Elton John Just Announced His Retirement Through A Virtual Reality Performance

Source –  After almost a half of century of performing for packed audiences, Sir Elton John has announced his plans to retire from global touring.

The icon held a press conference today, which was streamed to his official website and YouTube. “I’m not gonna be touring anymore,” he said, aside from his last tour ‘Farewell Yellow Brick Road’ that will kick off later this year in September. To be fair, he added that this global farewell tour will last a few years and will be 300 shows.

The announcement opened with a special VR performance of John throughout the years, including hit songs like “Rocket Man” and “Your Song.” John then performed “Tiny Dancer” and “I’m Still Standing” live in person from New York.

“My priorities have changed,” he cited, adding that he wants to focus on family, his children and his husband, David Furnish. “In 2015, David and I sat down with a school schedule … I don’t want to miss too much of this.”

John, who has sold over 200 million albums, has five Grammy wins, a Tony Award and an Oscar win for “Can You Feel the Love Tonight.” He has been performing since the early 1960s and had a lucrative Las Vegas residency for the past six years.

Ugh, Elton John- the first guy I ever saw in a boa. It was the late nineties and I was sitting on my living room floor watching Live with Regis and Kathie Lee. Elton came on to perform Tiny Dancer and I was hooked. Little did I know, my infatuation with Elton was rooted in my soon to be discovered love of men. Hindsight is twenty-twenty. At any rate, there’s no denying that Elton is an icon. Two-hundred-million in album sales, countless performances, THE LION KING SONG.

No other musician (with the exception of Billy Joel and G-Unit) has had such a profound impact on my life. Thank God he’s performing three-hundred more times over multiple years otherwise I would’ve lost it. I’d like to say I’m going to buy a ticket and pay tribute in person but I know I won’t. Instead I’m going to list out a bunch of songs in a blog for the world to enjoy. Which is much more effective IMO. Considering there are hundreds of songs to chose from, here are three of my favorites.

Benny And The Jets

Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting

Your Song

All different, all beautiful. If you have the time, get yourself into an Elton YouTube hole. Chances are you’ll rediscover songs that you didn’t even know were his.