Oldest Performer You've Seen Who Was Still Excellent

Darlene Love.

 

I saw Pete Fountain at 83 and while he didn't play every solo the whole entire set, what he DID play was one of the most fantastic things I've ever heard!

It was at a jazz festival, and I also remember when he got up there on stage he was wearing this incredible, vintage-looking, elegant Hawaiian print shirt, in front of a full-packed audience of mostly old bald men in loud print Hawaiian shirts -- and I swear, his Hawaiian shirt was the absolute best one in the whole place! I poked my wife's shoulder and said to her, THAT is how a legend does it! We will never forget it!

 

Man, this was easy...a National Treasure!



Frankie Valli @ 82 years young...

Go see him if you can!

 

Dave Brubeck -in SF when he was in his late-80s. Excellent show. Still elegant and cool!

RL Burnside -didn't even find his wider success until he (and Jr Kimbrough) was in his 70s.

John Lee Hooker -still boogying in his 80s.

and i haven't seen him, but Chris Barber (trad jazz hero and Lonnie Donegan partner) is still touring at 86!

 

tony bennett for sure but burt bacharach is playing with skill and leading the orchestra with total control. close to 90

 

Link Wray in 2004. I believe he was 75. Overall it was awesome! Were there moments he showed his age? WTF!!?? It's rock and Frickin' Roll!!

I saw Joe Williams sing with the Basie Orchestra when he was in his 60's (1982) and I went out and bought several blues albums right after that!

Levon Helm in 2011 at the age of 71. A year before he passed. It was a warmup for the Phil Lesh band. OH WHAT A NIGHT!!

Finally, David Gilmour last July was transcendant. i think he just turned 70? 75% of the audience seemed to be old white guys - just like me!

 

Muddy Waters in 1981, when he was 68.

 

Another vote for Mr. Bennett.

 

either Richard Thompson or B.B. King. I'm not sure which one was older when I saw them.

 

Jeff Beck. Simply amazing. Sounds as good as he ever has.

 

Springsteen this year. Probably better than when I saw him in 1982. And I can't say that about anyone else.

 

I saw Willie Nelson with Alison Krauss about a year ago. I think he was 82, and he was very good. I've never seen Loretta Lynn, but this video of her and Willie is absolutely beautiful - so good that it's shocking. This came out this year, which I believe makes Loretta 84 and Willie 83.

 

Paul McCartney in 2014 was phenomenal. I was stunned at how great he sounded. Neil Young is an old guy who still has it.

Brian Wilson back in 2006 was pretty sad.

 

John Lee Hooker
Mose Allison

 

Grace Jones, seriously great live performer

 

Well I could say Brian Wilson but you mean a performer who was excellent rather than an emotional mindblower I assume.
Well, it's funny coz I had to look this one up but I saw the Modern Jazz Quartet I believed at Royal Festival Hall, London June 23, 1986 when I was 18 but having thunk harder about it due to short term memory loss, it must have been the 1982 show because I'm sure I was younger in those days !

I knew the MJQ pretty well as a result of thoroughly acquainting myself with my dad's jazz ep's from an early age. Golden Striker ep being a firm fave.
So when showtime started I was gobsmacked to see (what I thought at the time) was 4 doddery old grey haired balding blokes in dinner jackets slowly make their way to their instruments and it was akin to the white knuckle ride of seeing Mr Wilson in concert and they hadn't even got to their instruments yet. Now I come to think of it they looked like a black short-haired CSNY at a formal awards ceremony though they weren't fighting except for breath.

I shall let a reviewer take over here because this is exactly what I wanted to say and I have limited vocabulary and ability due to the modern era....
"While age is clearly catching up with the individual performers, the group dynamic was never more fully realized. Seeing the interaction of the Modern Jazz Quartet on stage is a lesson in sympathetic musical conversation of the highest order."

I was completely blown away. They played with telepathy. It was amazing. Of course I just looked up their ages and they would have all been on or around 60 to 63 ish . Well all I can say is, when I was 14, 60 year olds looked a hell of a lot older than they do now.
They all looked at least 100 years older than McCartney/Wilson/ Mick "Jogger" etc...
All hail the MJQ.
ps. I saw Count Basie in about 1980 in London. He would have been about McCartney's age. I remember asking my dad how come the band's named after him and all he does is turn and grin and go splank splank splank every so often ! Really enjoyed it though. Great show and the support act was Joe Pass iirc. Blimey.

 

Crosby, Stills and Nash. Mrs. Marmot wanted to go and I only had a passing interest in them. Seeing them two years ago made me a bigger fan.

and already mentioned Buddy Guy.

 

I've seen a number of artists who were well into their 70's who could still put on a great show--James Brown, Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, Charles Brown, Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, Ralph Stanley, Bill Monroe, and many others. But, the one who truly amazed me was Dion DiMucci. I saw him play just a couple of years ago. He is 77 now, and hasn't slowed down a bit. I think at 60, I was the youngest person in the audience. Half the crowd came in wheelchairs, walkers, and canes and, naturally wanted to hear his do0-wop hits from the 1950's ("Runaround Sue", "Teenager In Love", " I Wonder Why", etc.).
He had the crowd in the palm of his hand the entire night. He played a Telecaster very well and led his band with such stage presence and charisma that I was transfixed. His voice has not aged one bit. He hit every note on the money. But, when he picked up an acoustic guitar and did a set of solo blues, my jaw dropped. Of course, his last half-dozen albums have been all traditional blues songs of which I am aware, but he was incredible that night. I've been playing myself since I was 11, and I didn't pick up my guitar for a week after that show.

 

I was thinking Buddy Miles drumming for Junior Brown, but then I looked it up and he was only in his 50's.

 

Diamanda just turned 61.

 

Limiting this to rock music, probably Ian Hunter. He turned 77 this year and is currently touring a new album (and quite a good album it is, too).

Outside of rock, Angela Lansbury was pretty amazing in Sondheim's A Little Night Music; she was 84 at the time (2009).

 

1) Pops Staples in 1995 was 80 years old and he rocked...

I guess that's my oldest performer

2) Next would be Dave Gilmour this year 2016 who is 70. Amazing voice still and of course guitar.
3) Al Jardine in 2012 was 69 had great voice still
4) Robert Fripp in 2015 was 69 and superb
5) Pete Townshend in 2012 at 67 was terrific

 

Saw Ian Hunter last year. Fantastic show. Amazingly, he looks like he's about 55!

 

I saw Alfred Brendel about six years ago and he was excellent. I didn't care for a lot of the music, but I never was a big piano music buff. However, it was great seeing the technique of a master of his craft.

 

Wilson does a great impression of a mannequin and it's sad.