(VIDEO) Australian Pop Icon Daryl Braithwaite Retires From Live Performance After 58-Year Career

Australian vocalist, former Sherbet frontman and ARIA Hall of Fame inductee Daryl Braithwaite says he is stepping back from performing live. The 77-year-old announced the news on his Instagram page and said he made the difficult decision "after much thought and consideration."

The Reason Behind the Decision

"For some time now, it has been increasingly physically challenging for me to sing comfortably and as a result it has taken the joy out of performing, which has always been so important to me," Braithwaite said. "I have loved the 58 years of being a part of the music industry."

Over his musical career, he has produced hits as lead singer of rock band Sherbet and as a solo artist. His cover of the Rickie Lee Jones song "The Horses" and of the Italian ballad "You're My World" both reached number 1 on the Australian singles charts, and he was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 2017.

"I sincerely want to thank all of the dedicated and loyal supporters and all of the people and organisations that I have been associated with who have been such a significant part of my singing life," he said. "With much love and I thank you."

The Sherbet Years

The Melbourne native joined Sherbet in 1970 and stayed with the band until the 80s, later reuniting with members for tours and performances up until 2011. That run with Sherbet established Braithwaite as one of the defining voices of Australian rock during the 1970s, before he went on to build an equally successful solo career that would extend his presence in Australian music for decades beyond the band's heyday.

Support From a Fellow ARIA Hall of Fame Inductee

Fellow ARIA Hall of Fame inductee Kate Ceberano commented on the announcement, supporting Braithwaite's decision. "I can imagine it wasn't made lightly," Ceberano said. "You will be missed on the scene but we celebrate your amazing music and beautiful voice and simply YOU."

A Recent Performance in Lismore

Braithwaite's announcement comes after a career that continued well into his seventies, with the singer having performed the One From the Heart concert in Lismore as recently as 2022. That performance, like many of his later shows, reflected the enduring affection Australian audiences have held for Braithwaite's voice and catalog across the decades.

A Career Spanning Generations of Australian Music

Braithwaite's retirement from live performance marks the end of an era for one of Australian pop and rock music's most recognizable and beloved voices, with a recording and touring career that stretched across nearly six decades and multiple distinct chapters — from his early years fronting Sherbet through his celebrated solo career and into a long stretch of reunion tours and standalone performances that kept him connected to live audiences well into his seventies.

The Physical Toll of a Long Singing Career

Braithwaite's candid explanation for stepping back — that the physical demands of singing had gradually eroded the enjoyment he once found in performing — offers a relatable and honest account of how a decades-long touring and recording career can take an unavoidable toll on a performer's voice over time, even for an artist as accomplished and enduring as Braithwaite.

A Legacy Cemented Well Before This Announcement

Braithwaite's place in Australian music history was already firmly established well before Monday's announcement, with his 2017 induction into the ARIA Hall of Fame recognizing both his work with Sherbet and his celebrated solo career, anchored by enduring hits that have remained staples of Australian radio and live performance for decades.

With Braithwaite formally stepping away from live performance, attention now turns to how the broader Australian music community will continue celebrating his catalog and legacy in the years ahead, even without new live shows from the singer himself. Given the outpouring of support already shown by peers like Ceberano following the announcement, Braithwaite's decision appears likely to be met with widespread appreciation across the Australian music industry, even as fans absorb the reality that one of the country's most enduring live performers has chosen to close that chapter of his remarkable career.