Elton John Thanks Farewell Gig Crowd for '52 Years of Pure Joy'
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The legendary singer played the final date on his 'Farewell Yellow Brick Road' tour, and ended his touring career, on Saturday
PA Wire via ZUMA Press
Elton John performs at his final farewell tour show at the Tele2 Arena in StockholmElton John is saying an emotional farewell to touring.
The legendary musician, 76, wrapped his live-touring career of over 50 years over the weekend with a final emotional stop on his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour at the Tele2 Arena in Stockholm.
Closing the show with "Your Song" and, fittingly, "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road," John thanked fans for supporting him on tour over the last five decades.
“I’ve had the most wonderful career, beyond belief. 52 years of pure joy playing music, how lucky am I to play music? But I wouldn’t be sitting here if it wasn’t for you," John said, per The Independent. "You bought the singles, albums and CDs and more importantly you bought the tickets to the shows and you know how I love to play live."
PA Wire via ZUMA Press
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“It’s been my lifeblood to play for you guys and you’ve been absolutely magnificent – thank you," he added. "I will never forget you guys. I’ve played so many concerts, how could I forget? You’re in my head, and my heart and my soul and I thank you so much.”
PA Wire via ZUMA Press
Elton John performs at his final farewell tour show at the Tele2 Arena in StockholmThe final stop on the tour — which spanned more than 330 dates — was a massive one, as John treated concert-goers to two-and-a-half hour set of music. From opener "Bennie And The Jets," to "I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues," to "Tiny Dancer" and, of course, "Candle in The Wind" and "Rocket Man," the singer played many of his greatest hits.
The night also featured a special appearance from Coldplay's Chris Martin — via a video link from Copenhagen — and a handful of costume changes from the style icon, as well as a reminder from John that this was his last hoorah on the road, as he confirmed he'll “never be touring again."
“I want to appreciate my family, my sons, my husband, everything. I’ve earned it and I don’t regret it tonight. But I want to say thank you to the band, the crew, everybody… I love you," he said, per The Independent.
As the outlet noted, John has played over 4,000 shows since launching his first tour in 1970. His final run of shows, according to Billboard, became the first in Billboard Boxscore history to break $900 million in ticket sales, surpassing Ed Sheeran with $776.4 million and U2 with $736.4 million.
The legendary singer reflected on the special night on Instagram, captioning two pictures with, "The Final Farewell, 8 July 2023." One image showed John standing with his arms held out wide, while the second saw him and his band wave goodbye and bow as confetti fell from above the Swedish crowd.
John's husband David Furnish paid tribute to the singer by posting a sweet clip of him and their two sons Zachary, 12, and Elijah, 10, as they waved on the side of the stage.
"And off he goes…. 🚀 One final trip down the Yellow Brick Road 💫 330 shows under his belt 💪🏼🎹 Finally off the road and into the sunset 🌈☀️," Furnish wrote in the caption.
"So excited for the next chapter together 👨👨👦👦 We love you Daddy ❤️"
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