Oldest Performer You've Seen Who Was Still Excellent

Dave Brubeck the year he died. Still wonderful, his 6th to last show ever.

 

Robin Trower

 

Leonard Cohen just before his 78th birthday.
David Gilmour aged 69.
Robert Plant last night.

 

Seen Dylan 5 times since 2001 and I have never encountered one of those dreadful shows that I am always hearing about.

 

Saw Buddy Guy about 7 years ago. Gonna see him again in March.

 

Dylan, Fripp... but let's cut to the chase.
TONY BENNETT!

 

I saw these folks all in the past 18 months, except Leonard Cohen, who I saw five years ago, and Sunnyland Slim, who I saw 32 years ago... and I enjoyed them all.

Leonard Cohen, age 78
Sunnyland Slim, age 80
Willie Nelson, age 82
Wanda Jackson, age 79
Kris Kristofferson, age 80
Buddy Guy, age 80
Billy Boy Arnold, age 80

 

Mose Allison, but he was only 76.

 

David Crosby, age 76. New album Sky Trails is wonderful. Saw him in April and his voice is fantastic. Great band.

 

Forgot that I saw Lionel Hampton when he was 81. He acted much, much younger.

 

Roy was only 51 at the time - a year older than I am now!

Roy definitely passed way too soon - 52!

 

King Crimson Robert Fripp, Mel Collins and Tony Levin all over 70, and from the front row in Ann Arbor last month looked great and sounded absolutely incredible.

Sonny Rollins in Toronto a few years back looked ancient and blew his heart out with the sound of the ages.

 

Doc Cheatham, a couple of times in the mid-90s. I think he was, too.

 

I heard Burl Ives up in his 80s. He had Snow White hair, but they used to dye it yellow for those iced tea commercials.

 

Tom RUSH...76. Still brilliant!

 

I also heard John Birks Gillespie on 4/20/90.

 

I heard Sun Ra play 3 club shows around 1992, and he borrowed my friend’s electric piano for the gigs. He wasn’t talking after the stroke, but still played well.

 

Hands down Iggy Pop at the Royal Albert hall last year. He was pushing 70 and still leapt around like a teenager, shirt off and bleeding, yet still putting on one of the greatest rock and roll shows I'd ever seen.

 

Saw Boz Scaggs (73) this past September. He and his band were great.

 

Haven't gone through the whole thread, but The Comets in early 2000s was one of the best shows I've ever seen. Apart from Jacko Buddin, at the time the whole band consisted of guys who already played in the band in the fifties. One of the swinging-est rock'n'roll bands ever. I got their autographs too.

 

Ravi Shankar, but I saw Jorma Kaukonen last night for the first time and he was fantastic.

Edit: I see I posted earlier in this thread about seeing Willie Nelson. Damn, everyone's getting up there.

 

I saw Chet Baker in Hamburg, I think it was shortly before his death. He was sitting on a chair and looking like an old women, and he played extremely good. As a matter of fact, I didn‘t knew him till then. I came for Chick Corea. I was wondering how this strange old man on the chair would be like. But he was better than Chick.

 

Taj Mahal (1942)

 

Cat Stevens

 

Don Wilson and Bob Bogle of The Ventures....both were in thier 70s when I saw them last. Bob has sadly since passed on and Don has retired from touring.