The music industry has no shortage of examples of singers and bands promoting their farewell tours, only to return to the stage for subsequent tours after they were supposedly retired.

The Who is one band that just won’t go away after “retiring.” The band hit the road in 1982 on what they called their “farewell tour,” playing arena and stadium shows to sellout crowds. Charity brought them back for a Live Aid performance in 1985, but they would discard their idea of retirement in 1989 for their 25th anniversary tour.

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The British Invasion band would hit the road again three years later in 2002. The tour required a replacement bass player after original member John Entwistle passed away in his hotel room at the former Hard Rock Hotel and Casino on the Las Vegas Strip, one day before the tour was to begin. And the band has continued touring with no end in sight.

Superstar rock band The Eagles made a joke of farewell tours on its Farewell Tour 1 in 2004. The band had broken up in 1980 at the end of their Long Run Tour, but reunited in 1994 and have continued touring every year, except in 1997 and 2000. Commenting about Farewell Tour 1 at a Sacramento, Calif., show in 2005, singer/guitarist Glenn Frey, who passed away in 2016, rejected the notion that they were retiring by saying, “If you’re payin’, we’re playin’.”

The Eagles wrapping up a farewell tour

The Eagles are currently wrapping up their “Long Goodbye” farewell tour that is expected to conclude March 16 in Charlotte, N.C. We’ll see.

Star singer Phil Collins also got into the farewell tour act in 2004 with his version, The First Farewell Tour. Collins also continued touring. In March 2022, however, he appeared with his Genesis bandmates while sitting in a chair on stage in London at what is believed to be his final concert ever because of his health issues. 

That said, some other music acts might be more serious about retiring on their farewell tours.

Legendary pop singer Tony Orlando, who had a No. 1 hit with “Tie a Yellow Ribbon” back in 1973, began performing on the Las Vegas Strip at the Riviera Hotel Showroom in the same year that he had his smash hit and moved on to the Las Vegas Hilton. Orlando continued his Vegas headlining in subsequent years at Caesars Palace, The Mirage and the Desert Inn, according to the singer’s website.

The “Knock Three Times” singer has performed residencies over the past 25 years at Michael Gaughan’s Orleans Las Vegas casino and his South Point Casino more recently. At age 79, Orlando has decided it’s time to drop the mic and retire from performing after he makes six stops on his Farewell Concerts tour.

Tony Orlando plays final Las Vegas shows

Orlando begins his Farewell Concerts with his final shows in Las Vegas, returning for sold out shows at the South Point Casino on Las Vegas Boulevard on Jan. 20 and 21. 

The singer’s fans can expect Orlando to perform his other No. 1 hit records that include “Candida,” “My Sweet Gypsy Rose” and “He Don’t Love You (Like I Love You)” at each stop on his final tour, including Fallsview Casino in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Feb. 27-28; Des Plaines Theater, Des Plaines, Ill., March 2; The Arcada Theater, St. Charles, Ill., March 3; Resorts Casino Hotel, Atlantic City, N.J., March 16; and his final show at Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, Conn., on March 22.

Any remaining tickets for these shows are available at Ticketmaster.com.