Matt Baron/ShutterstockFarewell, Yellow Brick Road. On Saturday in Allentown, Pennsylvania, Elton John kicks off a three-year tour that he vows will be his last. Though the Rocket Man says he won’t retire from music, he’s done with the road: He simply doesn’t want to travel anymore.
“I’ve been in the back of a van since I’ve been 16…I do about 180 flights a year, and it takes it out of you,” Elton said at a press conference earlier this year. “I’m 71. I can’t physically do the traveling. I don’t want to do the traveling. I want to be at home.”
He aded, “I really want to…enjoy my life. I’ve had an incredible life, but, you know, life is all about change.”
The main change in Elton’s life has been his two sons, Zachary, 7, and Elijah, 5. They’re the other reason why this is his farewell tour.
“I always thought I was gonna be like Ray Charles, B.B. King, on the road forever, but once…you have the children…it has changed our life so much,” he said. “When I stop, they’re gonna be 10 and 8. That’s a very important time in their lives and I don’t wanna miss them. And I don’t want them to miss me.”
The tour will be so long, Elton says, because he going to visit every corner of the globe to thank all his fans for all their years of support.
“I’m a person who cherishes gold records and platinum records because it means that people have paid their hard-earned money to buy something that you’ve made,” he explained.
“I’ve sold a lot of records and it means a lot to me,” John added. “And my fans have always turned out to my concerts. I’ve been touring since 1970. That’s 48 years!”
Here are Elton’s confirmed North American tour dates:
9/8 — Allentown, PA, PPL Center
9/11 — Philadelphia, PA, The Wells Fargo Center
9/12 — Philadelphia, PA, The Wells Fargo Center
9/15 — Buffalo, NY, KeyBank Center
9/16 — University Park, PA, Bryce Jordan Center
9/19 — Hartford, CT, XL Center
9/21 — Washington D.C., Capital One Arena
9/22 — Washington D.C., Capital One Arena
9/25 — Toronto, ON, Air Canada Centre
9/26 — Toronto, ON, Air Canada Centre
9/28 — Ottawa, ON, Canadian Tire Centre
9/29 — Québec City, QC, Videotron Centre
10/4 — Montreal, QC, Bell Centre
10/6 — Boston, MA, TD Garden
10/9 — Uniondale, NY, NYCB LIVE/Home of The Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum
10/10 — Pittsburgh, PA, PPG Paints Arena
10/12 — Detroit, MI, Little Caesars Arena
10/13 — Detroit, MI, Little Caesars Arena
10/15 — Grand Rapids, MI, Van Andel Arena
10/18 — New York, NY, Madison Square Garden
10/19 — New York, NY, Madison Square Garden
10/23 — Louisville, KY, KFC Yum! Center
10/24 — Nashville, TN, Bridgestone Arena
10/26 — Chicago, IL, United Center
10/27 — Chicago, IL, United Center
10/30 — St. Louis, MO, Enterprise Center
11/2 — Columbus, OH, Schottenstein Center
11/3 — Cleveland, OH, Quicken Loans Arena
11/6 — Boston, MA, TD Garden
11/8 — New York, NY, Madison Square Garden
11/9 — New York, NY, Madison Square Garden
11/23 — Sunrise, FL, BB&T Center
11/24 — Miami, FL, AmericanAirlines Arena
11/27 — Orlando, FL, Amway Center
11/28 — Tampa, FL, Amalie Arena
11/30 — Atlanta, GA, State Farm Arena
12/1 — Atlanta, GA, State Farm Arena
12/4 — Birmingham, AL, Legacy Arena at The BJCC
12/6 — New Orleans, LA, Smoothie King Center
12/8 — Houston, TX, Toyota Center
12/9 — Houston, TX, Toyota Center
12/12 — San Antonio, TX, AT&T Center
12/14 — Dallas, TX, American Airlines Center
12/15 — Dallas, TX, American Airlines Center
***
1/11/19 — Boise, ID, Taco Bell Arena
1/12 — Portland, OR, Moda Center
1/15 — Fresno, CA, Save Mart Center
1/16 — Sacramento, CA, Golden1 Center
1/18 — Oakland, CA, Oracle Arena
1/19 — San Jose, CA, SAP Center at San Jose
1/22 — Los Angeles, CA, STAPLES Center
1/23 — Los Angeles, CA, STAPLES Center
1/25 — Los Angeles, CA, STAPLES Center
1/26 — Glendale, AZ, Gila River Arena
1/29 — San Diego, CA, Valley View Casino Center
1/30 — Los Angeles, CA, STAPLES Center
2/1 — Inglewood, CA, The Forum
2/2 — Inglewood, CA, The Forum
2/6 — Denver, CO, Pepsi Center
2/7 — Denver, CO, Pepsi Center
2/9 — Tulsa, OK, BOK Center
2/12 — Omaha, NE, CenturyLink Center
2/13 — Kansas City, MO, Sprint Center
2/15 — Rosemont, IL, Allstate Arena
2/16 — Rosemont, IL, Allstate Arena
2/19 — Milwaukee, WI, Fiserv Forum
2/21 — Minneapolis, MN, Target Center
2/22 — Minneapolis, MN, Target Center
2/27– Cincinnati, OH, U.S. Bank Arena
3/1 — Albany, NY, Times Union Center
3/2 — Newark, NJ, Prudential Center
3/5 — New York, NY, Madison Square Garden
3/6 — New York, NY, Madison Square Garden
3/8 — Brooklyn, NY, Barclays Center
3/9 — Brooklyn, NY, Barclays Center
3/12 — Raleigh, NC, PNC Arena
3/13 — Columbia, SC, Colonial Life Arena
3/15 — Jacksonville, FL, Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena
3/16 — Sunrise, FL, BB&T Center
9/10 — Anaheim, CA, Honda Center
9/11 — Anaheim, CA, Honda Center
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