We’ve Been Longing For This Road Since 1983

Last week when a post on The Hollies’ Facebook and Instagram sites promised a major upcoming announcement, I dared to dream big. They must be coming to America. The iconic British Invasion band frequently performs across Europe, and fans already know that drummer Bobby Elliott has an autobiography due out in April. What else could a major announcement be about? And then, there it was yesterday on Facebook, like a present under the Christmas tree. A U.S. Tour.

The Road Is Long 2020 U.S. Tour, which brings The Hollies back to the States for the first time in 18 years, kicks off in Saratoga, CA on July 8. Then it moves to Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Phoenix, and San Antonio. The Hollies concert at Chicago Theatre on July 18 will be the first time the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inductees have been here since they played ChicagoFest at Soldier Field in 1983. A brief American tour in 2002 didn’t include a Chicago stop. Other dates on this year’s tour include Washington, D.C. and Boston. The full schedule is on the band’s website.

Elliott and guitarist-harmony vocalist Tony Hicks are the only original members still touring and recording with The Hollies, but the current crew has been together for several years. Lead vocalist Peter Howarth came onboard in 2004 after Carl Wayne passed away. Wayne, a former member of The Move and a successful performer in British theatre, had previously replaced the retiring Allan Clarke. The current lineup regularly picks up glowing reviews in the U.K. press and their shows draw big crowds. It will be great to finally get a chance to see them in America.