Knowing when to quit

I got free tickets to see both Shirley Bassey and Tony Bennett when I was about 13 and didn't think much of them! The free ticket to see The Rubettes was much more appreciated!

It's strange about Paul McCartney. Maybe he does know, but doesn't want to let people down by saying no when he's asked to do something important.

I saw Anthony Newley in the musical version of Scrooge in the early 90s and although I didn't know any of his songs, it was obvious that sadly he was also way passed his best.

The Rubettes!! That's a blast from the past.

Mind you, my first "gig" was Bay City Rollers.

Isn't it a bit like comparing apples and oranges when lining Tommy Steele, Brucie, Rod Stewart et al up against David Attenborough and John Humphries?

There are those who are there to entertain us, which takes a huge amount of stamina and charisma. The Attenboroughs and Humphries are there to inform us, and while this requires an agile mind and a pleasant voice, they don't have to keep up the physical presence, endless grinning and sparkle for hours non-stop.

Hving said that, Humphrey Lyttleton certainly had all his peers' admiration on to a great age, and certainly knew how to entertain. As does Nicholas Parsons.

We saw Elton John a while back. I had been given the ticket as a present for my birthday, so, although I was not mad about going, we went anyway. He put up a really good show and I'm glad I went in the end. Ditto Chris de Burgh - I only went to placate my husband, was rather embarrassed to be seen there, but the show was really good.

Mind you, the Elton John tickets, now I think about it, I got for my 50th birthday, so it was over 10 years ago now!

Leonard Cohen, on his tours in the last few years, was phenomenal. I still find myself beaming all over my face when I hear the live cd. Whatever it was, he's still got it, both as an entertainer and a man. The time he spent on stage was impressive too.
I get the impression that at least a couple of high profile and adored 'national treasure' septuagenarian singers truly believe they've still got it but lost it long ago.