Chris Slade wanted to keep performing into his 80s. Instead, worsening effects from a stroke have forced the acclaimed Welsh drummer to end a professional career that began when he was only 16. The former AC/DC drummer, 79, announced his retirement in a Facebook video posted Saturday, August 22.
In the video, Slade thanked the fans and musicians who supported him across more than six decades behind the kit.
“Hello everybody. It’s with a heavy heart that I’m announcing my retirement from drumming,” he said. “I’m near enough 80 years old. I’ve been drumming professionally since I was 16 with Tom Jones. I’ve had good innings.”
Why Chris Slade Is Retiring From Drumming at 79
Slade explained that a health setback from several years ago has continued to affect him.
“I had a stroke, as you probably know, about seven years ago,” Slade said. “A small stroke, but it’s got worse, and I’m afraid that has [expletive] me up.”
The musician admitted that stopping was not the ending he had envisioned.
“I’m really jealous of people like [the Stones] and Paul McCartney, who are going well into their eighties, and I wanted to do that, but looks like I can’t. So as I say, with a heavy heart, it’s bye for now.”
A Painful Fall Preceded the Retirement Announcement
The decision followed a difficult summer for Slade. In July, The Chris Slade Timeline withdrew from Italy’s Brudstock Festival after the drummer fell and badly injured his ribs. In a facebook video shared by his team, Slade said at the time that he needed hospital treatment.
Although he did not connect the fall to his retirement, the cancellation came only weeks before he revealed that the effects of his stroke had worsened.
Chris Slade Began His Career With Tom Jones at 16
GettySlade entered the music business as a teenager and built a resume that spanned several generations of British rock.
He later performed with David Gilmour, Manfred Mann’s Earth Band, The Firm, Asia and Uriah Heep. His work with Manfred Mann’s Earth Band included the group’s hit recording of “Blinded by the Light.”
Slade formed The Chris Slade Timeline in 2012, which lets him revisit music from throughout his career while continuing to tour.
His retirement follows other recent health news involving veteran musicians, including drummer John Paris’ medical emergency, Ross Friedman’s ALS diagnosis and Dee Snider’s health update.
Chris Slade Had 2 Memorable Runs With AC/DC
Slade joined AC/DC in 1989 and played on the band’s 1990 album The Razors Edge, which produced the enduring rock anthem “Thunderstruck.”
He left the group in 1994 after longtime drummer Phil Rudd returned, as per Music Radar. Slade returned in 2015 when Rudd took an extended absence, joining AC/DC on its Rock or Bust tour.
Retirement will take Slade away from the drum kit, but not from public view.
He encouraged supporters to follow The Chris Slade Timeline’s Facebook page, where he plans to post “now and again.”
