Sir Elton John: ‘This final tour will be the most memorable ever’
Legendary performer Sir Elton John has announced he will perform 15 concerts in Australia as part of his final tour, including stops in major cities and places the 71-year-old has never entertained crowds before.
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Australian audiences will get one last chance to belt out Sir Elton John’s legendary hits as the ultimate showman bids farewell to “generous” fans.
Sir Elton, who announced last year he was retiring from the road, will perform 15 shows, starting in Perth on November 30.
The two-month run of the Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour includes stops in major cities and places Sir Elton has never entertained crowds, including Bathurst, in central west NSW.
The 71-year-old superstar said he couldn’t wait to return.
“It’s now 48 years since my first ever Australian concert, which I played in Perth,” he said.
“Australian audiences have always been very generous towards me and I know that this final tour will be the most memorable ever.”
Since the tour began in the US in September, the Rocket Man has already played more than 50 shows.
Davey Johnstone, John’s musical director and guitarist, said “it will be quite emotional not to come back to Australia”.
“I’ll miss the camaraderie and the friendships that we’ve had,” Mr Johnstone said.
“I could be walking down the street in The Rocks and so many people will stop me and say: ‘Davey, how you doing mate?’ and all this kind of stuff and it’s very sweet.”
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Mr Johnstone, who first met his “boss” in 1971 when he was brought in to record songs including Tiny Dancer, said Sir Elton was enjoying the final shows and the reaction from fans.
“I know the boss is pretty amazed and very happy because according to him, it’s the best reviews he’s ever had,” Mr Johnstone, 67, said.
Sir Elton’s long-time drummer Nigel Olsson said the composer of Candle In The Wind and I’m Still Standing had trouble choosing which songs he would perform for the tour.
“It was so hard for Elton to put together the song list because there’s so much out there that people want to hear,” Mr Olsson, 69, said.
The younger faces in the audiences have also surprised Mr Olsson.
“When the little kids are singing Crocodile Rock and all that, it’s just amazing that we lasted this long and we’re still going strong and selling out everywhere,” he said.
Sir Elton, one of the best-selling artists of all time, said the global three-year Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour would be his last so he could spend more time with his two young sons, Zachary and Elijah, and husband David Furnish.
“I don’t want to miss them and I don’t want them to miss me,” he said last year.
Mr Olsson still laughs when he recalled his first Sydney concert with Sir Elton at Randwick Racecourse when “the stage blew over”.
He said he was hoping the tour wouldn’t be the last.
“I don’t want it to be the end,” he said.
“I just enjoy what I’m doing and I’m having a great time up there.”
Tickets for the Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour in capital cities go on sale Thursday, February 14 at 9am local time.
For all other shows, tickets are available on Friday, February 15 at 9am local time.
To book, visit Ticketek or Ticketmaster.
Fans should visit oznz.eltonjohn.com to sign up for pre-sales and all the latest tour information.
Originally published as Sir Elton John: ‘This final tour will be the most memorable ever’
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