On a recent episode of SiriusXM’s ‘Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk’, KIX vocalist Steve Whiteman talked about the band’s retirement announcement after more than 45 years together. Steve opened up about why he decided to quit; he explained:
“Well, if ever the world was shouting at a band to get the hell out, it’s us. I announced last year to the band and to our agent that at the end of 2023, I was done, and that my wife was retiring. I’ve been doing this since I was, like, 13 years old, and I’m sick of all the travel and all the B.S., and the only thing I really enjoy is getting on stage.”
The rocker shared that there are elements about touring that he can no longer cope with. Steve also added what he thinks about his current performance on stage, saying:
“To be honest, I’m not as good as I used to be, and I know that, and I don’t want to go out sucking; I want to go out being pretty good. But age takes its toll.”
Noting that age played a big role in his decision, Whiteman also talked about the fear they experienced as a band after drummer Jimmy Chalfant had a heart attack on stage. Steve recalled:
“All the things that happened to Jimmy [Chalfant] with a heart attack, and then when he just collapsed in Leesburg, Virginia and literally died on stage. And thank God for Mark [Schenker] and Brandon [Dull] who knew how to get him back until the EMTs got there. But I could have stopped right there.”
KIX bandmates are gearing up for their last ever performance on September 17th at the Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland. You can find more information about tickets here.
You can read Steve Whiteman’s interview with SiriusXM’s ‘Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk’ here.