Duke Bardwell says he has retired from live performance at 83, but not from music. “I’m done with the live shows, but I’m not done with the songs,” he said in an October 6, 2026 MarketCrest LLC press release. The release also points viewers to Duke & The King, a three-episode documentary season listed for purchase on Prime Video in North America.
What Bardwell’s retirement announcement means
The announcement is about performing live, not an end to Bardwell’s musical work. Alongside his statement about continuing with songs, he said, “I’ve been lucky enough to spend most of my life making music with people I love.” The retirement detail comes from the MarketCrest LLC release; it is not independently confirmed by a separate interview in the sources available.
Bardwell is known in part for playing bass with Elvis Presley. The release says he performed 181 concerts with Presley in 1974 and 1975. A 2016 Elvis Australia interview also reports 181 concerts. Treat that as a figure reported by those sources, rather than an independently audited count.
What Duke & The King is about
Duke & The King tells Bardwell’s musical story through his connection to Presley, rather than serving as a general Elvis biography. The Prime Video synopsis begins with the effect an Elvis song had on Bardwell when he was 12, then follows the musical path that eventually brought him into Presley’s orbit. Its tagline warns that “there’s danger in meeting your hero.”
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The North American Prime Video listing identifies Kris Wheeler and Wayne Franklin as directors and Cyril Vetter as producer. Its cast details name Bardwell, Kenny Loggins, Tom Rush and Glen D. Hardin.
Episodes and Prime Video availability
Prime Video lists a 2025 season with three episodes. The accessed North American listing offers purchase options for individual episodes and for the season:
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- Level: Early Intermediate
- Instrumentation: Piano/Keyboard
| Episode | Listing date |
|---|---|
| “The River” | January 31, 2025 |
| “You & I” | July 3, 2025 |
| “Who’s Duke Bardwell?” | May 30, 2025 |
The dates and purchase options reflect the North American page accessed for this article; catalogs, prices and availability can change by date and territory. Check the Prime Video listing for current options in your location. The listing does not establish that the season is included with a subscription.
According to the 2026 MarketCrest release, a feature-length version of the documentary was released in 2012 and screened at events including the 30A Songwriters Festival. The filmmakers later reworked it as the three-part series released in 2025.
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- Recorded November 18,1975
Bardwell’s Presley years and a related recording
The 2016 Elvis Australia interview presents Bardwell as a Baton Rouge-born musician who worked with Presley in the mid-1970s. It recounts both memorable and difficult parts of that period, including Bardwell’s recollection of being asked to perform a song during a Lake Tahoe show; that incident is his account as relayed by the interviewer.
For listeners seeking a physical recording featuring Bardwell, the interview lists Elvis: Recorded Live On Stage In Memphis as an FTD Special Edition CD among official Sony/BMG Elvis releases featuring him. That reference does not confirm present-day stock, a retailer’s exact edition or eligibility for any affiliate program.
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