Rod Argent has been forced to retire from touring after suffering a stroke.
The 79-year-old, who founded legendary rock band the Zombies, was recently hospitalized after falling ill.
The keyboard player and vocalist’s management team have confirmed that he has been advised to sit out future performances on doctors’ orders, and will need ‘several months’ to rest and recover.
‘Rod had recently returned home from a triumphant Zombies tour of the UK, and spent a weekend in with his beloved wife Cathy, celebrating his 79th birthday and their 52nd wedding anniversary, before the stroke occurred,’ the statement reads, via .
‘He was hospitalized overnight, and released the next day. Doctors have advised that Rod will need several months of rest and recuperation.
‘Rod has asked us to convey that he has made the very difficult decision to immediately retire from touring in order to protect his health.
‘He was already preparing to wind down his live performance schedule after health scares on recent tours.
‘However, the stroke was an unmistakable warning sign that the risks are too great.’
The message continued: ‘Rod still firmly intends to continue his other creative joy of writing and recording with The Zombies, and has already been back at his piano for some much-needed “Bach therapy”.
‘As heart-breaking as this is for us, the band, our crew and our team, we are a family and fully support Rod in this decision.
‘As Rod’s experience shows, we don’t know what the future holds.’
‘Our last message is that if a classic artist that has made music you love is performing nearby, don’t miss the opportunity to see them,’ they added.
‘You can sit on the couch and binge Netflix another day. The communal experience of a live performance by a veteran artist is a singular and joyous moment.
‘These artists are treasures who have stood the test of time and are giving their all, but they are fragile human beings like all of us. Don’t miss out.’
The Zombies were planning a tour in the US later this year, which was intended to mark Rod’s final overseas batch of performances.
The band managers confirmed that all upcoming performances will be cancelled, but their upcoming Begin Here Festival appearance in St Albans in November will remain, with a possible special show honoring Rod in the future.
Fans have been asked to hold onto their tickets for now while plans are still being cemented.
Rod founded the Zombies in St Albans in 1961 with Colin Blunstone, Paul Atkinson, Hugh Grundy and Paul Arnold – they landed a recording contract three years later and released their first single, She’s Not There in 1964.
It landed in the top 20 in the UK but fared even better in the US, climbing to number two in the charts.
They went on to drop their debut album in 1965, including tracks Summertime, You’ve Really Got A Hold On Me, Tell Her No and I Got My Mojo Working.
In 1968, they followed this up with Odessey and Oracle, with their number one single, Time of the Season – Rolling Stone have continuously ranked the record in their lists of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.
Their last record, Different Game, was released in 2023.
The Zombies’ contribution to music was celebrated in 2019 as they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, beside Radiohead, Stevie Nicks, Janet Jackson, The Cure and Def Leppard.
