Too old to rock and roll, too young to die.
As the stars from the golden age of rock plow along in their 70s and 80s, medical issues, cancellations, and even sudden retirements have become a common occurrence.
This year, we’ve had 85-year-old Beach Boys’ Mike Love canceling his summer 2026 North American tour dates to ‘recharge’, while Neil Young (81) canceled his 2026 European tour to ‘take a break’.
The Who’s Roger Daltrey (82) says his 2026 solo U.S. tour is ‘possibly’ his last, as The Rolling Stones scrapped UK/Europe stadium tour plans due to Keith Richards’ (83) arthritis concerns.
Deep Purple’s Glenn Hughes (75) is retiring from touring in the run-up to open-heart surgery, while 76-year-old Max Carl from Grand Funk Railroad is retiring from touring due to a medical issue, and The Eagles’ Don Henley (78) had indicated that 2026 would likely be his final year of touring…
The list goes on…
Today, it was British rock icon Sir Rod Stewart: he has cancelled the remainder of his US tour – including a Las Vegas residency – after undergoing heart surgery.
Rod Stewart undergoes heart surgery and cancels all upcoming shows pic.twitter.com/v0s5czorfX
— The Sun (@TheSun) August 12, 2026
Sky News reported:
“The 81-year-old star shared the news on social media, telling fans he is ‘already feeling better’ after successfully undergoing a routine coronary stent procedure.”
He will reportedly take four weeks off recovering before returning to the stage.
He cancelled shows in Iowa, Missouri and Minnesota, as well as a six-night residency at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada.
“‘I’m already feeling better and very much on the mend’, he told his 1.7m followers in a message on Instagram. ‘I want to thank the doctors, nurses and everyone who has taken such wonderful care of me’.”
Singer Rod Stewart was given oxygen before continuing his performance in West Valley City, Utah, on Saturday. pic.twitter.com/aB8hrmFUvy
— NTD News (@NTDNews) June 24, 2026
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