circa 1965: Liverpudlian folk pop group The Searchers, (from left) Tony Jackson, Mike Pender, Chris Curtis and John McNally. (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images)
English rock band the Searchers formed in 1959 as part of Liverpool’s Merseybeat scene, and they’ve stayed together for a full 60 years, bowing out with a farewell tour in 2019 only to reactivate in 2023. Along the way they’ve earned a reputation as the longest-running pop band in history. (I’m sure some other act would dispute that title, but it’s stuck for the Searchers; it’s part of their legend.) Quite a few members have died at this point, but remaining core members John McNally and Frank Allen have kept the Searchers alive for one more farewell tour this year, culminating in a final performance on Friday at the UK music festival Glastonbury.
