Peter Alexander once sang “Say goodbye quietly when you say goodbye”. Elton John (76) preferred to let it rip again.
On Thursday evening, at the start of his “Farewell Yellow Brick Road” tour, he played for the last time in Munich’s Olympiahalle and delivered a real firework of hits for almost two and a half hours.
In a silver tailcoat with rhinestone lapels and glittering blue glasses, he sang “Rocket Man”, “Crocodile Rock”, “I’m Still Standing”, “Your Song” and many more of his world-famous songs.
In 1971 Elton John had his worldwide breakthrough with his hit “Your Song”.
The 11,000 or so spectators (including Howard, Wayne and Annemarie Carpendale) in the sold-out arena couldn’t stop cheering and celebrating when Sir Elton hammered like a young music god on his black Yamaha grand piano, which he lovingly loved Blossom (engl : flower).
After each song, the audience jumped up and gave the singer a standing ovation. They know full well that this will probably be the last time they will see him live.
Elton John (from left) with his sons Elijah and Zachary and husband David Furnish on vacation in St-Tropez in 2017
When Elton John sits at the piano, his 76 years are hardly noticeable. Then he’s young Elton again, full of energy. But as soon as the British musician stands up, he moves slowly. It’s also his health problems, especially his hips, that make him slow down. The British singer also wants to spend more time with his two sons, Elijah, 10, and Zachary, 12, along with husband David Furnish, 60, as they grow up.
Elton John in Munich. When he sits at the piano, his 76 years are hardly noticeable
“I’m 76 now. I don’t know how much time I have left on Earth after the tour,” he said recently. “Every day with them is a bonus.”
But first let’s celebrate! With every song, Elton John proves what a virtuoso he is on the piano, what a great musician he is. For more than 50 years he has been delighting generations, but he is also constantly reinventing himself with current versions of his songs such as “Cold Heart” (with Dua Lipa) or “Tiny Dancer” (with Britney Spears). But now the world star is retiring. The Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour is his last.
Elton John is celebrating! He has every reason to do so, his tour has already brought in more than 800 million euros
The concert in Munich was the 295th of his tour. The British singer has been on the road for almost five years, but had to take a two-year break in the middle because of Corona. He inspired more than five million fans all over the world.
In total, he will play more than 300 concerts (average ticket price: 140 euros, average number of spectators: 19,000) before finally saying goodbye to his audience on July 8, 2023 in Stockholm.
And it’s already clear: It’s the most successful tour by an artist of all time. With his concerts, Elton John has already brought in more than 800 million euros, more than anyone before (followed by Ed Sheeran and U2). At the end of the tour he could even break the billion.
If you still want to experience Elton John live, you have to hurry. He also plays in Hamburg (May 2, 4 and 5), Berlin (May 10 and 11), Mannheim (May 13) and Cologne (May 16, 18 and 19). The concerts are almost sold out, there are only a few tickets left.
