Whitesnake founder David Coverdale says it’s ‘time for me to call it a day’ after five-decade career

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Whitesnake frontman David Coverdale had an important announcement to make: He’s quitting.

Actually, retiring is more like it. And in classy fashion.

After more than 50 years of performing – with bands like Deep Purple and Whitesnake, and alongside Jimmy Page – the 74-year-old singer announced he’s retiring from rock and roll. In a video released on YouTube Thursday, he said it’s time to trade in his signature platform shoes and tight jeans.

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This English guitarist helped write ‘Is This Love’ by Whitesnake, a classic power ballad that became a signature song of 1980s hard rock.

He said, gently messing up the short, gray hair that now covers his head – a change from his famous long hair – “We’ve dealt with the lion costume.”

Coverdale began his music career playing with local bands in the late 1960s and early 1970s, even sharing the stage with Deep Purple as a supporting act. He first gained widespread recognition in 1973 when he became the lead singer for a famous band, and later, in 1978, he formed his own group, Whitesnake.

David Coverdale briefly retired once before, after finishing a Whitesnake world tour in 1990, but he soon found himself struggling both personally and professionally. He was married to actress Tawny Kitaen – famous for appearing in several Whitesnake music videos during the height of MTV in the 1980s – from 1989 to 1991, and later described that period as a time of personal excess. Whitesnake’s popularity had reached its peak.

I needed to put a complete stop to everything that was going on. I never got involved with music for the sake of appearances, and I just couldn’t continue like that anymore.

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David Coverdale didn’t stay retired for long. By the following spring, he was collaborating with Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page on an album released in 1993. One music industry executive famously dismissed the project as a calculated business move disguised as rock music. Despite the criticism, the album proved to be successful.

Page explained to The Times that after struggling with solo projects following John Bonham’s death and the breakup of Led Zeppelin, collaborating with David Coverdale felt completely different. He said it instantly rekindled the original creative energy and free flow of ideas they had experienced before.

Coverdale explained that people might think the band was intentionally created by the record company, but that wasn’t the case at all. They didn’t plan to create a band like Led Zeppelin.

He recalled the first sign of their potential success: while walking around Manhattan with Jimmy, they unexpectedly stopped traffic. People honked and asked if they were collaborating on a project. He described it as a surprisingly exciting moment.

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A lively energy filled the area around the Ace Hotel theater in downtown Los Angeles, with concertgoers gathering on the sidewalk and even spilling into the street while waiting for the doors to open.

Although the album was a hit, the band had to cancel most of their tour due to low ticket sales. This led David Coverdale to rebuild Whitesnake in 1994 with a new lineup. They performed together for four years, embarking on a tour that was promoted as Whitesnake’s final one.

As expected, Whitesnake didn’t retire after all. They returned to touring in 2002 with Scorpions and continued to release new music, with four studio albums following. Their thirteenth album seemed to bring some bad luck, as a planned tour was initially delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic until 2022. Unfortunately, the tour was cut short after just a few shows due to health issues within the band, including frontman David Coverdale.

The singer’s official retirement comes after Whitesnake released a greatest hits record last year.

In a video released on Thursday, David Coverdale announced his retirement. He expressed his deep gratitude to everyone who has been a part of his career – the musicians, crew, fans, and family – calling the journey incredible. He said it’s simply time for him to relax and enjoy his retirement, and hopes people will understand.

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Known as ‘Superlungs’ for his incredible voice, this British singer was highly sought after by the leading arena-rock bands of the 1970s. He actually turned down offers to join two of the decade’s biggest groups because he wanted to pursue a solo career.

“I love you with all my heart,” he said, lifting his highball glass in a toast. “Fare thee well.”

The recording then switched to a remixed version of Whitesnake’s “Forevermore,” accompanied by a slideshow of photos spanning David Coverdale’s career.

One fan commented that this was the most elegant and heartfelt goodbye they’d ever witnessed from an artist. They shared that the artist’s music had deeply impacted their life, and expressed sincere gratitude, wishing them all the best.

Someone else commented that David deserves respect for knowing when to stop. Many people keep going even when they should quit, but David isn’t like that – he’s direct and doesn’t overcomplicate things. That’s a sign of true skill, and he has their blessing.

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2025-11-14 23:02