Annie Lennox says she is not retiring – despite her Eurythmics partner Dave Stewart recently posting that she “won’t be touring any more”.
Though her partner in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame duo Dave Stewart recently posted that Lennox would not be part of the Sweet Dreams 40th Anniversary Tour this autumn, the “Here Comes the Rain Again” singer told The Associated Press that she will continue to perform, especially at events that support causes she is passionate about and her own non-profit work.
“I’m not retiring from anything,” Lennox said. “I’m just stepping back because I spent decades on the road.
“And at the age of 68, I’m very fortunate in that I can do sort of one-off appearances now and then.
“But I think when it comes to an actual tour where you have like 73-date commitments night after night and traveling on the road, it’s incredibly intense. It’s arduous.”
Instead, Lennox plans on performing at more events like Time For Change, a fundraiser for numerous non-profits, including Rotary International’s End Polio Now initiative.
Lennox will perform on the floor of the Colosseum in Rome on Sunday, accompanied only by a piano, as part of the benefit.
Alberto Cecchini, member of Rotary International’s board of directors and one of the event organisers, said Lennox was an easy choice for headliner because of both her music and her commitment to ending polio.
He said holding the concert in Italy will magnify the message of her performance.
“We are surrounded by beauty, by art and by history,” Mr Cecchini said of Italy. “And all this beauty has the power to inspire people.”
Jennifer Jones, outgoing Rotary International president and new member of its board of trustees, said only seven polio cases have been reported in the world this year, down 99.9% from 1988 when the Global Polio Eradication Initiative began.
“We have made a promise to the children of the world to eradicate this disease,” said Ms Jones, adding that once there are no more new cases, children will need to be vaccinated for three years to ensure the virus does not return.
“We have never been this close. And we can’t take our foot off the gas because billions of children will be vulnerable if we don’t.”
Lennox said she was inspired to get involved with End Polio Now because they are so close to eradicating polio that she wanted to do what she could to help secure that victory.
“I’m very honoured to be part of that,” she said.
Lennox said of the fight against polio: “There are just infinite challenges on this planet. There have been for years. And I think there always will be. There’s just so much need. So, first of all, the Rotary Club — they do amazing work. And then I found out it’s to stop polio for children.
“You know, I was vaccinated when I was a kid back in the early 60s with every other schoolchild in the country and I’m just so grateful that I never had to have polio.
I did see young kids in calipers back in the day, and they were the ones who didn’t have the opportunity to get the vaccine. Decades later, it’s appalling to me that there are still affected children who don’t make it. That’s shocking.”
