TAMPA, FLA-- Elton John announced Wednesday that his upcoming global "Farewell Yellowbrick Road Tour" will be his last. Fortunately, he'll be making a stop at Tampa's Amalie Arena this November 28.
While the tour is slated to last 300 days and ultimately wrapping up in 2021, John told Anderson Cooper during an exclusive VR180 live stream on YouTube that the decision was made in 2015 to stop touring so he can dedicate his time to his family.
"It's the last time that I will be touring and traveling the world because my priorities have changed in my life...I"ve had an amazing life. I've had an amazing career. I've been so incredibly lucky, but my priorities now are my children, and my husband, and my family.
John, who is 70-years-old said his boys, Elijah and Zachary, will be 8 and 10-years-old when he finishes the global tour, which he said is a very important time in their lives, adding that he doesn't want to miss them and he doesn't want them to miss him. Besides, he said, "I've had a good run."
He denies that he is retiring due to bad health, which he says the British press reported.
John said he always thought he'd be like Ray Charles and B.B. King, who "were on the road forever." But says his life has changed so much and he loves his kids so much, that being with them is what he wants to do at this point in his life.
He said he plans to take a couple years off after the tour, but says, "I'll always be creative. I'll always be interested in creative stuff... I'll be doing writing a lot and who knows what's going to happen. If you let things happen for you then that's the magic of life. I'm going to be creative until the day I die."
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