Smokey Robinson, Paul McCartney, Willie Nelson: Baby Boomer-Era Music Legends Still Rocking in Their 70s and 80s

When Smokey "King of Motown" Robinson hits the Corona Grandstand Stage as part of the Toyota Summer Concert Series at the San Diego County (Del Mar) Fair this Saturday night, I wonder how many people in the audience will know, or care, that he recently celebrated his 79th birthday.

Smokey, who’s performed since he formed a doo-wop group in high school in 1955, is on a lengthy US tour and shows no signs of slowing. By all accounts he still has boundless energy and remains the consummate showman. He doesn't short-change audiences, even at his, uh, advanced age. He still treats every gig as if it were that fateful first audition for Motown founder Barry Gordy in 1957. 

A Detroit native, of course, Smokey, who met Gordy before Motown even existed, can still hit most of the nigh notes. And he still has that inimitably smooth tenor. He's got nothing left to prove, and I’m pretty sure he doesn't need the money. 

But he still clearly thrives on bringing joy to others. I've seen this charming musical genius numerous times in concert over the years, but the most memorable performance for me came about a decade ago at a makeshift "theater" in the parking lot of a Southern California casino that will remain nameless because the venue was so bad. 

It was a dark and stormy night – literally - and while the show was sold out, fewer than half of the folks who bought a ticket showed up. But we Smokey loyalists weren't about to let some chilly, damp air get in the way of enjoying the man that Bob Dylan once called America's "greatest living poet." 

And Smokey did not disappoint. Undaunted by the harsh conditions, Robinson hit the stage sans umbrella but wearing a big smile and we roared our approval.

Smokey could have greeted the half-empty "theater" with a short, by-the-numbers show. But instead of perfunctory, he was extraordinary. He clearly saw the place as half-full, not half-empty, and gave a masterful, joyous performance that lasted nearly two hours. He rewarded us for showing up, and we gave the love right back.

There's a sweetness and warmth in Robinson the performer. Sure, he has a star's ego. He was after all a record company executive for many years. He's just as tough as his voice is soft. But even under the weight of worldwide fame and great wealth, Robinson's heart never shrank.

It was an intimate affair in which the crowd and the performer established a rare if drenched bond. Everyone was soaked but happy. We all knew we'd been a part of something special.

Robinson is truly old-school. He gives the fans what they want. And that helps explain his staying power so many decades after his Motown heyday. Robinson is responsible for far too many classic songs to sing them all in concert. But you're pretty much guaranteed to hear “I Second That Emotion, “You've Really Got a Hold on Me,” “Ooo Baby Baby,” “The Tears of a Clown” and “Cruisin'.” 

I hope he sings a few of those lost gems, too, like “Quiet Storm” and “Baby, Baby Don’t Cry,” but we shall see.

You also might hear “Just to See Her,” the Grammy-winning tune written by my buddy Lou Pardini, a gifted singer-songwriter-keyboardist who is now in the band Chicago. And you may hear some of the classics Robinson wrote for other artists such as The Temptations’ “Get Ready” and “My Girl.”

Smokey Isn't Alone

The grandstand is expected to be filled with graying, nostalgia-hungry boomers. Maybe it's not such a drag getting old! In fact, Smokey will be joined on national tours this summer by a whole bunch of baby boomer-era rock and roll legends, who continue to defy Father Time and are still performing into their 70s and even 80s.

For example: A week after Smokey performs in Del Mar, Beatles legend Paul McCartney arrives at Downtown San Diego’s Petco Park on his world tour. When he plays Petco, Paul will have just celebrated his 76th birthday.

Mick Jagger, 75, gave us all a scare with his recent heart surgery, but is reportedly healthy again and preparing for the Rolling Stones' upcoming re-scheduled No Filter world tour.

The three original members of Chicago, including Robert Lamm, 74, are still touring 52 years after they played their first gig in Chicago and will be appearing at Harrah’s Resort SoCal in September. 

Jon Anderson, 74, lead singer of the band Yes, is still touring both solo and in his configuration of the classical-rock band and recently performed at Humphrey’s.

Justin Hayward, 72, lead singer of the Moody Blues, is currently on another solo tour that comes to the Belly Up in Solana Beach in August.

Steven Tyler, 71, and his Aerosmith mates are also on another US tour. 

Pete Townshend,and Roger Daltrey, founding members of The Who, are 74 and 75, respectively, and are still (thankfully) performing and stating, with a straight face, “I hope I die before I get old.” They’ll be performing at Viejas Arena in October.

Southern rock great Charlie Daniels, 82, is presently on a nationwide concert trek still singing and playing his fiddle. 

Then there’s the great granddaddy of them all, country music legend Willie Nelson, who is happily on the road again this summer at the age of 86.

What gives Willie and these other troupers the energy to continue the grueling national and global summer concert tours into old age? And how long can they keep rocking? 

Some cynics, mostly those in Generations X, Y and Z, undoubtedly think these old geezers should pack up their microphones and Cialis, go home and give the younger artists a brighter spotlight and a little more concert revenue. 

But these older acts not only provide the soundtrack to our lives, they also inspire us when they appear on stage in their advanced years and still bring it musically. And most of them can.

These rockers, many of whom lived the life of excess over the decades, are now ironically role models for good health. Their positive habits on the road - good food, exercise, sleep, little or no drugs — help explain their longevity. 

While these artists will all eventually meet up with their mortality, that's a tomorrow worry. For now, these aging artists still have a lot of living and rocking to do. As Neil Young, now 73, says, "It's better to burn out than it is to rust."

Colin Hay Revives Songs From 80's Superstars Men At Work

Charismatic Front Man Bringing the Hugely Popular Aussie Band's Songs out of Retirement

Colin Hay and his band of merry Men At Work were ubiquitous in the first half of the 1980’s. The “Men” were everywhere: MTV, billboards, giant posters in record stores, and AM and FM radio dials, from alternative stations to classic rock to Top 40.

A clever band from Melbourne, Australia with a working-class ethos, Men At Work's music resonated with a wide swath of music fans. The band sold 30 million albums in a few short years before dissolving prematurely, and much to my dismay, in 1985.

Men at Work rose to the top of the charts very quickly. Signing with CBS Records in early 1981, the band first entered America as an opening act for Fleetwood Mac. In October of 1982, "Who Can It Be Now?" reached No. 1 on the US singles charts and the band’s debut album "Business as Usual" began a 15-week run at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.   

While "Who Can It Be Now?" was still in the top ten in the US, "Down Under" was released, and by January 1983 Men at Work had the top album and single in both the US and the UK. 

During that time span I saw the band in concert four times, including an energized show at the Santa Barbara (California) Bowl, and the band’s biggest-ever gig: The US Festival in 1983. The band played in front of a couple hundred thousand sweating, smiling faces in an enormous natural amphitheater about 60 miles east of Los Angeles, near San Bernardino.  

It was “New Wave Day” at the now-legendary but largely forgotten festival, whose lineup included The Clash, INXS, Oingo Boingo, A Flock of Seagulls, English Beat and The Stray Cats. But Men At Work was the clear fan favorite. That’s when it really hit me just how popular this band had become in such a short time.

And the reason was Hay, who wrote and sang the songs and had a quirky but accessible stage presence that you just can’t fake. He was a star whose abundant wit and charisma were matched by his musical gifts. He was, and is, a brilliant songwriter and singer.

Hay, who grew up in Scotland before moving to Australia, effortlessly connects with audiences. He loves telling stories both in his songs and between them. He does it with humility, gentle sarcasm and self-deprecating humor, sometimes the R-rated variety.

But what is most remarkable about Hay is what he voluntarily, willfully walked away from. He seems perfectly content now strumming an acoustic guitar in front of a couple thousand fans. A career as a singer-songwriter with an acoustic guitar has brought out the real Colin Hay, a thoughtful and gifted if still wisecracking artist.

Despite fronting one of the most popular bands in the world in the 1980’s, Hay was clearly the architect of his own remodel. He calls on an abundance of musical styles in his songs – everything from Americana to reggae to hard rock to latin to Irish. His music is a favorite of such disparate bands as Metallica, the Lumineers, Mastodon, and the Infamous Stringdusters.

Post-Men At Work, Hay has recorded 13 solo albums, including the last five of them on Compass Records, a small, terrific Nashville-based independent record label co-founded in 1994 by musicians who defiantly and courageously clutch to the notion that people still care about records.

Hay’s solo work is exceptional. His post-Men At Work songs, which include new classics such as “Beautiful World” and “Waiting For My Life to Begin,” have appeared countless TV shows and movie soundtracks. And he may have saved his best solo work , for his most recent: Fierce Mercy, an emotional tour de force.

The record is a gentle wake-up call for those of us who are getting older and in denial. The song, “The Last to Know,” gives us a large clue as to what the album’s all about

“When you’re in your 20s, you think you’ve got all the time in the world,” Hay said recently. “You get older, and you go through a quickening. Everything seems to get faster. With the changing weather patterns, or the polar ice caps melting, we’re getting all of these warnings, and a lot of them are incredibly fierce. But they still feel somewhat merciful — they’re not destroying us totally. We’re all being told, ‘Listen, you can still maybe address this, and it won’t get to the point where I have to take you all out. You’ve still got a shot.’”

When it was announced that Hay would be appearing again here in San Diego at Humphrey’s, I bought tickets and was genuinely excited about seeing him again and hearing him sing some of the songs off of Fierce Mercy. I always find time to see Hay in concert, and I love his solo work, as does my wife.

But each time we see him, in the back of my mind I futilely hope that this will be the night in which he plays a few more tunes from his former band. Don’t get me wrong. I understand the need for an artist to stay vital and creative and to continue growing and writing and not just become an oldies act doing an impression of his or her younger self singing 30-year old songs. I get it.

But we love those Men At Work songs with a passion. We are all hungry to hear them. And now we are apparently about to be fed. Colin has finally decided to bring Men At Work back. The tour begins next month in Europe. But the recent setlist of Hay’s solo tour suggests he has already begun to break out and break in some of the old songs. 

I counted six Men At Work songs on one of his most recent gigs: Down by the Sea, It’s a Mistake, Who Can It Be Now, Overkill, Down Under and Be Good Johnny. I’m hoping for perhaps even one or two more tonight. Mind you, I still want to hear some of his solo stuff tonight. But for longtime fans like me, this is a rare opportunity to finally get to hear these classic songs performed live. 

Here’s how it came about. In a recent announcement, Hay said that while touring Europe last year with Ringo, the audience’s appetite for the classic Men At Work tunes was “insatiable. I started to wonder about the feasibility of mounting a European tour with my band to play primarily those dear old songs.”

Hay noted that for the last three decades, he has spent the bulk of his time making solo records and touring the US, building an audience playing his new music, and he intends to continue doing that.

But, he said, “I know how much a lot of fans love the old Men At Work hits, and I do enjoy playing them. In short, that’s what I’m going to do in the summer of 2019. I’ve decided to take on a short tour in Europe playing the Men At Work material." 

Hay said the band will consist of himself and a group of top LA-based musicians with whom he’s worked over the years.

“The set list obviously will feature all the known and even lesser known Men At Work songs, perhaps with a couple of later songs thrown in, but make no mistake, it will be a Men At Work show, billed as such so that the people know they will be coming to hear a Men At Work set list,” Hay said.

He added that he will miss his good friend Greg Ham, an original member of Men At Work who played the sax, the flute and much more who sadly died in 2012.

“He is gone but never forgotten, and his contribution to the sound and personality of the band is forever,” Hay said. “I loved being in Men At Work. I had a plan. I loved writing those songs, and I am in awe of what we managed to achieve in such a short time. It was powerful, though short lived. So, I’m going to stage a Men At Work tour in Europe for a few weeks next summer, and see what happens. Hope to see you then!”

When he said “we’ll see what happens,” I’m pretty sure he is telling his fans that a subsequent American tour will happen if all goes well in Europe, which it undoubtedly will.