Rod Stewart Says His ‘Days Are Numbered’ Ahead of 80th Birthday: ‘I’ve Got No Fear’
Five months ahead of his 80th birthday, Rod Stewart candidly reflected on his life and the future of his career in a new interview.
“I’m aware my days are numbered but I’ve got no fear,” he told The U.S. Sun in an interview published on July 26. “We have all got to pass on at some point, so we are all in the same basket."
“I am going to be enjoying myself for these last few years as much as I can,” the rocker added. “I say few — probably another 15. I can do that easy mate, easy.”
While Rod is still finishing up the final shows of his 13-year residency at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, he admitted that life looks a little different now then it did a few years ago.
“I’m not like I was in the ’70s and ’80s and I can’t stay up all night, get drunk and go mad and still have a voice just like that,” the “Young Turks” singer said. "Nowadays I have to protect my voice before and after every show."
“The older you get, the more you have to do that,” he reflected. “Water has a hell of a lot to do with it. But no, you think I just have water on my rider?”
The Hits residency will conclude on August 7, with Rod’s 200th show at the Las Vegas venue. And while he got candid about aging in the spotlight, Rod attested that he still likes to have fun with his crew before and after the show.
“Before the show I have a quick Bacardi which I am trying to convince myself is good for my voice,” the “Sailing” crooner shared. "After a show we all get stuck into the martinis. Most bands all go home and go to bed but we don’t. We have a big old party.”
And when he’s not hitting the stage, Rod enjoys spending time with his wife, Penny Lancaster, and his blended family of eight kids and several grandchildren. Earlier this month, he vacationed with his family in Porto Cervo in Sardinia, with Penny, 53, sharing multiple snapshots from their trip on Instagram.
Rod has always been grateful for his time with his family, after facing a number of health battles in the past. In September 2019, he revealed he had secretly battled prostate cancer after he was first diagnosed in 2016.
“If you’re positive, and you work through it and you keep a smile on your face … I’ve worked for two years and I’ve just been happy, and the good Lord looked after me,” Rod said at a fundraising event.
In the early 2000s, Rod was diagnosed with thyroid cancer, causing him to lose his voice temporarily.
"It was scary because I couldn't sing a note,” the Grammy winner told ITV's Loose Women in November 2021.
"But fortunately, I had a particularly slow-growing thyroid cancer which was surgically removed, and now I have a clean bill of health,” he added. "As anyone who has been through this experience knows, when you are so close to something that is potentially life-threatening, you tend to get your life in perspective."