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28 Bands With One Original Member Left

It's down to the last man standing in these groups.

Gallery Credit: Allison Rapp

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Megadeth: Dave Mustaine

Dave Mustaine has worn a lot of hats over the years, from Metallica guiatrist to karate black belt to born again Christian. Another hat he currently wears is last remaining original member of Megadeth, which he co-founded in 1983. The only period in which he did not participate in the band's activities was when, well, they broke up between 2002 and 2004. Then it was back to business.

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The Staple Singers: Mavis Staples

The Staple Singers — quite literally a family affair of a band — first began performing in public in 1948. At that time, Mavis Staples was just nine years old. Now, over 70 years later, she's the last surviving member of the group, and she continues to sing live in her mid '80s.

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Iron Maiden: Steve Harris

To be fair, Iron Maiden's original lineup from 1975 didn't last very long, with singer Paul Day swiftly being replaced by Dennis Wilcock and guitarist Dave Murray joining the group. But technically it makes bassist Steve Harris the final original member of Iron Maiden, and one of two members (along with Murray) to appear on every one of their albums.

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Slipknot: Shawn Crahan

If you don't recognize the name Shawn Crahan, you'd be forgiven, since he usually goes by his Slipknot stage name, Clown. Crahan founded Slipknot in 1995 alongside singer Anders Colsefni and bassist Paul Gray. Colsefni left two years later in 1997, while Gray passed away from an overdose in 2010 at the age of 38.

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Anthrax: Scott Ian

Scott Ian, Dan Lilker and Dave Weiss, the three people who formed Anthrax in 1981, chose their name because it sounded "sufficiently evil." Lilker was replaced by Frank Bello in 1984, while Weiss was replaced first by Greg D'Angelo and then Charlie Benante. Ian remained through all of it, with the only difference being his switch from lead to rhythm guitar.

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Exodus: Tom Hunting

Tom Hunting of Exodus has taken breaks from the band on two different occasions. The first was in 1989 due to an illness and he was replaced by John Tempesta. He returned 12 years later in 1997. He took another break in 2005, but rejoined just two years later. Even so, Hunting is still the only remaining original member of Exodus.

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The Temptations: Otis Williams

Otis Williams deservedly owns the rights to the Temptations' name, and that's because he's the sole surviving member of the famous Motown group. "I have been with some of the singing-est brothers that God ever created and I'm the last man standing," Williams, who continues to perform, told the Los Angeles Daily News in 2022. "All those that have continued to believe in the Temps are why we're still around."

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Little Feat: Bill Payne

After Little Feat drummer Richie Hayward passed away in 2010, Bill Payne became the final original member of the band. Despite all the lineup changes, Payne sees it as something of a blessing to be able to perform with various different musicians. "It's a good group of people to play with," he told Asheville Stages in 2022, "and you have to be a good musician to play the music."

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The Human League: Phillip Oakey

The Human League underwent a number of shifts within the first few years of their time together, but at present, singer and co-founder Phillip Oakey is still a member. "I think that if there is one thing that we have done, it's we've been persistent," Oakley said in a 2023 interview with Radio New Zealand.

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Uriah Heep: Mick Box

In their original 1969 incarnation, Uriah Heep was made up of vocalist David Byron, guitarist Mick Box, multi-instrumentalist Ken Hensley, bassist Paul Newton and drummer Alex Napier. Over five decades later, they're down to just Box from that lineup and save him and Newton, the rest have passed away. "What they leave behind is amazing – the songs, the playing, it’s all absolutely wonderful," Box told Classic Rock in 2023.

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Jethro Tull: Ian Anderson

It really would not be Jethro Tull without singer and flautist Ian Anderson. There was a period beginning in 2011 when the band effectively broke up, and Anderson pursued his own solo music in the meantime, but they got back together in 2017, with Anderson at the helm.

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Deep Purple: Ian Paice

Deep Purple has experienced its fair share of lineup changes over the years — there was also a period of eight years from 1976 to 1984 in which the band split up. But the one person who has remained is drummer Ian Paice, who is now the last remaining original member.

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King Crimson: Robert Fripp

If all Robert Fripp had ever done was co-found King Crimson, that would have been impressive on its own. Of course, he also collaborated with Brian Eno, David Bowie, Talking Heads, Peter Gabriel and many more. To date, King Crimson is not an active touring band, with Fripp saying in 2022 that the band has "no plans" to do so.

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The Cure: Robert Smith

In May of 1978, the Cure formed in Crawley, England, featuring Robert Smith, Michael Dempsey and Lol Tolhurst. They released exactly one album, 1979's Three Imaginary Boys, and then the lineup began to shift, most notably with the inclusion of bassist Simon Gallup that same year. But to date, it is frontman Robert Smith who holds the title of last original Cure member.

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AC/DC: Angus Young

In 1973, brothers Malcolm and Angus Young formed AC/DC in Sydney, Australia, along with drummer Colin Burgess, bassist Larry Van Kriedt and singer Dave Evans, a lineup that didn't last very long. Malcolm retired from touring in 2014 — and died three years after that — leaving his younger brother Angus as the sole original member of AC/DC.

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Boston: Tom Scholz

Boston — and Tom Scholz, its only remaining original member — have been awfully quiet since 2017. Scholz has occasionally hinted that he's working on new music, but so far, nothing about another album or tour has been announced.

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Chic: Nile Rodgers

There's a reason its now called Nile Rodgers and Chic instead of simply Chic, and that's because Rodgers is the lone original member. He and bassist Bernard Edwards formed the group back in 1972. Edwards passed away in 1996, directly after a Chic show at the Budokan Arena in Tokyo, Japan. "Obviously it was a painful shock," Rodgers told Guitar World in 2023, "but I quickly realized he went out the way he wanted: playing his music with his best friend."

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Foghat: Roger Earl

Four people founded Foghat: Dave Peverett, Rod Price, Tony Stevens and Roger Earl. Of those four, the former two have passed away. Stevens no longer plays with the band, making drummer Roger Earl the last remaining original member.

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Journey: Neal Schon

When one thinks of modern day Journey, two names likely come to mind: Neal Schon and Jonathan Cain. Both have been part of the band for over 40 years, but only one of them, Schon, is an original member. He was there when the group first formed in San Fransisco in 1973.

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Queens of the Stone Age: Josh Homme

In 1995, Josh Homme's band Kyuss broke up. Then, for a very brief period of time, Homme was a member of Screaming Trees. He eventually formed a new group in 1996, Queens of the Stone Age, and though others have come and gone, Homme has remained the sole constant original member.

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W.A.S.P.: Blackie Lawless

W.A.S.P. formed in Los Angeles in 1982, featuring Blackie Lawless, William "Randy" Piper, Rik Fox and Tony Richards. By the time they recorded their 1984 self-titled debut album, that lineup had already changed. Today, Lawless is the last man standing from the original group.

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Scorpions: Rudolf Schenker

After forming in Hanover, Germany in 1965, Scorpions experienced a number of personnel changes in their early years. But there's one person who's been there since day one: Rudolf Schenker. (He is also the head of the band's publishing company and recording studio.)

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Primus: Les Claypool

When singer and bassist Les Claypool, guitarist Todd Huth and drummer Vince "Perm" Parker first started their band, they played under the name Primate. This earned them a letter from the legal representative of another band already named that, so they changed their own name to Primus. Huth left in 1989, and multiple drummers entered and exited the picture over the years, leaving Claypool the last man standing.

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Emerson, Lake and Palmer: Carl Palmer

On July 25, 2010, Emerson, Lake & Palmer played their very last show together. Six years later, Keith Emerson would die from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, followed seven months later by Greg Lake from cancer. That left just Carl Palmer, who today tours as Carl Palmer's ELP Legacy.

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Eagles: Don Henley

With the exception of Vince Gill, who joined in 2017, all of the members of Eagles have been a part of the band for over 40 years. Timothy B. Schmit arrived in 1977, Joe Walsh two years before him, but it's Don Henley who holds the title of last original member, having co-founded the group in 1971.

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ZZ Top: Billy Gibbons

The very first version of ZZ Top to exist — founded in 1969 — featured Billy Gibbons, Lanier Greig and Dan Mitchell. Within the same year, Greig was replaced by Billy Ethridge and Mitchell by Frank Beard. Greig died in 2013, and though Mitchell is still alive, this means that Gibbons is the sole remaining figure from the original lineup.

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Bachman-Turner Overdrive: Randy Bachman

Technically speaking, there are still two remaining original members from Bachman-Turner Overdrive: Randy Bachman and C. Fred Turner. But in 2018, it was announced that Turner would no longer tour. "Hats off to Fred for a tremendous legacy of rock," Bachman said then. "Not many can shriek like this man!"