Ted Nugent is defending his decision to return to performing following his Adios Mofos farewell tour in 2023.The Motor City Madman has a handful of dates lined up for the spring and summer, and played sporadically in 2024 as well. Still, he insists he hasn’t gone back on his word.”I never used the word retire,” Nugent noted to Sirius XM’s Eddie Trunk. “A lot of people [say], ‘How come you’re gonna play again? You said you were gonna retire.’ I’ve never used the ‘R’ word. I made it quite clear that I still crave to play.”What Nugent doesn’t crave is the rigors of extended treks, which is why he’s limiting himself to occasional gigs with layoffs in between.READ MORE: Top 10 Ted Nugent Songs“I’m still absolutely stimulated by the pursuit of musical guitar adventure,” the guitarist explained. “So with Jason Hartless and Johnny Big and my buddy here John Kutz in Texas, we’re gonna do a bunch of ‘Rockouts’ in Texas in April and May, and then in Michigan and maybe beyond in August.”’Old Man’ Ted Nugent Still Enjoying the ‘American Dream’“I’m an old man. I’m 76,” Nugent conceded to Trunk. “But I still crave grabbing that guitar and playing these grinds and grooves and flamethrowing fun music.”Despite getting long in the tooth, Nugent insisted his guitar skills are still as sharp as ever. As long as his joy for performing remains, he doesn’t anticipate ever fully retiring.READ MORE: 2025 Rock Tour Preview”It’s about attitude,” the “Stranglehold” rocker declared. “If you still really, really love the music and you’re dedicated to putting on a show that earns the money of those ticket buyers, then of course it’s the American dream. I got old buddies that still weld. My favorite people are welders. My buddies that are good welders, they still weld, and one of ’em is 86 years old. So no matter what your American dream is, if you’re still able to get such gratification… And God bless the welders, but they’ll never feel the sensations that music events create.”16 Classic Rock Legends Who Say They’ll Never RetireThese icons can’t imagine stepping away from the limelight. Gallery Credit: Corey Irwin