After more than 50 years on the road, Elton John has officially retired from touring.
The renowned artist performed his final tour act at Stockholm’s Tele2 Arena on Saturday, the final stop on his Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour.
“I’ve had the most incredible career, beyond words. How fortunate am I to be able to play music for 52 years?” John, 76, told the audience as he finished his concert with “Your Song” and “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.”
“But, you know, if it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t be sitting here talking to you. You bought the singles, albums, CDs, and cassettes, but more importantly, you bought the concert tickets, and you know how much I enjoy performing live.”
After the show, the five-time Grammy winner thanked his fans for their unending support spanning more than five decades.
“My fans have been there for me every step of the way.” They’ve remained with me, they’ve supported me, they’ve been patient, and they’ve been coming to every single event,” he stated in a post-show statement, according to Consequence.
“Tonight has been a beautiful night. I’m still processing everything, and I don’t believe it’ll take a while before I’m finally done touring. I can’t tell you how much I’m going to miss the fans or how much their love has humbled me – it will live on in my heart forever.”
At one point during the event, the “Tiny Dancer” singer received a special message from Chris Martin, who was performing with his band, Coldplay, in Sweden at the same time.
“Elton, we just wanna say, from all of us here, from all the bands and artists that you’ve loved, inspired, and helped, we just love you so much,” Martin, 46, said in part. “We love you tremendously. Happy retirement and we’ll miss you terribly, dude.”
John, who has been traveling since 1970, took to Instagram earlier Saturday to deliver a poignant message before of the highly anticipated event.
“What a journey this tour has been, and now we find ourselves at the end of it,” he wrote. “Tonight is the final night.”
While John is no longer traveling, he and his management have previously announced that fans can expect to see him perform in some way in the coming years.
“It’s essential to distinguish between Elton retiring from touring and Elton not performing his very last public performance for the very last time,” John’s husband and manager, David Furnish, told Billboard last November.
“I know he will not be touring in any capacity. What you’ll see is the prospect of a spectacular one-time event or a short residency in a single place for a limited time.”
A Passenger Is Surprised by a Couple Getting Too Cozy on Flight: “Can’t Believe”
“Can’t believe my view on the plane. It was like this the whole four-hour flight,” X user captioned the pics. A plane passenger named Flea was surprised to witness two of his fellow travelers getting extremely cozy on a recent flight. He took to social media to share his frustration, posting pictures of the couple’s intimate display across a row of seats. The duo, barefoot and entwined in a spooning position, had their feet sticking out into the aisle, much to Flea’s horror.
This incident stirred the airplane etiquette debate, following others like feet on seats and seatbelts around ankles.
Flea shared three photos online showing a couple lying across three seats on a plane. The woman had her legs wrapped around her partner, with her bare foot on the tray table. In another photo, they were making a heart shape with their hands. The third picture showed the man with one bare foot on the floor while the woman rested on top of him.
Many people commented online, expressing their disapproval of the couple’s behavior, especially being barefoot and taking up multiple seats. Some questioned why the flight attendant didn’t intervene, while others were specifically bothered by the bare feet.
People started a heated debate.
One user wrote, “I would have stared at his feet the whole time.” Another user on X commented, “This isn’t even safe.”
Another commenter remarked, “Breaking up in two months.” Someone else shared, “I hated these types of couples in high school, all in the hall, slowing you down.”
This incident isn’t the first time airplane passengers have sparked debates over etiquette. Just a few weeks ago, there was an uproar when a frequent flier demonstrated a risky travel hack of wearing her seatbelt around her ankles to sit more “comfortably” during the flight.
Air travel brings people together despite occasional etiquette lapses, emphasizing diversity and mutual respect.
Despite the debates and occasional lapses in etiquette, air travel continues to connect people from all walks of life. These incidents, while they may cause frustration or amusement, also highlight the diverse experiences and perspectives we encounter during our journeys.
Ultimately, the shared experience of flying brings us together, reminding us of the importance of mutual respect and understanding in our interconnected world. What’s your take on this situation?
Leave a Reply