Retirement is a variable concept.

When a professional ballplayer retires it doesn't mean he stops paying ball. It just means he stops having to attend meetings, doing obligatory workouts, dealing with the media, etc. He still gets to keep having fun playing a kid's game.

I never considered myself an employee when I was playing in bar bands. I was a contracted self-employed professional. Sure we had to rehearse, deal with booking agents and club owners, and be our own roadies, but when we were onstage, we were playing... being paid to party. Now I go out and play when I want to. The pay's not the same but the fun is still there.