The Hollies have ended their touring career after 63 years, following the retirement of guitarist Tony Hicks and drummer Bobby Elliott, the last two members of the band's classic 1960s line-up. Hicks, 80, stepped away for health reasons, and Elliott, 84, chose to retire alongside him out of solidarity. Their departure closes the book on a group that had continued performing in some form since 1962, despite many listeners assuming it had already disbanded.

Hicks and Elliott both joined the Hollies in 1963 and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2010 alongside founding members Allan Clarke, Graham Nash, Terry Sylvester, Eric Haydock and Bernie Calvert. The band produced a string of hits including "Bus Stop," "Carrie Anne," "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" and "The Air That I Breathe" in the US, and "I'm Alive" in the UK, with Hicks also serving as a key songwriter and occasional lead vocalist. A stable line-up formed in 2004 with singer Peter Howarth and other members, which continued until the band's final dates before this retirement announcement.