The man behind one of rock's most iconic hairstyles bids farewell: Rod Stewart confirms his retirement from music

On Sept. 28, the British and global rock scenes received news that, sooner or later, was bound to come. Sir Rod Stewart, one of the legends of this musical genre, has confirmed that he is retiring after more than six decades singing hit after hit and delighting his fans on stage.

Through a post on Instagram, the British artist announced that his The Final Encore Tour—which will begin in March of next year in Dublin, Ireland, and will feature performances in numerous British and European cities such as London, United Kingdom; Amsterdam, Netherlands; Berlin, Germany and Copenhagen, Denmark—will be the final chapter of his legendary musical career.

"Well, here we go… one last time! Come and see me on my The Final Encore Tour for one more round of rock ’n’ roll. I’m really looking forward to it," wrote Stewart, 81.

Concert cancellations in the U.S. and health issues

The British singer's musical career has at times been affected by his health issues, to the point that he has even had to cancel some of his concerts. The most recent time this happened was just a month ago, when heart surgery forced him to take a break for a few weeks and cancel scheduled performances in the United States.

Previously, Stewart—known for hits such as "Maggie May," "Sailing, Baby Jane" and "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?"—had suffered from other health issues. In 2000 he was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. The artist was able to recover, though he had to relearn how to sing from scratch through months of vocal therapy.

Years later, in 2016, he was diagnosed with early-stage prostate cancer, though he did not publicly acknowledge it until he completed treatment and was completely cancer-free in 2019. In addition, he has undergone several orthopedic surgeries, including a hip replacement and knee surgery.

Known as much for his unmistakable vocal tone as for his flamboyant style, his extravagant jackets and his signature hairstyle, Stewart has been much more than a musician: he has embodied the pure essence of festive, elegant and unapologetic rock and roll.