently?” he wrote. “How terribly strange to be seventy.”
That “terribly strange” birthday arrived in October of 2011, and Paul wasn’t exactly a mute, geriatric figure on a park bench. He was on tour promoting his fantastic new album So Beautiful or So What, singing and playing as well as ever. And he’s far from alone. Many of his peers have crossed the seventy threshold in recent years, and most of them are still touring and recording. Here’s a look at 30 rock stars past their 70th birthday.
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Mick Jagger (70)
Birthday: 7/26/43
Age When First Single Came Out: 19
Age When Inducted Into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: 44
Most Recent Album: SuperHeavy
Last Top 40 Hit: "Rock and a Hard Place" (1989)
Current Status: The Rolling Stones toured this year, and more dates seem quite likely for 2014. -
Robbie Robertson (70)
Birthday: 7/5/43
Age When First Single Came Out: 21
Age When Inducted Into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: 51
Most Recent Album: How to Become Clairvoyant (2011)
Last Top 40 Hit: "Don't Do It" (1972)
Current Status: He hasn't toured since The Band broke up, but Robertson does release very occasional solo albums. He has served as music supervisor on many recent movies by Martin Scorsese. -
Al Jardine (71)
Birthday: 9/3/42
Age When First Single Came Out: 19
Age When Inducted Into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: 45
Most Recent Album: That's Why God Made the Radio (2012)
Last Top 40 Hit: "Kokomo" (1988)
Current Status: Jardine left the Beach Boys in 1998, but participated in the 2012 reunion tour and is now on the road with Brian Wilson. -
Brian Wilson (71)
Birthday: 6/20/42
Age When First Single Came Out: 18
Age When Inducted Into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: 45
Most Recent Album: That's Why God Made the Radio (2012)
Last Top 40 Hit: " Getcha Back" (1985)
Current Status: He's now touring with fellow Beach Boys Al Jardine and David Marks along with Jeff Beck, who plays on his upcoming solo album. -
Aretha Franklin (71)
Birthday: 3/25/42
Age When First Single Came Out: 14
Age When Inducted Into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: 45
Most Recent Album: A Woman Falling Out of Love (2011)
Last Top 40 Hit: "A Rose Is Still a Rose" (1998)
Current Status: A medical scare a couple of years ago had media outlets practically writing her obituary, but Franklin survived and is now back on the road. -
Graham Nash (71)
Birthday: 2/2/42
Age When First Single Came Out: 21
Age When Inducted Into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: 45
Most Recent Album: Crosby & Nash (2004)
Last Top 40 Hit: "Southern Cross" (1982)
Current Status: He just released a memoir and is on a rare solo tour. -
Paul McCartney (71)
Birthday: 6/18/42
Age When First Single Came Out: 20
Age When Inducted Into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: 45
Most Recent Album: New (2013)
Last Top 40 Hit: "My Brave Face" (1989)
Current Status: He just released a new album and still stages marathon, three-hour stadium concerts all over the world. -
Art Garfunkel (71)
Birthday: 11/5/41
Age When First Single Came Out: 16
Age When Inducted Into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: 48
Most Recent Album: Some Enchanted Evening (2007)
Last Top 40 Hit: "Wonderful World"(1978)
Current Status: Vocal problems have largely taken him off the road, but he still performs the occasional one-off show. Simon and Garfunkel last toured in 2010. -
Paul Simon (72)
Birthday: 10/13/41
Age When First Single Came Out: 16
Age When Inducted Into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: 48
Most Recent Album: So Beautiful of So What (2011)
Last Top 40 Hit: "You Can Call Me Al" (1986)
Current Status: He recently celebrated the 25th anniversary of Graceland with a box set and a European tour where he played the album straight through. -
Bob Dylan (72)
Birthday: 5/24/41
Age When First Single Came Out: 21
Age When Inducted Into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: 46
Most Recent Album: Tempest (2012)
Last Top 40 Hit: "Gotta Serve Somebody" (1979)
Current Status: He's been on the Never Ending Tour since the summer of 1988, and it's living full up to it's name. -
David Crosby (72)
Birthday: 8/14/41
Age When First Single Came Out: 23
Age When Inducted Into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: 48
Most Recent Album: Crosby & Nash (2004)
Last Top 40 Hit: "Southern Cross" (1982)
Current Status: Crosby, Stills and Nash tour every single year, and Crosby is finishing up his first solo album in twenty years. -
Charlie Watts (72)
Birthday: 6/2/41
Age When First Single Came Out: 22
Age When Inducted Into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: 46
Most Recent Album: A Bigger Bang (2005)
Last Top 40 Hit: "Rock and a Hard Place" (1989)
Current Status: He survived throat cancer in 2005, and continues to tour with his jazz band when the Rolling Stones aren't active. -
Mike Love (72)
Birthday: 3/15/41
Age When First Single Came Out: 20
Age When Inducted Into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: 47
Most Recent Album: That's Why God Made the Radio (2012)
Last Top 40 Hit: "Kokomo" (1988)
Current Status: He buried the hatchet with cousin Brian Wilson for a 2012 Beach Boys reunion tour, but he once again tours as "The Beach Boys" without any other original members. -
Neil Diamond (72)
Birthday: 1/24/41
Age When First Single Came Out: 21
Age When Inducted Into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: 70
Most Recent Album: Dreams (2010)
Last Top 40 Hit: "Heartlight" (1982)
Current Status: He celebrated the 40th anniversary of his landmark live album Hot August Night with an American tour in the summer of 2012. -
Eric Burdon (72)
Birthday: 5/11/41
Age When First Single Came Out: 22
Age When Inducted Into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: 52
Most Recent Album: 'Til Your River Runs Dry (2013)
Last Top 40 Hit: "Spill the Wine" (1970)
Current Status: He continues to tour heavily with a new lineup of The Animals. -
Ringo Starr (73)
Birthday: 7/7/40
Age When First Single Came Out: 22
Age When Inducted Into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: 47
Most Recent Album: Ringo 2012 (2012)
Last Top 40 Hit: "Wrack My Brain" (1981)
Current Status: Every couple of years he tours with a new All Starr Band. -
Phil Lesh (73)
Birthday: 3/15/40
Age When First Single Came Out: 26
Age When Inducted Into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: 44
Most Recent Album: There and Back Again (2002)
Last Top 40 Hit: "Touch of Grey" (1987)
Current Status: Lesh and Bob Weir tour heavily with their band Furthur, and Phil Lesh & Friends play the occasional gig. -
Smokey Robinson (73)
Birthday: 2/19/40
Age When First Single Came Out: 19
Age When Inducted Into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: 46
Most Recent Album: Time Flies When You're Having Fun (2009)
Last Top 40 Hit: "One Heartbeat" (1987)
Current Status: Robinson tours year round, performing songs from his solo career as well as Miracles classics and songs he wrote for other artists, such as "My Girl" for the Temptations. -
Dion DiMucci (74)
Birthday: 7/18/39
Age When First Single Came Out: 18
Age When Inducted Into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: 49
Most Recent Album: Tank Full of Blues (2012)
Last Top 40 Hit: "Abraham, Martin and John" (1968)
Current Status: Dion only performs a handful of times a year, but he continues to release blues albums. He opened up for Bob Dylan at a series of shows in 2009. -
Don Everly (76)
Birthday: 2/1/37
Age When First Single Came Out: 19
Age When Inducted Into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: 49
Most Recent Album: Some Hearts (1988)
Last Top 40 Hit: "Bowling Green" (1967)
Current Status: The Everly Brothers toured with Simon and Garfunkel in 2003 and 2004, but have been almost completely off the scene since the tour wrapped and are essentially retired. -
Garth Hudson (76)
Birthday: 8/2/37
Age When First Single Came Out: 28
Age When Inducted Into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: 57
Most Recent Album: Garth Hudson Presents: A Canadian Celebration of The Band (2010)
Last Top 40 Hit: "Don't Do It" (1972)
Current Status: Hudson is a busy session musician, recording with everybody from Neko Case to the Secret Machines. -
Jerry Lee Lewis (78)
Birthday: 9/29/35
Age When First Single Came Out: 21
Age When Inducted Into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: 50
Most Recent Album: Mean Old Man (2010)
Last Top 40 Hit: "Me and Bobby McGee" (1971)
Current Status: The Killer's once busy concert schedule has been reduced to a tiny number of gigs a year. -
Frankie Valli (79)
Birthday: 5/3/34
Age When First Single Came Out: 19
Age When Inducted Into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: 56
Most Recent Album: Romancing the '60s (2007)
Last Top 40 Hit: "Grease" (1978)
Current Status: Valli is still hitting the high notes with a new lineup of the Four Seasons. He also acts occasionally and even appeared on an episode of The Sopranos. -
Leonard Cohen (79)
Birthday: 9/21/34
Age When First Single Came Out: 33
Age When Inducted Into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: 73
Most Recent Album: Old Ideas (2012)
Last Top 40 Hit: "None
Current Status: He heads to Australia at the end of this year for another leg of his Old Ideas tour. -
Little Richard (80)
Birthday: 12/2/32
Age When First Single Came Out: 23
Age When Inducted Into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: 53
Most Recent Album: Shake It All About (1992)
Last Top 40 Hit: "Ooh! My Soul" (1958)
Current Status: Little Richard has been plagued by health problems in recent years and is largely confined to a wheelchair, but still makes occasional brief live appearances. -
Fats Domino (85)
Birthday: 2/26/28
Age When First Single Came Out: 21
Age When Inducted Into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: 57
Most Recent Album: Christmas Is A Special Day (1993)
Last Top 40 Hit: "Red Sails In The Sunset" (1963)
Current Status: Domino has retired from performing, but he did recently appear as himself on an episode of Treme. -
Chuck Berry (86)
Birthday: 10/18/26
Age When First Single Came Out: 28
Age When Inducted Into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: 59
Most Recent Album: Rock It (1979)
Last Top 40 Hit: "My Ding-a-Ling" (1972)
Current Status: Berry performs once a month at Blueberry Hill in his native St. Louis.