Roy Wood, the iconic frontman of the 1970s glam rock band Wizzard, has opened up about the definitive reason he brought his touring career to a halt following the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Festive Tradition That Ended
The Birmingham-born musician, 79, is a stalwart of British pop history, best known for the perennial Christmas anthem I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday. Despite the song's release in 1973, where it was famously kept from the number one spot by Slade's 'Merry Xmas Everybody', it has remained a festive chart fixture for decades.
After leaving Wizzard in the late 1970s, Wood continued to perform with his own ensemble, The Roy Wood Rock and Roll Band. This group maintained a cherished tradition of a nationwide Christmas tour every year, a schedule that continued unbroken until the global health crisis struck in 2020.
Theatre Closures and Lockdown Fatigue
In a candid interview, Wood pinpointed the closure of theatres during the lockdowns as the primary catalyst for his decision to stop touring. He explained that the initial postponement of his 2020 Christmas tour, intended to be temporary, stretched into a three-year hiatus due to ongoing restrictions and venue shutdowns.
"I live alone, so the Covid thing started to get on my nerves after a while," Wood admitted, highlighting the personal toll of isolation. "I hated not being able to get out and do anything, you know? It must have happened to a lot of people."
A Decision After Three Years
The breaking point came in the fourth year, when his agents approached him about potentially reinstating tour dates. "I thought, 'I've had it. I've done enough'," Wood revealed. The cumulative effect of the repeated cancellations and the organisational grind, largely unseen by audiences, led to his final choice to retire from the road.
While he has no regrets about leaving the demanding schedule behind, Wood confessed there is one significant thing he misses. "The only thing I miss about it are the people in the band because they're my friends," he said, reflecting on the weekly camaraderie that touring provided, which he particularly longed for during the lockdown periods.
Roy Wood's legacy, cemented by his earlier work founding the Electric Light Orchestra and his timeless festive hit, now enters a quieter chapter, directly shaped by the unprecedented disruptions of the Covid-19 era.
