Music History Events: Final Performances
August 7, 1979 Led Zeppelin make their last live performance in the UK.
May 25, 1978 Keith Moon performs for the last time with The Who at the Shepperton Film Studio in England for the movie The Kids Are Alright.
May 25, 1978 A London concert by The Who turns out to be the last for drummer Keith Moon, who dies a few weeks later.
December 25, 1977 At Ivanhoe's in Huddersfield, the The Sex Pistols play their last UK gig before their split. The show is a charity benefit for firemen who are on strike.
May 24, 1977 Marc Bolan plays his last show with T. Rex. The concert takes place at Gröna Lund in Stockholm, Sweden, with Bolan the only original member of the band at that point. The singer would die in an auto accident on September 16 that year.
October 21, 1976 Keith Moon plays what is to be his final show with The Who, a concert at the Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
July 26, 1976 With endless touring and recording, as well as various addictions, tearing the band apart, Three Dog Night play their last concert tonight in San Francisco, California. (The group would reunite in 1981, but that reunion would prove short-lived.)
March 15, 1976 Deep Purple, fronted by David Coverdale, wrap up their UK tour with a show at the Empire Theatre in Liverpool, then break up. When they return in 1984, it's with the "Mark II" lineup of the band, which includes lead singer Ian Gillan and guitarist Ritchie Blackmore.
November 1, 1975 At the Labor Temple in Minneapolis, Faces play their last concert. Lead singer Rod Stewart is already well into his solo career and guitarist Ron Wood has been playing with The Rolling Stones for months.
October 5, 1975 Original Wailers members Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, and Bunny Wailer play together for the last time at the Wonder Dream Concert, which is a benefit organized by Stevie Wonder, in Kingston, Jamaica.
September 7, 1975 The Guess Who perform their final concert (before the inevitable reunion), in Montreal.
March 22, 1974 Ten Years After play their final gig, seven years after their first one.
February 22, 1974 Ten Years After play their final live gig, in London.
August 26, 1973 At the Hilton in Las Vegas, Bobby Darin plays his final concert. The singer dies on December 20.
August 18, 1973 Jazz drumming legend Gene Krupa plays what is to be his last live show, a gig with the Benny Goodman Quartet in New York City.
July 1, 1973 The Broadway production of Jesus Christ Superstar closes after 711 performances. In August, it is released as a feature film.
June 29, 1973 Deep Purple "Mark II," the most famous incarnation of the band, comes to an end after a show in Osaka, Japan, with lead singer Ian Gillan abruptly quitting the group. Bassist Roger Glover leaves soon after; for "Mark III," they're replaced by David Coverdale and Glenn Hughes.
February 24, 1973 The Byrds play their final concert, in Passaic, New Jersey.
February 17, 1973 Free play their final live gig in Hollywood, Florida, as Simon Kirke and Paul Rodgers leave to form Bad Company.
December 1, 1972 Martha and the Vandellas give their farewell performance in Detroit, Michigan.
June 23, 1972 Smokey Robinson appears onstage for the last time with his group The Miracles in Washington, DC.
December 12, 1970 At a Doors concert in New Orleans, Jim Morrison performs live for the last time - his final song is an abbreviated version of "Light My Fire," which he cuts short in frustration as drugs and alcohol have taken their toll. The singer dies on July 3, 1971.
September 16, 1970 Jimi Hendrix jams with Eric Burdon and War at the London club Ronnie Scott's two days before his death. It's the last time he would play music.
December 21, 1969 On The Ed Sullivan Show, Diana Ross appears with The Supremes for the last time, where they perform "Someday, We'll Be Together."
December 15, 1969 John Lennon makes his last stage appearance in England when he performs with the Plastic Ono Band at the UNICEF "Peace For Christmas" charity concert in London. George Harrison, Eric Clapton and Keith Moon join him on stage.
June 29, 1969 At the Denver Pop Festival, the Jimi Hendrix Experience play their last gig with their original lineup, as bass player Noel Redding leaves the band after the show over disagreements with Hendrix.
February 24, 1969 Jimi Hendrix's Experience play their final UK concert, at London's Royal Albert Hall.
November 4, 1968 Cream perform their last US concert (in Providence, Rhode Island) prior to their breakup.
July 7, 1968 The Yardbirds perform their final gig in Luton, England.
May 5, 1968 Buffalo Springfield play their last concert, a show in Long Beach, California. They would get back together in 2010 and tour in 2011.
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