Veteran Drummer, Behind Hit Rock Song ‘Thunderstruck,’ Announces Retirement After 61 Years

Iconic drummer Chris Slade, who has performed with some of the biggest names in rock and pop music, has announced that he’s putting down his drumsticks for a final time.

On Aug. 22, 2026, the Welsh musician took to Facebook to share the news, announcing “with a heavy heart” that he’s retiring from touring and recording due to his age and previous medical struggles.

“Hello, everybody. It’s with a heavy heart that I’m announcing my retirement from drumming,” the Reel video began. “I’m near enough 80 years old.”

Slade, who turns 80 on Oct. 30, 2026, has been playing the drums professionally since he was a teenager, first with the legendary Welsh singer Tom Jones in 1965 at just 16 years old.

Across the course of his career, he has played with a multitude of musicians across various genres, perhaps most notably with AC/DC, playing with the rock band for four studio albums. This included The Razors Edge, which was released in Sept. 1990 and featured the fan-favorite hit “Thunderstruck.”

The track reached No. 5 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Airplay chart and, in July 2024, was certified Diamond for surpassing 10 million equivalent units in the U.S.

Slade also played with music greats such as Manfred Mann’s Earth Band, David Glamour and Gary Numan and, in 2012, he formed the Chris Slade Timeline to celebrate a drumming career that spanned over five decades.

“I’ve had a good innings, and you know, thank you all for coming to the shows. I’d like to thank the [Chris Slade Timeline] band also . . . and all you lot for coming to the shows and having a good time,” he continued in his statement. “We know you have ’cause you told us you have, which was – to get that feedback is great. So, please stay on The Chris Slade Timeline on Facebook ’cause I’ll be posting. We’ll be posting stuff from now and again to try to keep you interested.”

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