Elton John reveals why he is quitting touring
Elton John says almost dying contributed to his decision to retire from touring.
Grammy Award-winner Elton John shocked his fans when he announced his plans to stop touring.
The 70-year-old told reporters at a briefing in New York on Thursday that he has decided to stop touring in order to spend more time raising his two sons, Elijah and Zachary.
But there is another reason why Elton has decided to give up live music.
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He says the past 12-months have been a "wake-up" call for him.
Speaking to the Sun, Elton says a near-death experience last year contributed to his decision.
"I went to South America, had a wonderful tour with James Taylor, came back from Chile, felt bad on the plane, got home on a Tuesday night. I was in intensive care on Thursday and stayed there for two days. I was very, very close to death. I didn’t know that . . . and was very fortunate I had great team of doctors. It took me seven weeks to get back to normal after that. I had tubes coming out of every ... that is a wake-up"
Elton will perform 300 shows over the next three years before he retires.
The icon's 'Farewell Yellow Brick Road' world tour will see him performing in North America, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, South America, and Australasia.
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