Some country icons keep going (or will keep going) until the very end. Others, understandably, choose to announce their retirement and kick off one last hurrah before going on a permanent hiatus. Let’s take a look at just three country icons who will likely retire by the end of 2024, or possibly the beginning of 2025.
Videos by American Songwriter
1. Lee Greenwood
Lee Greenwood is best known for the patriotic tune “God Bless The U.S.A.”, released in 1984. At 82 years old, he’s ready to pack it in. Back in November of last year, Greenwood announced that he was no longer going to tour after the year wrapped up, citing a number of health issues that have made performing live and traveling extensively very difficult.
2. The Oak Ridge Boys
Country icons The Oak Ridge Boys announced that they would retire by the end of 2024 over a year ago, and that retirement was solidified by the tragic passing of staple member Joe Bonsall in July of 2024. Ahead of the band’s final tour this year, Bonsall announced that he was retiring from touring due to complications of ALS.
Shortly before that, Rusty Golden, son of William Lee Golden, passed away. Wife of frontman Duane Allen, Norah Lee Allen, also passed away this year, as did Donnie Carr’s wife Phyllis Carr. It was a rough year for the band, but they’re going to keep trucking with a recent tour extension until around mid-2025.
3. Alan Jackson
Alan Jackson took to X earlier this year to tell his fans that he was going to retire from touring in 2024, technically mid-2025. The singer was frank about why he would choose to retire now, considering he isn’t exactly retirement age.
“I’ve been touring for over 30 years, you know, played everywhere in the country and parts of the world,” said Jackson in the video. “Have had a wonderful career, and getting into my twilight years, and all my daughters are grown, and I got one grandchild and one on the way. Enjoy spending more time at home, and don’t want to be away like I had to be in my younger days, and I don’t tour as much now as I did 10 years ago. But I think it’s getting time to start thinking about hanging it up full-time.”
Jackson also deals with neuropathy caused by Charcot-Marie-Tooth, which he cited as another reason to retire earlier in life.
Photo by Tony Norkus
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