Rock, Retirement, and the Reluctant Exit: Why the Stage Rarely Lets Go First

In the wider world of work, conversations about retirement always circle back to productivity, economic strain, and the supposed fairness of passing the baton to younger generations. Every political cycle brings the same predictable suggestion that the retirement age should be lowered so younger workers can finally get a foothold. Yet in rock, the idea of stepping aside belongs to another universe entirely. Suggestions of retirement are practically framed like insults. You only need to look at artists like Ozzy Osbourne or bands such as The Rolling Stones to see how deep the refusal to bow out is. Ozzy pushed himself back into the spotlight at moments when most people would decide to spend as much time as they could with their friends and family. The Rolling Stones feel inseparable from the stage itself, as if the only thing that will finally call time is the mortal coil. They’d probably have no reservations about being wheeled out on stage in their caskets. On the surface, it looks poetic, admirable even, but underneath the myth-making sits a far less glamorous story about a genre that clings to legacy with such force that it locks doors for those trying to come through […]

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