Sir Cliff Richard has announced a UK tour to mark his 80th birthday.
The ‘Devil Woman’ hitmaker announced on his 79th birthday (14.10.19) that he will be hitting the road on ‘The Great 80 Tour’ next year, which kicks off in Gateshead on September 23, and wraps with two consecutive nights at the iconic Royal Albert Hall in London on October 12 and October 13.
The music legend – who has been making records since the 1950s – has slowed down and reduced his touring schedule in recent times, but he has vowed to never retire from the music industry.
Speaking in November, he said: "The word ‘retire’… I don’t think that’s in my vocabulary.
"What I plan to do is what I’ve done now, really.
"I’ve slowed, I’ve made it a level area – I don’t tour for five or six months the way I used to.
"I can come back with my band – they’re all friends of mine.
"We dine together, we stay in the same hotels, we do shows and people come and enjoy themselves."
Every time he considers quitting, someone suggests a tour and he "just can’t resit it".
He said: "Sometimes I wake up in the morning and realise I haven’t sung for six months and it’s wonderful not having to worry about my throat giving out.
"So at those moments I think to myself, ‘If I never did another show, I’d be very happy.’ Then, blow me down, somebody suggests going on tour again and I’m saying, ‘Oh, yes please!’ I get all excited again and can’t wait to get out on stage. I just can’t resist it."
The ‘Bachelor Boy’ hitmaker released his first album of new material in 14 years, ‘Rise Up’, last year.
And Cliff said that he felt the record – which was the follow-up to 2004’s ‘Something’s Goin’ On’ – helped him re-establish himself as an artist and helped him embark on a positive direction.
He commented: "I think with an album it’s a chance for the artist to take themselves and the audience somewhere else."
Tickets for the ‘The Great 80 Tour’ go on sale on October 25 via Live Nation.
Cliff’s tour dates are:
September 23, 2020 – Gateshead, Sage
September 25, 2020 – Glasgow, Royal Concert Hall
September 27, 2020 – Blackpool, Opera House
September 29, 2020 – Birmingham, Symphony Hall
October 2, 2020 – Nottingham, Royal Concert Hall
October 4, 2020 – Sheffield, City Hall
October 6, 2020 – Manchester, Bridgewater Hall
October 8, 2020 – Bournemouth, Bic Windsor Hall
October 10, 2020 – Brighton, Brighton Centre
October 12, 2020 – London, Royal Albert Hall
October 13, 2020 – London, Royal Albert Hall