2024 saw country music fans saying goodbye to a few of their favorite country singers, as they retired from performing and bowed out of the spotlight. But while several beloved artists left the stage, more longtime fan favorites decided to extend their careers for at least one more year.
Among the country artists who announced final tours in 2024 were several Country Music Hall of Famers, an all-time legendary band and one artist who hadn’t even reached the official age of retirement.
Age may have played a role in at least two singers’ decision to retire, while others appeared to have simply tired of life on the road.
Sadly, illness played into several stars’ retirement plans, and one of them died less than a year after leaving the road.
However — as is so often the case — most of the country artists who announced their intention to retire in 2024 actually didn’t end up going through with it, choosing to announce new shows for 2025 instead.
Scroll through the pictures below to see which country stars retired in 2024, and which ones you still have time to catch live before they, too, walk away.
Every road has to come to an end, and 2024 saw a few country stars saying goodbye to their fans. Read on to see which country singers retired in 2024 … and which ones decided to extend their time in the spotlight.
Gallery Credit: Sterling Whitaker
“Who I Am” and “Ode to Billie Joe” are songs we all know the words to — we’ve sung along to them on more than one occasion — they were huge hits! But what ever happened to Jessica Andrews and Bobbie Gentry?
You’ll often find us reminiscing over some of our favorite artists who took a break from music, whether to start a family, solely write songs … or just plain vanish(?!).
Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes