The Prospect of the Rolling Stones Retiring for Good Audio Ink Radio

The Prospect of the Rolling Stones Retiring for Good

2024-10-14

Discussing the possibility of the Rolling Stones retiring for good. – Author: Cat Badra, Rolling Stones photo via RCPMK

The Rolling Stones are a classic band that’s obviously been around for a long time, which always leads to questions on when they’ll finally retire. The band has been rocking it for decades, and they lost their original drummer, Charlie Watts, in 2021, so they’re without a big part of the group when they tour.

Plus, the Rolling Stones wrapped up their highly successful 2024 Hackney Diamonds tour in July 2024 with a setlist of all the greatest hits, so if they were to retire today, they would certainly go out on top. Here’s what the band has said about retirement and if they’re ready for it.

The Rolling Stones Have No Upcoming Concerts Listed on Their Website

If you head to the Rolling Stones’ official website, they don’t have any upcoming concerts on the books. However, right now, it really doesn’t sound like the surviving members of the Rolling Stones want to retire.

Speaking with Rolling Stone magazine in 2020, guitarist Keith Richards said that he would never retire and also didn’t think his bandmates in the Rolling Stones ever wanted to retire, either.

“I really can’t imagine doing anything else,” Richards said in the 2020 interview with Rolling Stone. “You might call it a habit. I mean, that’s what we do. And also there’s that thing between us, like, ‘Who’s going to be the first one to get off the bus?’ You have to be kicked off or drop off, right?”

The Rolling Stones didn’t sound like they were saying farewell when their latest tour wrapped up, either. The band took to social media after the final show and thanked fans for their longstanding support.

In a post on X, they wrote, “That’s a wrap on the Stones Tour ’24. A huge thank you to everyone that has come to see a show. And special thanks to all the outstanding musicians that join the Stones onstage, plus every crew member that works so hard to make this happen.”

Even if the Stones want to keep going forever, at some point, you figure age will catch up with them. They seem eternally young, but Richards is 80 years old, vocalist Mick Jagger is 81 and guitarist Ronnie Wood is 77, so they aren’t spring chickens. But, the fact they seem so determined to keep going is a good sign for fans who still want to see them perform live.

The Rolling Stones’ Latest Tour Was Sponsored by the AARP

There’s no shame in embracing your age and being proud of it. In that spirit, it’s interesting that the Rolling Stones’ latest U.S. run was actually sponsored by the AARP.

“The Stones announced a stadium tour for 2024, and it’s sponsored by AARP. No, seriously,” Vulture noted back in November 2023, when the 2024 tour was being announced. “The shows will be the Stones’ first in North America since 2021, behind ‘Hackney Diamonds,’ their first new album in 18 years.” They added, “It’s a 16-date tour, starting up April 28, 2024, in Houston and running through July 17 in Santa Clara, California, including a stop at Jazz Fest. And AARP members will get their own special presale for it all. Just because the Stones aren’t enjoying retirement yet doesn’t mean you can’t.”

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Cat Badra

Meet the expert - Cat Badra is a music writer for Audio Ink Radio and a range of other music, sports and lifestyle publications. She's a graduate of Michigan State University with a master's degree in theater and speech. Contact her at cat@audioinkradio.com.