After five decades of performing, Dewey Bunnell is thinking about retirement. The America frontman—whose voice defined the Seventies with hits like "A Horse With No Name," "Ventura Highway," and "Tin Man"—is now considering stepping back. But he is not stopping anytime soon.
In a Rolling Stone interview, Bunnell revealed he is three years into touring solo after his longtime bandmate Gerry Beckley retired to Australia in late 2023. "This is my third year doing it without Gerry, which I never expected in my wildest dreams after 50 plus years," Bunnell told the outlet via Zoom from Southern California.
The 73-year-old was expected to remain a duo act. But Bunnell owns the most iconic America tracks in the catalog, so when Beckley stepped away, the original songwriting Air Force brat decided to keep performing.
With help from singer Andy Barr, who covers Beckley's signature numbers like "Sister Golden Hair" and "Daisy Jane," Bunnell has maintained the band's touring schedule. "You never know in life what happens, and it's been going really well," he said. "I've got a great support team, a great band."
The original trio—completed by Dan Peek, who left in 1977 and died in 2011—formed in England in the early Seventies, modeling themselves after Crosby, Stills, and Nash and Joni Mitchell. Three Air Force brat teenagers built a catalog that has outlasted them all.
Whether Bunnell will eventually retire or continue touring remains uncertain. For now, he keeps performing.
