By SUNNY NOWACKI
Contributing Wrtier
In a press conference released Wednesday, Jan. 24, British singer Sir Elton John announced that he will be retiring from touring after a long, three-year farewell tour. The star began touring at age seventeen with various bands, and now at nearly seventy-one he’s ending that part of his life with the “Farewell Yellow Brick Road” tour.
The press conference was a full event for those attending, and it was on par with John’s usual extravagance and style. The audience was given virtual reality headsets which then launched into a five-minute VR summary video of his career. After this introduction to the night, the man began a performance of “Tiny Dancer” on the piano as well as a stripped version of “I’m Still Standing.” All of this done, of course, with his trademark glittery suit and sunglasses. Sir Elton John is planning to go out with a bang.
Part of the reason for this career move is family. John told event moderator Anderson Cooper “My priorities now are my children, my husband and my family.” When the tour ends in 2021, his two children will be eight and ten years old. That doesn’t mean the star won’t go all out for this final tour, however, as it will be global, and have over three-hundred dates. Though this decision is based on family, he hasn’t forgotten his fans, and he plans on seeing as many as possible on this tour.
This decision to retire effects only his touring, as he stated quite plainly that he will still be writing and recording music. He assured the attendees that he is in great health, despite admitting last year that he had a bacterial infection that left him hospitalized. It caused him to cancel a few shows, but he was back on his feet and performing in no time. He adamantly reassured fans that this decision to retire has nothing to do with his health like many began to fear.
A similar declaration was given by the Hall of Fame musician in 1977 to the crowd of a London show. He claimed that was going to be his final show. He stuck to this for two years before returning to touring at a breakneck pace. Rolling Stone explains on their website that for twenty years, Sir Elton John has performed “upwards of 133 shows a year that he balances between his residency at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas and arenas and stadiums around the world.” His last tour will be no different, and for the next three years, his life will be dedicated to the physically-draining tour schedule. But the star seems happy to do it not only for his fans, but to close that chapter of his life for good.
The tour starts this year in September, and the first location is in Pennsylvania. The star will be travelling all around the world to five continents, hitting North America, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, South America, and Australia to give a proper showing of his gratitude to his fans. The tour will be coming to the Times Union Center here in Albany in 2019, and tickets go on sale the second of February. Tickets will go fast, so be sure to secure yourself one for what promises to be an incredible final show. On his website, Eltonjohn.com, there is more information for specific locations and dates for this tour. This website describes the show vaguely, but enough to get fans old and new alike excited. The website states: “The new stage production will take his fans on a musical and highly visual journey spanning a 50-year career of hits like no one has ever seen before.”
