He’s arguably one of the most enduring artists of the 21st century, but now, after more than 50 years as one of the most famous pop-rock artists of all time, Sir Elton John is getting ready to retire from touring, but not before he tours the world one final time.
Coming only days after Neil Diamond announced his immediate retirement from touring following his diagnosis with Parkinson’s disease, and the news that thrash-metal legends Slayer are to wrap up their career later in 2018, Elton John has also revealed he’s also getting ready to pack it in after one last set of shows.
“It will be the last time that I’m touring and travelling the world, because my priorities have changed,” Elton John told journalists at a New York event, following a small concert and a virtual reality presentation of his career.
“My priorities now are my children and my husband and my family,” he added, noting that he’s had an “amazing life and amazing career.”
Of course, fans needn’t worry about Elton John packing away his piano for good, with the muso stating that “I will be creative, hopefully, until the day I die.” He also added that despite his decision to stop wide-scale touring, he’s is still open to performing concerts, but the chances are good that these will be rare affairs close to his home.
Elton John announced that he’s set to undertake a mammoth tour to “say thank you to all my fans around he world and then to say goodbye,” noting that “it will take three years probably.”
“I have had a good run … I want to go out with a bang.”
According to Elton’s website, he’s set to kick off his ‘Farewell Yellow Brick Road’ tour in September of this year in the US, before heading to Europe in early 2019. While no Australian dates have yet been announced, fans can expect to see Elton John for the final time in late 2019/early 2020, before the tour finally wraps up sometime in 2021.
So while the world of music is set to get a little bit less colourful in a couple of years, fans can definitely take solace in the fact that Elton John hasn’t forgotten about his Aussie fans, who are set to see their final performances from the Rocket Man late next year.
Check out Sir Elton John’s ‘Tiny Dancer’:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hoskDZRLOCs
