Farewell Yellow Brick Road: Our Rocket Man Takes His Final Bows

Everywhere we go,  we see people listening to music. Through headphones, speakers, in their cars, in the office, music can always be found somewhere. So many artists come and go from the music industry it can be hard to keep track of all our favorites. 

Elton John–rockstar of the 1970s–has been creating and performing his songs since the early 70s. During his time in the spotlight, John has recorded approximately 31 studio albums, with other live and film-based albums not counted. These albums contained new, diverse music never heard before, which sky-rocketed his career. A few of these hits include, “Crocodile Rock”, “Tiny Dancer”, “Your Song”, and “Can You Feel the Love Tonight”. 

Given that he has been releasing music since the 70s, John has more than earned his retirement, yet has chosen not to take it just yet. In 2020, just before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down all concerts, the Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour was announced, with dates all over the country. 

Upon the striking of COVID-19, the tour was postponed, then postponed again. Of course, the musician and his team agreed not to perform until deemed generally safe–although it was not known at the time that this would take almost two years to accomplish. 

Unfortunately, John recently suffered a hip injury of such severity he needed surgery. This led to yet another set of tour dates being postponed to 2023, which the star detailed in social media posts. Fortunately, most of the dates remained in tact this time, allowing John to move forward with his last shows. 

On April 8, 2022, Elton John and his band took the stage at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, Tennessee. The star kicked off the show with his hit song: “Bennie and the Jets”, fit with a spotlight on Elton John, lights flashing around the audience, and, of course, an eccentric outfit matched with a pair of bedazzled glasses brought to us by the musician. 

He continued the show with his biggest hits, which fans were more than happy to finally hear. In true Elton John fashion, there were one–or a few–outfit changes spread throughout the concert. His outfits featured a black suit with a bedazzled “E” on the back, a light blue suit, a pink robe, and a tracksuit with pink trim. 

Despite the star’s health issues, he walked around the stage speaking to fans, played the piano as efficiently as ever, and, of course, sang through many of the songs in his repertoire. The concert began at 8:00 p.m., and concluded at approximately 10:30. 

After John has finished out the remainder of his tour, he plans on spending time with his family–which contains of his husband, David, and his two children. After decades, the world’s Rocket Man has finally decided to take his final bows on the stage.