Rod Stewart is absolutely “not retiring” — despite his kids’ pleas.
The 78-year-old rocker recently told People that he plans to keep making music well into his 80s.
“No, no, no, no, no, no,” he told the outlet when asked if he had any retirement plans. “I love what I do.”
While he doesn’t plan on leaving the spotlight anytime soon, the musician admitted that his career will start to look very different once he completes his upcoming 40-show global tour.
“This will be the last time ’round, I think, to do the rock ‘n’ roll stuff because I want to move on to swing music and the Great American Song Book,” he said.
“But I’m not taking my songs to the cemetery and burying them. I might bring them out on the odd occasion, but I basically would like to put them to rest for a little while. No more big tours. I’ve said farewell to Australia and New Zealand and Mexico, so it’s time to say farewell to the U.S. now.”
To keep up with his busy schedule, the Grammy winner said he works out “extensively” — at least four days a week.
“I’m generally very fit. I’ve played soccer all my life, and I don’t smoke,” he said.
“It’s funny, critics keep saying on this tour, ‘Oh, he’s gone off the stage to have a rest.’ No I haven’t! I’ve gone off the stage because I’m wringing wet. I’m so bloody fit, you won’t believe it.”
Earlier this month, an insider told the Daily Mail that the “Maggie May” singer’s children would like to see him start to slow down.
“They are worried about him and want him to throw in the towel on music and retire on his own terms,” the family friend shared. “Their dad has devoted 50 years of his life to music and he has nothing left to prove to anyone.
“With his health issues, and considering his age, several of Rod’s kids just think it is time for him to take a few years to focus on his health and his family – especially after the birth of his third grandbaby.”
Stewart has eight children ranging in age from 12 to 59, with whom he shares with four different women.
Stewart quietly battled prostate cancer for three years before beating it in 2019. He also beat thyroid cancer in 2000.
Then in 2020, he underwent knee replacement and ankle fusion surgery after getting injured while playing soccer.
“Rod doesn’t really want to stop and doesn’t know how to not create music. It is his life. He would love to rock out forever and he believes that his fans need him,” the source explained.
“His family is just hoping that when Rod’s tour is wrapped he is going to actually be done. They really want him to stick to this.”
