David Lee Roth Is Retiring: 'I Am Throwing in the Shoes'

Van Halen rocker David Lee Roth is giving fair warning to fans — his five shows in Las Vegas in December and January will be his last.

In a free-wheeling interview with "The Las Vegas Review-Journal," the iconic singer announced, "I am throwing in the shoes. I'm retiring. This is the first, and only, official announcement."

Roth went on to say he had informed Van Halen co-founder Alex Van Halen about the momentous decision, saying, "We speak to each other constantly, two or three times a day. We laugh like pirates."

What might have prompted the shock retirement? He said he'd been thinking about "the departure of my beloved classmate recently," referring to the death a year ago of Eddie Van Halen, who died after a cancer battle. "I am encouraged and compelled to really come to grips with how short time is, and my time is probably even shorter... My doctors, my handlers, compelled me to address that every time I go onstage, I endanger that future."

He sounds happy with what he has accomplished, boasting that he has given "all I've got to give. That's what I did for the last 50 years."

Roth's last-ever shows are set for New Year's Eve, New Year's Day, January 5, and January 7-8 at House of Blues at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. Tickets are on sale now.