The Hollies have announced they are officially ending their touring career after 63 years. The announcement confirms that Tony Hicks and Bobby Elliott, the last two remaining members of the band’s classic 1960s lineup, are stepping away from the road.
The statement explains the reasoning behind the decision, which centers on Hicks’ health and Elliott’s choice to stand by his longtime bandmate.
“Due to health reasons, Tony has decided to step away from touring,” the announcement said. “Out of respect for Tony and everything they have shared throughout their remarkable journey together, Bobby has also decided to retire from touring.”
The band went on to reflect on the length of their career and thank those who have supported them over the decades.
“After more than six decades, The Hollies’ touring career will come to a close with immense gratitude to the fans who have supported them around the world,” the statement continued.
That 63-year run traces back to a small stage in Manchester, where the band’s story truly began.
The Hollies formed in Manchester in 1962, brought together by childhood friends Allan Clarke and Graham Nash. Tony Hicks joined shortly after, cementing a lineup that would carry the group through its most productive years.
Throughout the 1960s, the band built a catalog of hits that defined the British Invasion sound, including “Bus Stop,” “I’m Alive,” “Look Through Any Window” and “Stop Stop Stop.” Those songs turned The Hollies into one of the era’s most recognizable groups on both sides of the Atlantic.
The band’s commercial success placed it among the biggest-selling recording acts to come out of the UK during the 1960s. That success helped establish The Hollies alongside the biggest names of the British Invasion.
Hicks and Elliott carried that legacy forward long after their peers moved on. They kept The Hollies active on stage for decades, turning their eventual retirement into the closing chapter of one of rock’s longest-running touring careers.
