Country singer Robert Earl Keen is retiring from touring in 2022

Robert Earl Keen, a Texas country mainstay for nearly four decades, announced Friday that he soon plans to park his tour bus — permanently.  

Keen wants to retire from touring and public performances in 2022, the singer-songwriter said in a letter posted to his website. He'll stay on the road through Sept. 4, concluding his last run with a multi-show stand at the Flores Country Store in Helotes, Texas.

Details for a fan appreciation party on Sept. 5 should be announced in the coming weeks, according to the website. 

In his note, Keen, age 66, said he isn't "sick or experiencing any existential crisis" but instead wants to leave the road with "passion and enthusiasm." 

"I’m a strong believer in clarity and truth," he wrote, adding: "I feel that making a decision and quitting the road while I still love it, is the way I want to leave it. I’ve witnessed first hand the alternative and promised myself I would go out feeling all the love for music ..."  

Keen's upcoming concerts include Feb. 18 at the Ryman Auditorium, a rescheduled date from his "Road To Christmas" tour that was initially slated for last December. 

The adventurous Texas-raised troubadour may be best known for "The Road Goes On Forever," but his rowdy audiences often hear renditions of other Keen staples at his shows: "I Gotta Go," "Feelin' Good Again" and the holiday-turned-year-'round classic "Merry Christmas From The Family." His spirited live performances can be heard on a handful of live albums, including 2006’s “Live At The Ryman: The Greatest Show Ever Been Gave.”

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"There is no way to inventory the fantastic amount of incredible people that have touched my life," Keen wrote. "My family, friends, band members, fans, co-workers, teachers, advisors, confidants, and peers only begin to tell the story. I feel connected to everyone of them." 

Don't consider this the end for Keen, however; he'll continue to write songs and interview artists on his "Americana" podcast. 

"Thank you for all the wonderful shows throughout the years," Keen wrote in closing the letter with a mention of his most famed song, "and, although it might not be apparent here, I promise, The Road Goes on Forever and the Party Never Ends."