Penny Lancaster has addressed speculation about whether her husband, rockstar Rod Stewart, plans to retire, confirming his upcoming UK tour will be his final rock and roll tour but insisting he will never fully retire.
Health setbacks and tour cancellation
Last month, the 81-year-old announced his retirement plans, saying his upcoming UK tour will be his “last rock and roll tour” following a string of health setbacks, reports the Express.
The singer was forced to cancel a number of shows last summer after he was seen using an oxygen tank. It was revealed that Rod had been suffering from an “underlying heart issue”. Rod then underwent “a routine coronary stent procedure,” and representatives said doctors were pleased with his recovery, but his tour dates had to be pulled.
Penny's comments on Loose Women
Speaking on Loose Women on Thursday (October 8), Penny said: “Everyone jumped to conclusions, but it is true, it's his last rock and roll tour.” Co-star Kaye Adams replied: “Ah, that was a vital word.”
Penny, who married Rod in 2007, went on: “Because he will be 82 next year and he's always, well, for the last 5 years, he said, ‘I can't go on singing deep in our sexy and hot legs, you know, forever and ever.’”
She continued: “But he loves The Great American Songbook, which was an incredible set of albums that he did, along with the jazz that he did just recently, with Jools Holland. So he wants to rekindle his love for that music, and show everyone that his voice has got other areas it can stretch to.”
No full retirement
When Kaye asked, “So it's the material that's changed,” Penny replied: “Yeah, he won't ever retire. I'm like, come on, slow that man down. No, absolutely not.”
Kaye noted that Rod’s fans would still want him to “sing the classics,” to which Penny said she thinks Rod will find it “hard to resist”. She teased: “There might be the odd show here or there, or a compilation of it, a little medley… But the actual rock and roll tour that everyone knows, his classics, will be no more after next year's tour!”
Loose Women airs Monday to Friday at 12:30pm on ITV1.
