Daryl Braithwaite Announces Decision To ‘Step Back’ From Live Gigs

“I have loved the 58 years of being a part of the music industry."

Daryl Braithwaite(Credit: Supplied)

After close to 60 years as one of Australia’s most prominent musicians, Daryl Braithwaite has announced his decision to “step back” from performing live gigs.

Braithwaite made the announcement on social media on Tuesday evening, revealing his decision had been made “after much thought and consideration”.

“For some time now it has been increasingly physically challenging for me to sing comfortably and as a result it has taken the joy out of performing, which has always been so important to me,” he wrote.

“I have loved the 58 years of being a part of the music industry.

“I sincerely want to thank all of the dedicated and loyal supporters and all of the people and organisations that I have been associated with who have been such a significant part of my singing life,” he added. “With much love and I thank you.”

Braithwaite launched his career in the late ‘60s, performing with a number of smaller bands before joining Sherbet in 1970. The group quickly became one of Australia’s most popular bands, and Braithwaite launched his own parallel solo career in 1974, just before Sherbet released two of their biggest singles, Summer Of Love and Howzat!.

Braithwaite’s solo career experienced a resurgence in the early ‘90s, with his chart-topping cover of Rickie-Lee Jones’ The Horses becoming one of the most popular Australian songs of recent decades, having been rediscovered by younger generations in recent years – including Harry Styles, with whom he performed the song live in 2023.

In 2017, Braithwaite was inducted into the ARIA Hall Of Fame, celebrating 50 years of contributions to the Australian music scene.

Braithwaite wrapped up his run of performances in April, appearing at Perth's Ascot Racecourse for the End Of Summer Concert, which he dubbed the end of his Sunset Tour, which had kicked off the previous August.

Though touring and live performances are now off the cards, Braithwaite has not made any statement in regard to continuing to write and record. His most recent solo album, Forever The Tourist, arrived in 2013, and he released the single It’s You in 2024.