Beloved Classic Rock Band Announces Retirement
A beloved classic rock band is calling it quits. – Author: Cat Badra, Photo via Richard Stow
It’s always a bittersweet thing when a beloved classic rock band calls it quits. On one hand, every band has to retire at some point, and if that band has been around long enough to have a big fanbase and wealth of music, it’s a beautiful thing. But, it’s never a happy moment to learn that a band you love is retiring. Now, a popular classic rock band has announced their farewell tour, so get the tissue ready.
Uriah Heep is Calling It Quits
Longtime English rock band Uriah Heep is retiring. Mick Box, the group’s final surviving original member, announced the news in a special video message to fans.
“Who can believe next year is 55 years since the band started, and that’s just so amazing,” he stated. “I know many of you have been with us since the beginning, and we do thank you for that. It means the world to us.” He added, “”Unfortunately, we have made the decision to wind down touring the whole world next year under the title of ‘Magician’s Farewell.’ In fact, The Magician’s Farewell.”
He added that tour dates will be announced in February 2025. If you’re a fan, you’ll be happy to hear that Box says the tour will be lengthy.
“Over the next two to three years, we intend to play as many places as possible and see you all for the one last time,” he said. “On behalf of the band and myself, I wanna thank you all for the continued support you have always given us. It means the world to us, and it means so much to us, and I just wanna thank you for that.”
Uriah Heep first got together in the late 1960s and have been fairly consistent ever since. They started when two London bands, the Gods and Spice, came together, and it was a match made in rock ‘n’ roll heaven.
‘We Let Things Happen Naturally’
Speaking with Audio Ink Radio in an interview back in 2019, Box discussed the band’s passion for making music.
“We let things happen naturally. So, we don’t start with a plan, saying, “We need to write an album like this.” We just write things naturally, and once the band gets hold of it, it becomes Uriah Heep very quickly. We tour in 61 countries, so there’s enough around the world to inspire us to be creative.”
When asked about the state of rock and metal music at the time, he said, “I think it’s in a very, very good place. It’s the music of the people. Classic hard rock, heavy metal, it’s the music of the people, and it’s what they want to hear, and that’s why it continues to endure. Record sales, although they’re much smaller than they were years ago, because it’s a totally different situation, they’re still doing good business.”
At the time of the interview, Box and Uriah Heep were touring with Judas Priest on Priest’s 50th anniversary tour. Box had glowing things to say about Judas Priest.
“We’re nearly coming up to our 50th anniversary, like them, and I think that’s a wonderful thing,” he said. “But, what I admire is that their music has endured, and that’s the most important thing.”
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