Last Updated on August 25, 2021
The Rolling Stones, James Taylor, ZZ Top among iconic rock bands touring in 2021. Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and the rest of the Stones lineup will kick off the “No Filter Tour” Sept. 21 in St. Louis. They will hit Florida on Oct. 29 in Tampa at Raymond James Stadium. The Stones are one of several iconic bands touring in 2021 that show there’s no retiring rock and roll.
And the show is expected to go on despite the sobering news delivered Tuesday, with the accountment that drummer Charlie Watts was dead at 80. Bernard Doherty, his publicist, said that Watts “passed away peacefully in a London hospital eariler today surrounded by his family.”
Watts had previously announced he would not tour with the band because of health issues.
But his bandmates will continue to rock ‘n roll. The collective age of Jagger, Richards, Charlie Watts and Ronnie Wood is 229. It’s classic rock, and it’s popular for fans who span multi-generations. However, the Stones’ draw among the 50-plus audience has made them especially attractive to sponsors, such as The Alliance for Lifetime Income.
“The Rolling Stones are constantly proving that life is never about age, it’s about attitude,” the Alliance said in its sponsorship announcement. “Now their US tour is back, and the iconic band, well into their 70s, will once again be rocking out and living life to the fullest across the country this fall. And the Alliance for Lifetime Income will be right there with them the whole way, as the sole official tour sponsor.”
The Stones are not alone among the iconic rock bands touring in 2021 with members who are still touring well into “retirement age,” defying perceptions of longevity and relevance.
Other notable acts on tour this summer and fall include the following:
● James Taylor, 73, and Jackson Browne, 72, are on the road again, with Florida stops scheduled in December for Jacksonville, Sunrise, Tampa and Orlando.
Taylor, whose iconic hits include “Fire and Rain” and “You’ve Got a Friend,” was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. He was also awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, in 2015.
Browne’s signature hits include “Doctor, My Eyes,” “Running on Empty,” and “The Pretender.” He also shares co-writing credit with the late Glenn Frey on “Take It Easy.”
● ZZ Top is carrying on despite the recent death of original member and bassist Dusty Hill. Formed in 1969, in Houston, Texas, the band consists of vocalist-guitarist Billy Gibbons, 71; drummer Frank Beard, 72; and Elwood Francis, the group’s long-time guitar tech, who now plays bass. They are scheduled for a Florida swing in early November.
● Dewey Bunnell, 69, and Gerry Beckley, 68, the two surviving members of the popular group America, are also on the road and coming to Florida in late November. America was formed in London in 1970. The band has seven Top 10 hits on the Billboard charts, including “A Horse with No Name,” “Sister Golden Hair,” and “Tin Man.”
