The Aging of Classic Rockers

The passing of time is a weird thing. You don't really notice it in the moment. It's just another day going by, right?  Then one day you realize that your kid is starting kindergarten or graduating high school or - gulp - you get your first grand baby. Time starts to sink in a little bit during moments like that.

When it comes to my favorite bands, it doesn't seem like they should age.  They should always be the same way I remember them when I saw them in concert 20 years ago, or when MTV still played videos.

We heard the news that Eddie Money passed away today (9/13/19) at the age of 70. I was just talking about him on my show yesterday about how he was planning on resuming his cancer treatment program. That was yesterday. Today he is gone. That got me thinking about the ages of some of our other favorite artists. None of these guys are spring chickens anymore:

Rolling Stones. For the amount of booze and drugs they've consumed, the Stones still seem reasonably healthy (somehow).  They've proven they still have what it takes to pull off a nationwide tour. Mick Jagger and Keith Richards are both 73. Ronnie is 69 and Charlie Watts is 75.

Steve Miller. Honestly, I had to double check he is still alive. I have no reason to doubt his health... just call this one a celebrity death hunch. He's 75.

Jimmy Page & Robert Plant. Jimmy gave up all the bad drugs and booze a few years ago and the strongest stuff he takes now is tea.  In recent pics he looks pretty healthy. In this two year old article about Robert Plant, he hints that time is limited, but offers no clues about his health. Both Jimmy and Robert are in their early 70's.

Steven Tyler. He's 71. Let that sink in. In my mind he's like 45, lol. I would guess Steven has had a fair amount of medical assistance to keep him from aging. Or, part vampire.

Mick Mars from Motley Crue. Mick is only 68 and has looked like death-warmed-over for at least a decade. When I saw them last time in Billings, it was like they had to roll him out on a hand truck, park him in place, and then roll him out when the show was over.

Even the "younger" rockers from the 80's are almost hitting AARP age. Jon Bon Jovi is 57. Axle Rose is 57. Time, man. It's a bitch.