Althea Legaspi
Contact Althea Legaspi on X View all posts by Althea Legaspi August 24, 2026
Chris Slade performs with AC/DC on Sept. 11, 2016 in Buffalo, New York. Brett Carlsen/Getty Images Chris Slade, the Welsh drummer who formerly performed with AC/DC, David Gilmour, and others, is retiring. The musician cited his age and health issues following a “small stroke” he had a few years back.
He made the announcement in a video posted to his Facebook page for his solo band, the Chris Slade Timeline, over the weekend. “Hello everybody. It’s with a heavy heart that I’m announcing my retirement from drumming,” he said. “I’m near enough 80 years old. I’ve been drumming professionally since I was 16 with Tom Jones. I’ve had good innings.”
He thanked fans for supporting his band at shows and thanked the band as well, and encouraged folks to follow his Facebook page where he said they’d continue to post “now and again.”
“I had a stroke, as you probably know, about seven years ago,” he said. “A small stroke, but it’s got worse and I’m afraid that has screwed me up.
“I’m really jealous of people like the Stones and Paul McCartney, who are going well into their eighties, and I wanted to do that, but looks like I can’t,” he continued. “So as I say, with a heavy heart, it’s bye for now.”
Last month, Slade shared on Facebook that the band had to bow out of their performance at Brudstock Festival after he “fell over” and hurt his ribs “badly,” which required a visit to the hospital.
