Robert Earl Keen has officially pulled a Michael Jordan. In January 2022, the Texas alt-country sensation shocked fans by announcing his intention to retire from performing publicly. Keen assured fans that the decision wasn’t due to any illness or existential crisis—merely a desire to leave touring behind “while I still love it.” However, it turns out the road wasn’t quite done with the 68-year-old singer-songwriter. Keene recently announced a handful of shows planned for 2025.
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“The Road Does Go On Forever”
Taking to social media Wednesday (Dec. 18), Robert Earl Keen revealed that he will play shows in multiple states next year, including Texas, Louisiana, Colorado and Kansas.
“The road does go on forever,” wrote the “Gringo Honeymoon” singer.
Fans can buy tickets starting Friday (Dec. 20) at 10 a.m. local time. “I may go to the Midland show just to say ‘yeah, I saw Robert Earl in Midland back in the day,’” wrote the Texas history account Traces of Texas on X/Twitter. “At some point it just becomes about esoteric bragging rights.”
I may go to the Midland show just to say "yeah, I saw Robert Earl in Midland back in the day." At some point it just becomes about esoteric bragging rights. 😃
— Traces of Texas (@TracesofTexas) December 18, 2024
How Sobriety Helped Robert Earl Keen Re-Discover His Creative Spark
For years, Robert Earl Keen vowed to continue performing as long as he had a pulse. “And, I have to say, today, that was a mistake,” he told Rolling Stone.
After announcing his retirement, the “No Kinda Dancer” hitmaker decided to focus on his sobriety. However, with that sobriety came clarity—and with that clarity, the spark to craft his concept box album Western Chill.
[RELATED: Robert Earl Keen Discusses ‘Western Chill’ and His Brief Return to Touring: Exclusive]
Needless to say, retirement has looked very different from how Keen imagined it when he decided to step back from touring. And he couldn’t be happier.
“I thought I was going to be sitting around, writing more songs, maybe produce more music or write a book,” he told Rolling Stone. “It would be that serious retirement, sitting in a rocking chair and concentrating on the universe.
“But the fact is there was something missing,” he continued. “It was really a part of me — putting these shows together, getting out there to people, singing the songs, and getting a huge kick out of it.”
Featured image by Daniel DeSlover/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock
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