Elton John is one of those rock-n-rollers who seems to always be touring. His work has been sewn into of our cultural conscience for 5 decades with hit songs like “Bennie And The Jets”, “The Bitch Is Back”, “Candle In The Wind” and his music for “The Lion King”. One of his biggest hits was his 1973 song “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road”. The ballad has this chorus:
“So goodbye yellow brick road
Where the dogs of society howl
You can’t plant me in your penthouse
I’m going back to my plough”
The lyrics take on added significance Wednesday, when the singer announced his final world tour. The New York event was broadcast over YouTube and included an incredible VR medley of songs like “Rocket Man” and “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.” For example, for “Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting” a VR version of John is shown decked out in a sparkling Dodgers baseball uniform performing at his sold out concert at Dodger’s Stadium in 1975.
Here is a screenshot from the VR portion of the event with Elton John performing at Dodger Stadium in 1975.
After the VR performance was over, the actual John sat behind his piano decked out in a tailored colorful coat and his trademark glasses to play “Tiny Dancer” and “I’m Still Standing”. He was joined by Anderson Cooper post-performance to discuss his final tour.
John cited wanting to spend time with his children as the main reason behind his farewell tour.
This event was hyped for days before with AR versions of Elton John performing at London’s King’s Cross station.
You can watch the VR concert and John’s announcement at the top of the article. A VR headset is recommended, but not required to enjoy things to the fullest.
The Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour will cover 300 cities around the world over a 3 year period. For more information about the tour and tickets check out Elton John’s website.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
