Elton John‘s upcoming tour will be the last of his career, the storied 70-year-old musician announced this morning.
“I am not going to be touring apart from the last tour, which will start in September,” John told Anderson Cooper at a press conference in New York on Wednesday that was live-streamed via his website. “It’s the last time I’m going to be touring and traveling the world.”
Elton John confirms his upcoming tour will be his last: “My priorities have changed” #EltonEvent pic.twitter.com/b8H3IIC1Mr
— Maeve McDermott (@maeve_mcdermott) January 24, 2018
The retirement won’t take effect for another three years, following a 300-date Farewell Yellow Brick Road world tour set to last until 2021. “I’ve had a pretty good run,” John said. “It’s a way of going out with a bang.” He added that his final tour will be “the most produced, fantastic show I’ve ever done.”
“My priorities have changed in my life,” John explained. “Ten years ago, if you’d have said I’m gonna stop touring, I’d have said, ‘No no, I’m a working musician. I always play.’ But we had children and that changed our lives.” He recalled going over his children’s school schedule with husband David Furnish, who also serves as his manager, and feeling that he was going to miss too much of their childhood.
In April 2017, John was forced to cancel his “Million Dollar Piano” Las Vegas residency shows for two months after contracting a “rare and potentially deadly” bacterial infection on tour. He resumed performing in June.
Dates for the farewell tour are available on Elton John’s website, which appears to have temporarily crashed from the influx of traffic.
