How Long Can MYLES KENNEDY Keep Recording And Performing Music? 'That's Really Tough To Know', He Says

During an appearance on a recent episode of "The Jasta Show", the podcast hosted by HATEBREED frontman Jamey Jasta, Myles Kennedy (ALTER BRIDGE, SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS) was asked how long he can keep singing and performing. The 55-year-old vocalist/guitarist, who is based in Spokane, Washington, responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "That's a good question. That's really tough to know. You know what? Here's the deal. As long as this [points to his throat] still works and this [grabs his hand] still can do something, I'll try and go as long as I can.

"I think I was the guy for a while where I was, like… Even the idea of the art of letting go, what that means to you and the many things — there's multi layers — is the idea of, like, well, I'm not a spring chicken anymore. Could I let this go?" he continued. "I don't know. Would I be okay with that? Who would I be? What would be my purpose? And I think that's the main thing where it's really the idea…

"I look at my folks, and they're getting close to their eighties now, and they've stayed busy. They still do their thing. I think they're finally gonna retire, but they just wanna keep going. And they're sharp as a tack. They still have their health. And the people I know who make it to that point in life, they have interests, they have purpose. That's the big one. And I think for me, how I'm hardwired, 'cause I'm a little bit neurotic. I struggle with my demons. And that's why I write, I need to write all the time, create all the time, because I need an outlet. And I think if I were to say, 'Okay, you know what? I'm cool. I can hang up. I'm not gonna do this anymore,' I don't know how healthy I would be mentally. I don't know if I could do it."

Asked if that would be the time for him to find a new passion or pursue something else that he has always wanted to do but never had the time, Myles said: "Brother, I've tried to find things. For a while, I was getting into horology, mechanical watches. I kind of picked that interest up from guy like Eric Singer from KISS, and I was, like, 'Oh, that's really cool.' And then learning about how all that stuff works and reading about it. But the problem is, is then I'd see my guitar sitting over there and be, like, 'I must have that now.' It's like an appendage. I can't imagine life… In fact, I had kind of a nerve injury not too long ago and it was kind of getting in the way of playing. And that really F'd with me, man. It was frustrating. 'Cause I used to play five hours a day. It's just all I would do. And then I was, like… oh, I was having all these problems with my arm, and blah, blah, blah. And it's fine now. I've found somebody who's really helped a lot. And I think that's part of where some of this came from. Like, well, what if you can't do this? Some singers, as they get older, they're fine. Some singers you just don't know. And I don't know what it's gonna be, but I think what I've figured out is the way I'm hardwired, I don't know how healthy it would be if I stopped."

Kennedy's third solo album, "The Art Of Letting Go", was released in October via Napalm Records. The LP marks the return of Myles, backed by his band comprised of Zia Uddin on drums and Tim Tournier on bass.

To celebrate the release of "The Art Of Letting Go", Myles Kennedy and his trio hit the road in support of the new album. A six-date U.K. run with support from Devin Townsend took place in November and December. Twenty more dates were added to "The Art Of Letting Go" tour 2024 all across Europe starting last October. The additional European dates featured support from BLACK RIVER DELTA and CARDINAL BLACK. The band will also be bringing the tour to North America with dates set for January and February 2025. The 2025 dates will feature special guest Tim Montana.

As a prolific songwriter, powerhouse vocalist, and proficient guitar player, Kennedy tunes into the rhythm of his surroundings and goes with the flow. Fronting ALTER BRIDGE, his soaring vocals, open-hearted lyrics, and airtight riffs have fueled the group's global impact as a gold-certified, arena-filling force of nature over two decades-plus. On the microphone for SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS, his towering range has consistently stunned audiences since 2010. Becoming a celebrated collaborator, he's the rare presence just as comfortable on a track with DISTURBED, HALESTORM and SEVENDUST as he is with GOV'T MULE and Darryl "DMC" McDaniels. It's why he's generated over one billion cumulative streams, earned gold and platinum certifications worldwide, uplifted countless fans, and Kerrang! christened him "one of rock's finest vocalists." It's also why he's carved out his own lane. 2021 saw him deliver his acclaimed sophomore opus, "The Ides Of March". It impressively notched a total of four No. 1 debuts across three countries, toppling the Billboard U.S. Top Current Hard Music chart, the U.K. Official Rock & Metal chart and Official Independent Album chart, and Canada's Hard Music Albums chart. Beyond generating 10 million-plus streams, it incited unanimous critical applause from American Songwriter, Guitar.com, Loudwire, Guitar World and more. RIFF hailed it as "a fantastic and must-listen record," while Classic Rock magazine awarded it "4.5 out of 5 stars," going on to attest, "'The Ides Of March' confirms Myles Kennedy as a musical powerhouse."