Iron Maiden guitarist Adrian Smith has shared his thoughts on the recent retirement of David Coverdale, the legendary voice behind Whitesnake and Deep Purple, expressing both sadness and understanding regarding the decision.
In a new interview with Finland’s Chaoszine, the 68-year-old musician was asked if he could ever see himself stepping away from music entirely, much like Coverdale has done. Smith offered a sympathetic perspective on the unique challenges faced by vocalists as they age.
“It’s sad about David Coverdale [retiring from music] ’cause he was a great artist with [Deep] Purple and Whitesnake,” Smith said. “But when you’re just — I’m not saying he’s ‘just’ a singer, but when your main thing is your voice and you’re 80 years old, man, it’s a time to stop. But I’m a lot younger than that. I’m still in my sixties, so I still feel pretty good. I know I haven’t thrashed my voice, like probably David Coverdale has over the years. I’m still developing it, which is nice. So, I can see it happening for a few years yet, hopefully.”
Reflecting on his own career longevity, Smith admitted that his relationship with music wasn’t always healthy, noting that his obsession with success once took a toll on his mental well-being.
“It used to be everything to me, almost not in a good way, because my whole life was centered around music. And if it wasn’t going well, I was, like, depressed. And you shouldn’t be like that,” Smith confessed. “But on the other end, if you’re trying to make it, you’ve gotta care about it that much. And if I hadn’t done that, maybe I wouldn’t be where I am. But it wasn’t easy. It was a struggle, mentally as well. But now I enjoy it. I’m on top of it. I’m in a good place. And I just wanna enjoy it for as long as I can.”
Smith‘s comments come in the wake of David Coverdale officially closing the book on his career in late 2025. In November, the 74-year-old singer released a video message confirming his permanent retirement, telling fans it was time to “hang up my rock and roll platform shoes and my skintight jeans.”
The announcement followed years of health setbacks that plagued Whitesnake‘s final run. The band was forced to scrap the remainder of their European farewell tour in 2022 and subsequently cancelled their North American trek with Scorpions due to Coverdale‘s persistent upper respiratory infections and a torn rotator cuff.
Earlier this month, Coverdale took his departure a step further by announcing he would also be withdrawing from social media, effectively severing his public connection to the industry to fully enjoy his retirement.
