Whitesnake frontman David Coverdale<\/a> is taking his final bow.<\/p>\n The 74-year-old musician<\/a> announced his retirement in a video posted to YouTube Nov. 13<\/a> entitled “Fare Thee Well (Important Announcement).”<\/p>\n “Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, brothers and sisters of the Snake, a special announcement for you,” Coverdale began, lifting a glass of amber liquid resembling scotch. “After 50 years plus of an incredible journey with you \u2026 The last few years it’s been really evident to me that it’s time to hang up my rock ‘n’ roll platform shoes and my skintight jeans.<\/p>\n Bassist Michael Devin, singer David Coverdale and guitarists Joel Hoekstra and Reb Beach of Whitesnake perform at The Joint inside the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino on June 4, 2015, in Las Vegas,<\/p>\n “It’s time for me to call it a day. I love you dearly,” he told fans in the video message. “I thank everyone who’s assisted and supported me on this incredible journey \u2013 all the musicians, the crew, the fans, the family \u2013 it’s amazing. But it really is time for me to just enjoy my retirement.<\/p>\n “I love you with all my heart, fare thee well,” he concluded, before a remix began playing of “Forevermore,” the title track from Whitesnake’s 2011 studio album. An official 2025 remix, the song is accompanied by a music video of old clips from Coverdale’s long career. Stitched together with black and white photographs of the band’s early days, the song’s farewell is made even more poignant.<\/p>\n The band, formed in the UK, originally included guitarists Micky Moody and Bernie Marsden, bassist Neil Murray and drummer Dave Dowle.<\/p>\n Coverdale has served as the grounding vocalist for Whitesnake since 1978, with a few brief hiatuses. He also provided vocals for the band Deep Purple in the mid-’70s, and he had a stint as a solo artist. Whitesnake was by far, though, his most successful venture.<\/p>\n Founding the band in the late ’70s following his run with Deep Purple, Coverdale helped create a sound that was rock ‘n’ roll heavy, but not without mass appeal. With hits like “Here I Go Again” and “Is This Love,” the band won a cross-continental fan base and inked themselves into the genre’s history<\/p>\n<\/span><\/div>\n