TL;DR
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A Sixty and Me essay titled “It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me” argues that older adults should choose their own activities, music and travel rather than follow cultural expectations about aging. The author draws on years as a musician and entertainer, but the piece is personal commentary, not a reported study or new policy development.
In a first-person essay for Sixty and Me, a longtime musician and senior entertainer uses Billy Joel’s “It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me” to argue that older adults should decide for themselves how to spend their time, including whether to travel, dance and perform. The piece frames age-related expectations as cultural pressures, while grounding its case in the author’s own work and experiences rather than new research or a formal report.
The author says they have played music since 1972 and worked as a senior entertainer since 1992. Early in that work, they leaned on the Great American Songbook, including standards associated with Frank Sinatra. They later found that audiences also wanted to sway, dance and jitterbug. The writer recalls joking about eventually performing Bruce Springsteen at a retirement community, and says the music played for older audiences has moved from Elvis and the Beatles into the late 1960s and early 1970s.
That experience led the author to treat Joel’s “It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me” as a metaphor for resisting pressure to change with the times simply to win approval. The essay notes that the song followed a familiar early-rock structure and that Joel faced criticism over his image and approach. It also says the song reached number one for two weeks and points to Joel’s sold-out Madison Square Garden residencies as evidence of his continued audience appeal. These examples support the writer’s interpretation; the essay does not present them as a new music-industry development.
The author also describes extensive travel with their wife, saying they have sometimes spent about two weeks at home before leaving again. They say the trips are possible because the couple planned and saved, and that their children are doing well. The writer says they are 69 and actively considering a return to performing at brew pubs and senior communities after taking a couple of years off. Their planned repertoire would include standards, Springsteen and possibly Taylor Swift.
Choosing Activities After 60
The essay challenges a familiar assumption that older people should become quieter, less visible or less adventurous. It argues that choices such as dancing to rock music, traveling frequently, learning an instrument or dating later in life should not be treated as belonging only to younger people. Its relevance is cultural and personal: readers are invited to examine whether expectations about aging are shaping their decisions.
The article also offers examples of ways older adults may continue or begin activities, from joining a band to swimming competitively or returning to school. These are examples supplied by the author, not independently verified case studies or evidence that every person can or should pursue the same choices. The essay’s point is that age alone should not dictate a person’s interests or schedule.
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From Standards to Springsteen
The writer’s argument grows out of years performing for older audiences. They describe starting with traditional standards and then seeing audience members respond to music that invited movement. In the essay, that shift becomes a practical challenge to the idea that older listeners necessarily want calm entertainment. The author’s account reflects their gigs and observations; it does not establish a broader trend across all senior communities.
The essay also refers to artists whose careers continued across later decades, including Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Joni Mitchell and Johnny Cash. It cites Dylan’s “Forever Young” and Joel’s more recent song “Turn the Lights Back On” as examples that inform its theme. The source presents these artists as illustrations of continuing creative work, not as proof that age-related barriers have disappeared.
““Fear of dying is human. Fear of aging is cultural.””
— The essay’s author, quoting Ashton Applewhite’s book This Chair Rocks
What the Essay Does Not Establish
The source is a personal essay, and it does not provide survey data, interviews with researchers or evidence measuring how widespread ageism is in music venues, travel or retirement settings. The author’s experiences and examples are not independently documented in the supplied material. The source also gives no publication date, so its references to travel “this year” and a possible return to performing cannot be tied to a specific calendar year.
It is also unclear whether the author has booked performances at brew pubs or senior communities; the essay says they are actively looking to return, not that dates have been confirmed. The source does not specify when or where those performances might happen.
A Possible Return to Performing
The next step described by the author is a possible return to live entertainment after a break of a couple of years. They say they are seeking opportunities at brew pubs and senior communities and expect to mix standards with rock songs, including music by Springsteen. No schedule, venue or booking is announced in the source.
For readers, the essay ends with questions rather than a public campaign or planned event: where they may be following an age-based script, how they respond to assumptions about their choices, and what activities they want to keep pursuing. Any further developments in the author’s performance plans remain unreported.
Key Questions
What is “It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me” about?
It is a first-person Sixty and Me essay using Billy Joel’s song as a metaphor for choosing how to age. The author argues that older adults should not have to give up music, travel or activities because of assumptions about age.
Is the article reporting a new Billy Joel release or concert?
No. The source is commentary about aging and personal choices. It mentions Joel’s music and Madison Square Garden residencies as context, but does not announce a new release or concert.
What does the author say about returning to entertainment?
The author says they are 69 and looking for opportunities to perform again at brew pubs and senior communities after a couple of years away. The essay does not name a confirmed booking or date.
Does the essay provide research on ageism?
No. It presents the author’s experiences and interpretation, alongside examples and quotations. It does not include survey results or research measuring ageism.
Source: rss
