Overview
- The Hollies announced on Thursday that lead guitarist Tony Hicks is stepping away from touring for health reasons and that drummer Bobby Elliott has retired from touring, bringing the group’s road life to an end.
- Hicks, 80, and Elliott, 84, both joined the band in 1963 and were the last members from the Hollies’ classic era to perform with the group.
- The final steady lineup had held since 2004 and included singer Peter Howarth, guitarists Steve Lauri, bassist Ray Stiles and keyboardist Ian Parker.
- The Hollies released 23 albums, earned a 2010 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction and influenced later artists; their catalog has produced notable legal and publishing fallout, including co-writing credits tied to “The Air That I Breathe.”
- Former members with Hollies ties, such as Terry Sylvester and Graham Nash, will still appear in limited oldies shows, but no future tours are planned and fans can expect the band’s legacy to be preserved through recordings, reissues and licensing.