The Oldest Classic Rock Icons That Are Still Alive Today

May 2024 ยท 2 minute read

Rounding out the list, guitar virtuoso Carlos Santana is still around and is one of the most active classic rock icons today. Born in 1947 in Autlan, Mexico, Santana made his way stateside when he was a teenager, but always stayed connected with his Mexican roots musically (via Britannica). In 1966, he formed the Santana Blues Band, and in 1969 they performed at the Woodstock Festival, where he cemented his name as one of the biggest legends in rock and roll history.

In addition to performing with Santana, Carlos also embarked on a solo career starting in the 1970s. Throughout his career, Santana has sold more than 100 million records and has won an astonishing 10 Grammy Awards (via Santana.com). In 1998, Santana was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and was ranked in the top 15 of Rolling Stone's "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time."

In the summer of 2022, while touring with Santana, Carlos had a minor health scare during one of his performances in Michigan. According to the Los Angeles Times, Santana collapsed onstage after becoming severely dehydrated in the middle of a show. After taking a month off, Santana was able to return to the stage in August 2022. As of early 2023, Santana was in the midst of a residency at the House of Blues in Las Vegas, titled "An Intimate Evening With Santana."

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