Whenever I’m driving around digging on the radio, flipping through channels from song to song, and I hear “Stairway to Heaven,” I immediately scroll to the next station. Same thing with “Free Bird.” Those two irritating songs are at the top of a long list of classic rock tunes I once thought were cool but now seem tiring and grind on my nerves.
I’ll never tire of most Beatles songs. Their timeless music changed the world forever. I also still sing along with Creedence Clearwater Revival, Bob Dylan, and a select few others.
Bob Dylan has always been one of my favorites. I don’t care if y’all don’t think he can sing. He can. I saw Dylan perform once on my birthday in Florida when he was 70 years old. I was impressed with his energy then, but at 82, his energy has diminished greatly, as could be expected.
Last year, my cousin Yvonne said she had some great tickets available to see him at the Fox Theater. Debbie and I snatched them up. Our seats were three rows back in the orchestra pit. A young kid who was the most enthusiastic Bob Dylan fan in the house sat beside me and was driving me nuts, jumping up and down, screaming.
It was so sad to see my boyhood folk song hero struggling behind an upright piano that was turned, so you couldn’t tell if he was really playing. Near the show’s end, Dylan stood up from the piano stool and shuffled slowly to a microphone stand placed center stage and gripped it with both hands. I thought he was going to belt out a tune, but he used the stand to keep from falling over. After he steadied himself, he took a step back and gave a two-handed tug on his vest. Man, he looked cool doing that. And for that one little move, he received a standing ovation.
Dylan was on his “Never Ending Tour” and promoting his “Rough and Rowdy” album. Why would anyone keep up such a grueling pace? Singing the same old songs over and over for nearly seven decades must be rough.
Still, Dylan is young compared to Willie Nelson, who, at 91, is still traveling from gig to gig on his tour bus, puffing on fat joints. I’ve never seen old Willie. I probably need to hurry before it’s too late. If he gets busted for weed again, I don’t think he’d survive a night in jail. He must be as worn out as his old guitar, but I know he’ll never give it up.
You would think all the old coots still touring would be long gone by now. Most are well known for doing drugs, hard drinking, and heavy partying. 80-year-old guitar player Keith Richards of The Rolling Stones is still pounding the strings after decades of drug use and smoking anything he could get his hands on. In an interview, Richards said, “I gave up cigarettes in 2019, heroin in 1978, cocaine in 2006... but I still like a drink.” By contrast, exercise guru Richard Simmons, who took great care of his body, left this world recently at 76. So much for all that good, clean living.
Guitar legend Carlos Santana, who played at Woodstock in 1969 when he was just 22, was recently on a morning talk show. He discussed how he wrote his music and how the business was when he was just starting out. The interview was going well, but then the host told Carlos he had a big surprise for him.
The surprise was a little boy around six years old who came out on stage with a guitar strapped on. He proceeded to play one of Santana’s most popular songs. The little squirt was a child prodigy and nailed the tune even better than the original version. When they panned the camera to a closeup of Carlos’s face during the performance, you could tell he didn’t appreciate the disrespect. It was as if they brought the boy out to embarrass him. To show that a mere child can do what he does. Give an old rocker a break!
Some might think these old-age groups are ridiculous. Most of these geezers are grandparents, great-grandparents, and older than Boomers, for Heaven’s sake. But still, they pack ‘em in.
Their fans have a need to return to less perilous times. Boomers buy expensive tickets for their concerts to feel young again. Usually, they get their money’s worth. No one can prance around the stage the way Mick Jagger still does or jerk a tear like Willie Nelson.
We all believe these former superstars doing worldwide tours are super rich, but I think I don’t think so. Medical expenses pile up when you get old. Compression socks, false teeth, and adult incontinence products ain’t cheap.
Except for Keith Richards, many of these old rockers might not be around much longer. You might want to buy your tickets while there’s still a chance.
Steve Reece is a writer and columnist for the Reporter. His books, “I Know a Few Dogs In Heaven” and "Fish from the Sky" are collections of his best columns and on sale at the Reporter. Email him at [email protected].
