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David Coverdale's touring days are coming to an end next summer after one last ride with Whitesnake.
Coverdale said earlier this year that pre-pandemic, he expected to have brought his touring career to an end by now. While he plans to cut down his traveling significantly, he believes he'll continue to write and record music in retirement.
In a recent conversation with the Appetite for Distortion podcast, the ex-Deep Purple frontman and Whitesnake co-founder expressed how grateful he is for his career.
"It's mind-blowing to me that I'm preparing my farewell tour," Coverdale said. "And it is — make no mistake: this is the farewell tour. I'm 70. It's a very physically challenging thing for me to do at the best of times. But it's very important for me to achieve completion and to express my appreciation and gratitude to all the people ... who've supported me for five decades — 50 years. It blows my mind, it really does."
The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer understands fan skepticism over any rockstar's farewell proclamation. He noted that "a lot of my peers and contemporaries are on their 20th retirement tour. I don't intent that."
As for his retirement plan, Coverdale says he has plenty of music left to record.
"I must explain, though: It's me, just David Coverdale, who's retiring from touring at that level. Whitesnake will still make projects. I've been writing music all through COVID. I wrote some beautiful new ideas. I have ideas in case Jimmy [Page] wants to do anything. ... But [they're] all songs that we can utilize for a Whitesnake project. The music of Whitesnake will continue."
Despite some health challenges in recent years, including an "evil flu" that put him in the hospital in 2018, Coverdale says he's physically and vocally healthy enough to keep "kicking ass." It's just the traveling that takes a toll on him.
"I have to thank people in person around the world for helping me to be in this position."
Whitesnake has tour dates announced in the U.K. and Europe through next June. Go here for the full list.