Rod Stewart finally retiring after wife Penny begged him to quit

Rod Stewart is finally retiring after more than six decades on the road.

Insiders revealed that as his wife, Penny Lancaster, had reportedly been urging him to slow down.

As he announced that his upcoming Final Encore Tour will be his last, he told his fans in an Instagram video that it would be his "last tour forever ever."

The announcement comes weeks after Stewart underwent a coronary stent procedure after doctors discovered an underlying heart issue.The health scare forced him to cancel the remainder of his U.S. tour and spend several weeks away from the stage.

Now, a source told Radar Online that Lancaster had been "desperately pleading with Rod" to consider giving up touring.

"Penny has been desperately pleading with Rod to slow down and seriously consider giving up touring. She knows performing is his life, but after everything that's happened, there comes a point where your health and your family have to take priority," the source said.

Adding, "Rod has always been incredibly reluctant to even contemplate retirement. Penny and the family have watched him battle through illnesses, cancellations and exhaustion because his instinct is always to get back on stage."

"The heart problem really brought everything into focus. Penny wasn't trying to take music away from him – she wanted him to recognize that constantly pushing himself through these huge tours couldn't continue forever," the source added further.

It is pertinent to mention that Rod Stewart's The Final Encore Tour begins in Ireland in April and ends in Germany on July 24.