For decades they inspired with their music and sang their way into the hearts of the fans. Now it should be over for several big stars.
Berlin – Their names are big names in the music world and often go beyond that: Vicky Leandros, Fettes Brot, Elton John and Dieter Bohlen – they have all been inspiring people all over the world for decades. And they all have another wish in common: They want to be on the big stage for the last time soon.
For the fans this means: If you want to experience the stars live again, you have to plan well. Because after the concert break of several years due to the corona pandemic, there are several farewell tours in 2023. An overview.
Goodbye with “I love life”: Vicky Leandros makes her hit for the farewell tour
“My view of the future is positive through and through,” said Vicky Leandros without a hint of melancholy when she announced her departure from the stage in November 2022 would have. Her farewell tour is therefore also called “I love life”, like her hit song from 1975. “There is so much beauty and encouragement in the title,” the singer continues.
But before Vicky Leandors dedicates herself entirely to the “time after”, the Corfu-born singer goes on tour again. Among other things, she performs in the Hamburg Elbphilharmonie. Leandros, who turned 70 last summer, said she wanted to retire on her own terms – “and under no circumstances go on stage with a walking stick”. However, the German-Greek does not seem to be in such a hurry with her departure from the stage: Contrary to initial plans, her last event will not fall in 2023, but has been postponed until spring 2024. Then there will be some more live performances.
Elton John bids farewell at legendary festival
The farewell of the world star has been going on for a while and should have its grand finale in 2023. The British superstar is currently touring the world with the Farewell Yellow Brick Road programme. Sir Elton John had already started his big farewell tour in 2018, also playing on Germany’s stages, but had to interrupt the tour due to illness and corona.
After more than five decades on stage, the world star is finally saying “Goodbye”. The musician, who lives in Los Angeles with her husband and two sons, wants to retire and spend time with his family. In his native UK John says goodbye at the famous Glastonbury Festival next June. The organizers announced this in December. In Germany, too, fans can say goodbye to the “Candle in the Wind” singer: In Germany, several performances are planned for April and May – for example in Hamburg, Berlin, Cologne and Munich.
Fettes Brot will go their separate ways at the end of 2023 – “Somehow told a common story”
The musicians König Boris, Doc Renz and Björn Beton announced at the end of August that the band Fettes Brot (“Jein”, “Gay Girls”, “Nordisch by Nature”) wanted to split up at the end of 2023. Almost 30 years after it was founded, the “common story seems somehow to have been told”, the hip-hop group justified the planned separation in the summer. They say goodbye to their fans once again – on the big farewell tour.
The first concert is scheduled for April 5, 2023 in Rostock. Many of the planned live performances of the “Fettes Brot – … is history” tour are already sold out or were moved to larger halls. All tickets for the two farewell concerts in Hamburg, which are planned for September, were sold out within a few hours.
Hello and goodbye: Dieter Bohlen’s comeback and farewell coincide
“The greatest comeback of all time”, so called Dieter Bohlen his upcoming tour in the usual manner – but which should also be his farewell at the same time. At the beginning of December 2022, Bohlen announced that the singer and Bohlen’s former DSDS protégé Pietro Lombardi would accompany him to his last concerts. The tour is scheduled to start in April and will travel through twelve cities in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
And there is also a comeback and farewell for the modern-talking musician on television: Bohlen wants to return as a juror for the last season of “Deutschland sucht den Superstar”. Since the beginning of the casting show in 2001, the singer has judged the candidates’ singing talent with sometimes striking sayings. In March 2021 he announced his temporary departure after 20 years.
Jürgen Drews – Big farewell show with a number of Schlager greats and Florian Silbereisen
live Jürgen Drews no longer wants to be on stage – but TV audiences can see the “King of Mallorca” in action once again. On January 14th, the show “The Great Schlager Farewell” with moderator Florian Silbereisen will be broadcast on the first (8:15 p.m.). The show, which features Roland Kaiser and Mickie Krause among others, was produced in Leipzig in October.
The 77-year-old Drews had announced the end of his career in the summer. One reason: A disease of polyneuropathy. The nervous illness, he reported at the time, made him unsteady on his feet, for example. Drews said to the German Press Agency in the fall: “It has felt to me for a very long time as if I had gotten out.” In the ARD program, his fans can now say a fitting farewell to the Schlager veteran. (dpa/rku)
