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A Sixty and Me contributor argues that music, travel and other pursuits should not be ruled by age-based expectations. Drawing on Billy Joel’s “It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me” and the writer’s experience as a musician and senior entertainer, the essay makes a personal case for choosing how to age. It is commentary, not a report of a new policy or research finding.
A contributor to Sixty and Me is using Billy Joel’s “It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me” to argue that older adults should not have to give up music, travel or active lives because of assumptions about age. The essay draws on the writer’s decades as a musician and entertainer, framing the song as a personal metaphor for rejecting other people’s expectations—not as evidence of a broader policy change or research finding.
The writer says they have played music since 1972 and worked as a senior entertainer since 1992. Early in that work, they relied on songs from the Great American Songbook, but found that audiences also wanted to sway, dance and jitterbug. The writer recalls joking about eventually performing Bruce Springsteen in a care home, and says the repertoire played for older audiences has moved from Elvis and the Beatles toward music from the late 1960s and early 1970s.
That experience informs the essay’s reading of Joel’s 1980 song. The writer acknowledges that Joel faced criticism for being seen as a pop star with a formulaic approach, while pointing to the range of his work, including “Scenes from an Italian Restaurant” and “New York State of Mind.” In the contributor’s view, “It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me” embraces a straightforward rock structure while expressing a willingness to keep going without seeking critics’ approval.
The essay also connects the music argument to the writer’s own life. They say they and their wife have been traveling frequently after working, planning and saving for it, and reject the idea that older people should defer such choices for their children’s inheritance. The contributor says they hope to return to performing after a break, including at brew pubs and senior communities, with a set that may include Springsteen and Taylor Swift alongside standards.
Age Should Not Set the Playlist
The essay puts a familiar cultural question into concrete terms: who decides which music, activities or ambitions are appropriate for older people? Its answer is personal rather than empirical. The writer describes age-based expectations—that older adults should prefer quiet, avoid public spaces or leave rock music to younger people—as social assumptions that can narrow choices.
That argument matters to readers because it links representation to everyday decisions about how to spend time, money and energy. The contributor’s examples range from travel and dancing to learning an instrument or returning to work. They are presented as illustrations of possible choices, not as prescriptions for every older adult; people’s health, resources and preferences differ.
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From Oldies to Springsteen
The author’s perspective comes from performing for older audiences over several decades. They describe an evolving repertoire in which familiar standards sit alongside rock from later generations. The shift helps explain why the writer sees a Springsteen song in a senior setting not as a contradiction but as a continuation of changing musical tastes.
The essay also references “Forever Young,” by Bob Dylan, and the careers of Leonard Cohen, Joni Mitchell and Johnny Cash as examples of musicians whose creative lives extended beyond youth. It cites Ashton Applewhite’s book This Chair Rocks and its line, “Fear of dying is human. Fear of aging is cultural,” as support for the writer’s view that fear of aging is reinforced by cultural messages. Those references are part of the author’s argument; the supplied report does not provide independent research on ageism or its effects.
““Fear of dying is human. Fear of aging is cultural.””
— Ashton Applewhite, as quoted in the essay
What the Essay Does Not Establish
The supplied material is an opinion essay based on the contributor’s experience. It does not report a new study, policy, or independently verified measure of ageism, nor does it establish how common the described attitudes are. The anecdotes about people taking up new activities are illustrative examples; the source does not identify them as researched case studies.
The source also provides no publication date, and it does not say whether the writer has resumed performing. The planned return to brew pubs and senior communities is described as an active search, not a confirmed booking or completed comeback.
The Writer’s Planned Return
The contributor says they are looking for opportunities to perform again after taking a couple of years off. They expect to mix familiar standards with songs by Springsteen and possibly Taylor Swift, but the essay gives no dates, venues or confirmed schedule. For readers, the author’s closing invitation is to reflect on which personal choices may be shaped by expectations about age and whether those choices still fit their own priorities.
Key Questions
What is the news in this essay?
A Sixty and Me contributor makes a personal case for older adults to choose their own activities, musical interests and travel plans, using Billy Joel’s song as a metaphor. The source does not describe a new policy or research release.
Why does the writer connect the song to aging?
The writer sees Joel’s song as an example of continuing on one’s own terms despite criticism or pressure to change. They apply that idea to assumptions about what older people should listen to or do.
Is the contributor performing again?
The writer says they are actively looking to return to entertaining after a break. The essay does not confirm any bookings or performance dates.
What does the essay say about the writer’s travel?
The writer says they and their wife have been traveling frequently and planned and saved for it. They say their children are doing well and will still receive an inheritance, but the source does not provide financial details.
Does the article include research on ageism?
No. It presents the contributor’s observations, personal experiences and examples, along with references to writers and musicians. It does not include a study or quantify how widespread age-based assumptions are.
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