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The Zombies' Rod Argent suffered a stroke recently after his 79th birthday, leading to his immediate retirement from all touring. According to the group's management's announcement, Argent will require several months of rest and recuperation to recover from the stroke.
Chris Tuthill and Cindy da Silva, the band's managers stated via a post on the official band Instagram on July 11, 2024:
"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..."
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The announcement continued:
"...However, the stroke was an unmistakable warning sign that the risks are too great. 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."
More on Rod Argent's decision to retire
The retirement announcement further highlights the support extended by the rest of the band as well as the crew and other related personnel. Furthermore, it clarifies what Argent's recuperation entails for The Zombies' live performances in the forseeable future.
"What we have to tell fans today is that all upcoming performances by The Zombies will be cancelled. However, our 2nd annual 'Begin Here Festival' in St.Albans, UK (November 8-10, 2024) will continue. This fan weekend celebrating The Zombies and the historical and vibrant city where they formed is made even more important by this news."
The announcement continues:
Our hope is to replace the scheduled Zombies performance with a special performance honouring Rod and ask fans to hold on to their tickets until we've had time to regroup and announce new plans..."
As per the announcement, lead singer Colin Brunstone's solo performances would proceed as planned.
"Colin Blunstone’s upcoming November performances of his seminal 1971 solo album One Year, at Begin Here Festival and other UK cities, will also continue as planned."
A brief overview of The Zombies' Rod Argent's career
Rod Argent is best known for his musical career as a member of The Zombies, which was founded in the 1960s by the keyboardist, who was also present when the band reunited in the 1990s.
The Zombies gained critical praise with their second studio album, Odessey and Oracle, which was released on April 19, 1968. Rolling Stone magazine ranked the album at number 100 on its list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. After their reunion, The Zombies, with Rod Argent, went on to release six more studio albums, with the latest one being 2023's Different Game.
After the Zombies disbanded in the 1970s, Rod Argent formed the eponymous band, Argent. The band released seven albums, of which its third studio album, All Together Now, remains the most successful, having charted at number 23 on the Billboard 200 album chart.
Aside from his work with The Zombies and Argent, the keyboardist has over the years also had a prolific solo music career. Argent released a total of ten studio albums throughout his career, with the last album, Classically Speaking, being released in 1998.
