Six decades after taking the music world by storm, The Zombies’ Rod Argent has announced his immediate retirement from touring. This difficult and final decision comes in the wake of a stroke that the legendary musician suffered shortly after his 79th birthday. Argent has been released from the hospital and is recovering from the health scare, though his need for several months of rest and recuperation has expedited a previously planned departure from the stage.
News of Argent’s retirement and health crisis comes from an official release from Zombies managers Chris Tuthill & Cindy da Silva, whose heartfelt message to the fans emphasizes steadfast support for the artist’s decision and boundless appreciation for the years he’s faithfully given over to fans around the world. In practical terms, it determines that all upcoming performances from The Zombies will be cancelled; nonetheless, ticketholders are urged to await further information for their respective events, which will hopefully be replaced with a special tribute show honoring the great founder, keyboardist and primary songwriter for one of the most important groups in the history of garage rock and popular music as a whole.
The release brings some color to this landmark decision by recalling a pivotal moment from Argent’s past: “Rod had retired from touring once before, in 1975 after spending his late teens and 20’s on the road with both The Zombies and his eponymous band Argent, in order to focus on his family, along with songwriting and production. This didn’t change until 1999, when Colin coaxed him to fill in on 6 of his solo gigs, after a keyboard player had dropped out at the last minute. Rod reluctantly told him, ‘I’ll do it…but 6 shows, that’s it.’ On tour last month, Rod remarked to us how incredible and unexpected it was that those 6 shows turned into 25 years of touring and recording with the new incarnation of The Zombies, almost a third of his life.”
While his time before the crowd may have come to a close, Argent intends to continue writing and recording with his bandmates Colin Blunstone, Steve Rodford, Tom Toomey and Søren Koch. With a talent honed through generations of pioneering creative exercise and a spirit shining as brightly as the moment he made his mark at 18 years old, Argent is far from through bringing joy and incredible musical memories to his fans.
