English Rock Band Frontman Announces Retirement

Whitesnake frontman David Coverdale is officially retired at age 74.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer announced his retirement in a YouTube video posted Thursday, starting off the message, ” Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, brothers and sisters of the Snake, a special announcement for you.”

“After 50 years-plus of an incredible journey with you — with Deep Purple, with Whitesnake, Jimmy Page — the last few years it has been very evident to me that it’s time really for me to hang up my rock ‘n’ roll platform shoes and my skintight jeans,” he continued.

“And as you can see, we’ve taken care of the lion’s wig,” he joked of his rocker hair. “But it’s time for me to call it a day.”

Coverdale concluded, “I love you dearly. I thank everyone who’s assisted and supported me on this incredible journey: all the musicians, the crew, the fans, the family. It’s amazing. But it really is time for me to just enjoy my retirement, and I hope you can appreciate that.”

Whitesnake formed in 1978 after Coverdale left Deep Purple in 1976 after three years with the band. Whitesnake really took off in the 1980s with songs like “Here I Go Again” and “Is This Love,” but it was Deep Purple that got Coverdale inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2016.

Whitesnake’s most recent album release was 2019’s Flesh & Blood, and the band stopped performing in June 2022, when their farewell tour was cut short due to the band members’ health.

“Last year, I was so incredibly compromised by, without any doubt, the worst sinus infection I’ve ever had in my life. And as a singer, I know them like f—ing relatives of mine,” Coverdale told Ultimate Classic Rock of the tour in 2023. “This was one of the ugliest illnesses I think I’ve [ever] had. For seven months, I was taking ever-increasingly strong antibiotics and horrifying Prednisone steroids.”

“I really don’t know [when we’ll be back onstage],” he added. “I’ll be 72 this year. But, you know, my passion is that of a much younger man, particularly with the new creative team that I have, working on these legacy projects and also new things at the same time. It’s like bluebirds flying out of every orifice.”