Elton John's Retirement

Elton John has announced his retirement after a long and successful career. For the past 60 years, John has been making music on the road and in the studio. Despite being known as a musician from our parent's generation, he has a largely younger audience. Gen-Z and boomers appreciate his music and celebrate everything he has done for the industry regardless of age. Following a career filled with sold-out shows, activism, and fashion statements, he believes it is time to take an active step back and spend more time with his family. John is embarking on a farewell tour worldwide to mark the end of a successful career. John is currently working on a Broadway musical based on Lauren Weisberger's 2003 novel "The Devil Wears Prada," which was adjusted into a film in 2006 starring Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway.

Early Life

John had a strained relationship and bond with his father, Stanley Dwight, a Royal Air Force pilot. When he was a teenager, his parents got separated, and he and his father fought over his future. John was inspired by the sounds of early rock and roll and aspired to a career in pop music. And, much to his father's chagrin, John dropped out of school at the age of 17 to pursue his dream. He began playing with a band called Bluesology, and he derived his stage name from the names of two of the band's members.

Reginald Kenneth Dwight (later known as Elton John) was born in the Middlesex town of Pinner on March 25, 1947. He was the only eldest son of Stanley Dwight, a high-ranking officer in the Royal Air Force, and the only child of Sheila, his mother, who introduced him to rock music by bringing home records. He taught himself to play the piano at the age of four, and at the age of eleven, he received a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music for being a prodigy on the piano. Elton attended the London Academy of Music before leaving two weeks before graduation to pursue a musical career. He came up with Elton John by combining the middle name of Bluesology's vocalist, Long John Baldry, and the first name of the saxophonist, Elton Dean.

Music Career

In 1967, after responding to a Liberty Records ad for a songwriter, John was hired and worked with Bernie Taupin. In 1969, John made his formal debut as a singer with the release of his first album, Empty Sky, which included songs written by him and Taupin. Unfortunately, the songs did not chart; however, his self-titled album, Elton John, released in the 1970s, became a hit, and his career took off. In the mid-1970s, John's concerts and albums were extremely popular, and by 1973, he had become one of the world's best-selling pop artists.

Farewell Tour

On January 24, 2018, John announced his intention to retire from the road following his Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour, which was set to begin that September. "My priorities have shifted," he explained, citing a desire to spend more time with his husband, David, and their children. "David and I sat down according to a school schedule in 2015... I don't want to miss out anything."

That year also marked the end of his Las Vegas residency, "The Million Dollar Piano," which concluded on May 17 at Caesar's Palace.

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