The 5: Performers Over 75 You Need to See

Dec 19, 2012


This Week on the 5:  Performers Who Aren’t Too Old to Be Great

Imagine If you had the chance to see Charlie Chaplin, Al Jolson or Frank Sinatra and didn’t do it. You’d regret it the rest of your life. Well there are show business legends now over 75 years old but still appearing in public and if you get the chance to see them, you simply have to do it. Even if they are no longer in their prime you will have experience and get to share it with your grandchildren one day.

  • B.B. King.  Rolling Stone has him as the 6th best guitar player of all time. Guitar players all over the world play homage to him He’s called the King of Blues and no one disputes it. The good news is he still tours and still draws big crowds. The man was born in a cabin on a cotton plantation in Mississippi.  He’s lived the blues, played the blues and B.B. King is the blues.
  • Woody Allen.  Woody stands head and shoulders above every comedy director in history.  Comedy Central ranks him as
    the fourth greatest stand up of all time . He no longer works as a stand up but he does play clarinet, and you can hang out and watch him play jazz at the Carlyle Hotel every Monday night in New York City.  Woody loves jazz and the players he jams with are excellent. Seeing Woody play jazz  is like seeing Einstein play the violin. You’ll dine out on this story for the rest of your life.
  • Willie Nelson.  One of America’s greatest song writers, Willie Nelson is a country icon.  Long before Nashville went corporate, country music was a place for outlaws and misfits. Willie not only keeps up the tradition of outlaw country he sets the bar.
  • Chuck Berry.   Some people consider Chuck Berry the inventor of rock n roll and it’s hard to imagine rock roll with songs like Johnny B Goode, Maybelline and Never Can Tell. You can still see the legend performing at Blueberry Hill in St Louis and people fly in from all over the world to see Chuck.
  • Joan Rivers.  Joan Rivers started doing stand up over 50 years ago and seems to get stronger and stronger.   She was a stand up comedian when very few women took the stage. She’s played the biggest rooms all over the world and just never stops. She updates the act constantly and is absolutely fearless.

* * *

B.B. King

* * *

Woody Allen

* * *

Willie Nelson

* * *

Chuck Berry

* * *

Joan Rivers

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49 comments
caseypickles
caseypickles

Tina Turner is 74. I saw her in the 80s and then I saw her again a couple of years ago, the only difference was the dance moves were toned down. The voice was completely in tact!

elephant_droid
elephant_droid

Said before but to echo:

 

Joan Rivers

Bob Newhart

Don Rickles

 

Seen all 3 in the last couple years....amazing.

c-money
c-money

caught willie this year at free press summer fest. even at 5PM in southern texas heat he was great.

jasminejon
jasminejon

when i was in college in the early 80's, i saw chuck berry open for james brown at the wiltern in LA. fun show. chuck was awesome better than the hardest working man in show business!

Kendall in Texas
Kendall in Texas like.author.displayName 1 Like

My boss' lineup at his last 4 Christmas parties.  George Jones, Tony Bennett, Kenny Rogers and the horific bitchyness that was Dionne Warwick.  George was something to see even if he has lost a few steps.  Tony was amazing and still has it.  Kenny was cheesy goodness.  Dionne wouldn't start until the servers stopped (even though it is always a dinner show) and then bitched into the mic about how the audience didn't appreciate her.

kokomofan1
kokomofan1 like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 2 Like

One of the best...George Jones

EMC
EMC like.author.displayName 1 Like

That's Glenn Miller they're playing, not Benny Goodman. 

FanBoy1
FanBoy1

The song is " In the mood"... both Miller and Goodman have versions of said tune. as did tommy dorsey, Duke Ellington and countless others.

EMC
EMC

Oh yeah, I saw Yul in his second to last King and I performance, come to think of it.  

Vickroy
Vickroy

Too late now, but would have loved to have seen Buddy Hackett. His HBO special from years ago is one of my favorites of all time.

EMC
EMC like.author.displayName 1 Like

Saw Bob Newhart a few years ago.  

 

Do it.  

J Bradley
J Bradley

He's 4 years shy, but George Clinton should be an honorable mention to this list.

zero episteme
zero episteme

KRIS KRISTOFFERSON!

 

He still tours regularly.  Always an amazing solo acoustic show.  Legend.

EMC
EMC

I saw Sun Ra two years before he died.  It was the most amazing musical experience I've ever had.  

TheDenRadio
TheDenRadio like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 2 Like

Don Rickles.

TheDenRadio
TheDenRadio like.author.displayName 1 Like

I really wish Ron would do an Unmasked with Don Rickles.

shrekkalove
shrekkalove

I was supposed to see Willie on the Railroad Revival Tour, but he cancelled. BOO!

ImUrHuckleberry
ImUrHuckleberry

BB KING, you the damn man. Not the white man, but the MAN !!

MalibuGym
MalibuGym

I saw BB KING at the Wiltern in LA. I bootleged it thinking it may be one of his last shows. That was in 2001

sidwasout
sidwasout like.author.displayName 1 Like

Not quite there, yet, but I vote Tom Jones, anyway.

lickballs
lickballs

Go see Woody Allen play clarinet because he was a good stand up.  I'm sure that's exactly what he'd want.  Spurious, ibang, very spurious.

bobneedsmoney
bobneedsmoney

Replace Willie with Merle haggard and you have a good list, Willie sucks live but Merle was fucking excellent in concert

sumwhatdim
sumwhatdim

@bobneedsmoney I've seen Merle 3times and Willie once. Merle was excellent 2 of the 3.(was sick the other). Willie played outside on a cold rainy September's iowa night for 2 + hours. He was absolutely brilliant too. That was probably 8 or 10 years ago though

sumwhatdim
sumwhatdim

Okay, it was 9 years ago and late august. But it definitely was pissing down rain. I may drink too much

Beer
Beer like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 2 Like

I get a chance to listen to a over 75 performer every day...although its only for 4 minutes over four hours

jerkstoresean
jerkstoresean

@Beer Sorry. I'm on the phone and don't think this was loaded when I posted

elephant_droid
elephant_droid like.author.displayName 1 Like

Buddy Guy!!!

 

His yearly home stand at Legends is coming up in January...4 days a week for 4 weeks. Check it out or when he is on the road.

Pockitos Gigantes
Pockitos Gigantes like.author.displayName 1 Like

I would have to add Kris Kristofferson to the list.

Pool Keepers Son
Pool Keepers Son

@Pockitos Gigantes be sure to watch the movie songwriter it's a classic

Pockitos Gigantes
Pockitos Gigantes

@Pool Keepers Son I'll have to check that out. I thought I had seen all of Willie's movies but that one got by me I guess. Thanks for the suggestion.

sumwhatdim
sumwhatdim

@Pockitos Gigantes This summer I saw Kris and Merle at the Surf Ballroom. Kris seemed really tired, but good. Merle was absolutely amazing.

Pockitos Gigantes
Pockitos Gigantes

@sumwhatdim I have never seen Kris but a few years ago a Merle concert in my hometown got rained out and he put on an impromptu jam session in his hotel convention hall. Pretty cool dude.

RonsCigar
RonsCigar

Not sure who to throw off the lifeboat...wait a minute. I got them mixed up. Great 5. Honorable Mention: Jerry Lee Lewis the Killer.


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