“Candle in the Wind” singer and music legend Elton John made history 47 years after his first Dodger Stadium spectacle. In 1975, at 28 years old, the English singer made his first LA debut at Dodger Stadium while wearing an iconic sequined-studded baseball uniform, which was a show-stopping moment in the singer’s biopic, Rocket Man. In 2022, the music icon finally walked that same stage, perhaps for the very last time.
This time in a Dodgers bathrobe, John bestowed the audience with his presence at 75 years old in what would be his final U.S. show at his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour. With a crowd amassing over 50,000 people, the audience roared as John’s final moments on the North American stage came at last. Accompanied by his husband and manager, David Furnish, and their two sons, Zachary and Elijah, the singer said, “I want to spend time with my family because I’ll be 76 next year, I want to bring them out and show you why I’m retiring.”
Was this really the last time Elton John performed in the United States?
With immense grief, happiness, and remembrance, John officially announced his retirement from the North American stage, and yes, he is most definitely putting a stop to touring. Furnish recently told Billboard that the concert would mark the last moments of touring by the Pinner-born singer, but this would not mean it would be his last time as a performer.
“It’s really important to make a distinction between Elton retiring from touring but Elton not playing his very last public performance for the very last time,” Furnish said, putting fans’ aching hearts to rest. “Will Elton return as a live performer? I hope so, it’s in his blood …When you’re an artist and something’s in your blood, you don’t want to shut the door completely.”
Furnish would stress that this last tour would certainly be the last time the 75-year-old would be stepping on a touring stage, saying “I know for a fact he will not be touring in any capacity,” he added, “What you’re going to see is the possibility of a special one-off or a small residency in one venue for a limited period of time.”
The Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour, which dated back to 2018 with a postponement in between due to the Covid-19 pandemic, was supposed to be John’s own farewell to touring. Finally being able to finish the trek, John closed off his concert with a last rendition of “Farewell Yellow Brick Road.”
The reasoning behind the retirement, other than his obviously advanced age, is rooted in John’s desire to care for his family, with both his children being very young.
“Having said that, I know Elton, and it wouldn’t surprise me if he didn’t do any more live shows, either. He’s really looking forward to spending time with his family. This is the No. 1 priority in his life. Any type of return to any type of [live shows] is going to be a very well-considered situation and definitely not a given, at all.”
Regardless, John never disappoints, and his last concert on this stage was nothing of the ordinary. The singer had Dua Lipa joining him for their “Cold Heart” duet, and an even more surprising appearance: Kiki Dee. The pair sang at the Dodger Stadium in 1975, and they once again performed “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” one last time before leaving the intense and stressful world of touring.
With plenty of homages and memories, John recalled all four of his bandmates who have passed away over the years by performing an emotional rendition of “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me.” He also paid a touching tribute to his late friend and collaborator, George Michael, who passed away in 2016 from natural causes.
The emotional and tear-jerking moments did not end there. The singer also admitted that he “can’t tell you how it feels to be 75 years old and to have the No. 1 record around the world,” referring to “Cold Heart” as he remembered “Your Song,” his very first hit single from 52 years ago. “That was your song, Los Angeles!” he called out passionately.
The concert, which was streamed live on Disney Plus, officially marked John’s last time stepping on a North American touring stage. Up next, the singer will be heading to Australia, New Zealand, and Europe to finally give his goodbyes to all his fans across the globe before officially retiring from the world of touring.
