(VitalNews.org) – World-famous singer and songwriter, Sir Elton John, has finally retired from performing after a career spanning more than sixty years. The much-celebrated musician completed his “Farewell Yellow Brick Road” tour in Stockholm, Sweden on July 8th, telling his fans that they would stay in his heart forever, and paying an emotional tribute to his band, many of whom he has worked side by side with for several years.
As ever, the two-and-a-half hour show was elaborate and featured Sir Elton’s trademark costume changes and many of his most popular hits, such as “Tiny Dancer” and “Benny and the Jets”. The show also featured a surprise message from Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, who spoke of his love and gratitude for the singer, not just for his contribution to the world of music, but for his charitable efforts in combatting HIV and AIDS since the creation of his Elton John AIDS Foundation in 1992.
The tour originally began in 2018 but faced delays due to the emergence and spread of COVID-19 and the pursuant restrictions imposed by various Governments on travel and public gatherings. In the five years that it has run, the tour saw Sir Elton play to over 6 million fans around the world. This takes into account his headline performance at the UK’s Glastonbury Festival, a music and performing arts festival that plays host to over 200,000 revelers over one weekend each summer. The 76-year-old music veteran played to a record-breaking crowd of over 120,000 people, while 7.3 million more tuned into television coverage of the event from around the globe.
Sir Elton ended his tour in Sweden by breaking another record: according to Billboard magazine, his farewell tour is the first tour to reach ticket sales of $900 million. After a long and successful career, the prolific singer and songwriter told his fans that he would never tour again, and instead wanted to focus on enjoying time with his family, although he admitted the possibility of playing a one-off show sometime in the future.
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