The reason for calling it quits is straightforward: health. In a statement released on August 20, The Hollies revealed that guitarist Tony Hicks is no longer able to continue touring due to health issues. Drummer Bobby Elliott, the band's other remaining founding member, chose to step down alongside Hicks rather than bring in a replacement to carry on.
The statement read: "After more than sixty years, The Hollies' touring career is coming to an end, and we want to extend our deepest thanks to the fans around the world who have supported this band."
The Hollies were formed in Manchester in 1962 by childhood friends Allan Clarke and Graham Nash. Hicks joined in February 1963, and the band soon after landed an audition with Parlophone at Abbey Road. That August, Elliott—Hicks' former bandmate from The Dolphins—joined the lineup, and bassist Eric Haydock rounded out the classic formation. Known for their three-part harmonies, they became one of the defining bands of the British Invasion, with hits including "I'm Alive," "Bus Stop," "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother," "Stop Stop Stop," and "The Air That I Breathe."
Nash left the band in December 1968, later forming Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, with Terry Sylvester stepping in the following year. Clarke retired from live performances in 2000. Hicks and Elliott remained the two constants throughout, with the lineup over the past two decades also including lead vocalist Peter Howarth, guitarist Steve Lauri, bassist Ray Stiles, and keyboardist Ian Parker. The band's most recent album, "Then, Now, Always," was released in 2009.
The Hollies were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2010, but Hicks and Elliott didn't attend the ceremony that night—the band already had a show scheduled for the same date. That detail says something about how this band operated: touring always came first, all the way until they finally stopped after sixty-three years.
"The Air That I Breathe" left behind another piece of trivia: the late Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins named it in 2017 as one of the five songs he most wished he had written, and its melody also influenced Radiohead's "Creep," which eventually led to original songwriters Albert Hammond and Mike Hazlewood receiving a co-writing credit on that track. "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" topped the UK singles chart following its 1988 re-release. The Hollies have sold more than sixty million records worldwide.
