The Zombies’ Rod Argent announces retirement from touring after stroke

17 July 2024, 13:49

The Zombies' Rod Argent will no longer tour with the band.

The founding member of The Zombies has announced his immediate retirement from touring due to suffering a stroke.

News of Argent's retirement was revealed by his management on the band's official Instagram account.

Chris Tuthill and Cindy da Silva have been managing The Zombies for over a decade now, and shared the news with their fans.

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The pair shared that Rod Argent had a stroke soon after spending a weekend in London with his wife Cathy to celebrate their 52nd wedding anniversary and his 79th birthday.

They confirmed that doctors have advised Argent to take "several months of rest and recuperation".

Due to his recovery, it means that all upcoming performances from the band have now been cancelled.

The Zombies - She's Not There

"He was already preparing to wind down his live performance schedule after health scares on recent tours," the announcement read.

"However, the stroke was an unmistakable warning sign that the risks are too great."

Understandably, all upcoming headline appearances from The Zombies have all been cancelled, including their impending 2024 US tour.

The band's second annual 'Begin Here Festival' in St Albans on 8-10th November will go ahead as planned however.

Instead, they'll play a special show dedicated to Argent to replace The Zombies' originally scheduled set.

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Despite the tour being cancelled, Argent will not retire from writing - according to the band's managers he has "already been back at his piano for some much-needed 'Bach therapy'."

And after an outpouring of good wishes from fans, Argent shared a message of thanks via X/Twitter.

"I am absolutely overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and support that has happened in response to the news of my having suffered a stroke three weeks ago," he said.

"I have read every post, and have to thank you so much. I do feel so lucky that physically l've escaped the worst possible effects, and while I'm still frustrated by not finding all my words easily, I feel really hopeful that eventually I will make a full recovery.....

It is with a heavy heart that I can't carry on with the live playing that I love so much, but want to emphasise that, after a couple of months, do mean to carry on in the studio with writing and recording unabated, and with superb contributions from Colin, Steve, Tom and Søren. Thank you once again so much," Rod Argent xx

Argent formed The Zombies with lead singer Colin Blunstone back in 1961 as school boys, going on to have their first hit in 1964 with 'She's Not There'.

Talking in 2023 about how their paths first crossed, Argent said: "We met outside a pub. We were too young to walk in the pub”.

Blunstone then added: "I was literally in a corner singing to myself, doing a Ricky Nelson song, and Rod came over and said, 'That’s really good. I’ll tell you what. If you’ll be the lead singer, I’ll play keyboards'."

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The band later scored three top ten singles that decade, before several break-ups and solo projects were prioritised like Rod Argent's own band Argent who had a top five hit in 1972 with 'Hold Your Head Up'.

They eventually got back together in 2004 and have been touring since, even being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2019.

"We don’t know what the future holds," the statements reads however, leaving The Zombies' future as a touring entity uncertain.

"What we have to tell fans today is that all upcoming performances by the Zombies will be canceled."