Rod Stewart Now Says He’s Not Quitting Rock Music

Rod Stewart has clarified comments he recently made about abandoning rock music.

"I'm not retiring," he said in a BBC interview earlier this month. "But I want to move on to ... I had great success with The Great American Songbook, all-American standards, and I've just done a swing album with Jools Holland, which is going to come out next year, so I want to go in that direction. I just want to leave all the rock 'n' roll stuff behind — for a while, maybe."

Stewart has now taken to Twitter to explain what he meant, noting that he does not intend to stop making and performing music anytime soon. "I shall never retire!" he wrote. "I was put on this earth to be a singer and will keep doing so for as long as the good lord lets me."

Stewart had previously said that he planned to stop performing his rock hits after his current tour but has now said he will keep playing them during his tours that are scheduled through 2023, as well as shows he will book for 2024.

"During recent interviews, I’ve mentioned my newest passion is big band/swing music, and when we wrap this greatest hits tour, it's something I'm very eager to share with you," he wrote. "I could never turn my back on the songs that I've written and sung over the last six decades. They are like my children. I created them and I love them. I'll always come back to them, just like I did after The Great American Songbook series, which, I shall boastfully add, sold 26 million albums!

"I look forward to seeing you on the road with all the hits, and I can't wait to introduce you to my new swing album next year."