Elton John's ‘Farewell Yellow Brick Road’ tour is not the first time Elton intended to step away from touring. The superstar said the same thing 45 years ago this week on November 3rd, 1977, onstage at the Wembley Empire Pool in London.
You can watch that announcement on YouTube.
On that day in 1977, Elton said, "I'd just like to say something. It's very hard to put it in words really, but I haven't been touring for a long time and it's been a painful decision whether to come back on the road or not. And, I'm really enjoying tonight, thank you very much. But I've made a decision tonight -- this is gonna be the last show. Alright? So, there's a lot more to me than playing on the road and this is the last one I'm gonna do."
His plan to step away lasted only 15 months. Elton recalled that previous “retirement” announcement, saying, "Nineteen seventy something at Wembley with Stevie Wonder on stage. I'd worked so hard up to that point I just think I was burned out and I was tired and emotional and overwrought and over there and that was a spur of the moment thing. This hasn't been a spur of the moment thing. This has been two-and-a-half years in the planning because we have to book the venues. We have to get the songs picked. We have to get stuff done for the songs. We have to build a stage set. You know, we have to choose what countries we're gonna be in when and it's like an army maneuver."
Elton John insists he's sticking to the current tour being his last. He’s down to the last few shows in the U.S. The final three U.S. shows are at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles -- November 17th, 19th and 20th. That final show will air on Disney+.
[Source: Classic Hits Today]