"I have never played and sung so well in my life, for so long."
Elton John talked about his 'Farewell Yellow Brick Road' tour and explained why his concert at Dodger Stadium was a full-circle moment.
On Monday, March 13, Elton John hosted a special event for members of the Television Academy at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills, where he celebrated the success of the live broadcast of the final concert of his North American farewell tour through Disney+ last November .
“I'm so critical of myself. I have never played and sung so well in my life, for so long. And I really mean that,” Elton John commented about his performance at Dodger Stadium.
"It was so important to leave with my head really high," he added, stressing that he "didn't want to leave when he was down."
"The thought of leaving while I'm at the top was something very important to me. But I never dreamed… You know, I've toured a lot. I'm not like the Rolling Stones, who've been gone for five years, or Metallica or Bruce Springsteen," he said.
“They come and go, and when they come back, it's huge. I was always on tour, either with my band, or with an orchestra, or by myself, or with Ray Cooper," he continued.
Choosing Dodger Stadium for his final North American appearance was also symbolic, as he played two career-defining concerts there in 1975.
Elton said he was "very unhappy and very ill" at the time, revealing that he had "taken an overdose two days before".
"I'm at a different stage in my life. I've never been happier," Elton John explained, reminding the audience that he turns 76 next week.
"And that's because my priorities have changed, my lifestyle has changed. It's all about my kids at home, David and me – and my work takes care of itself if I take care of it,” she explained.
Speaking about his age, the singer admitted he's slowing down despite having "the energy of a 20-year-old".
After noting that he'll be 90 in 14 years, he said: "Mortality knocks on your door. And that's one of the reasons I wanted to stop (touring). Because, you know, there's not much time."
"The fact that I ended up at Dodger Stadium doing three concerts while I'm 75 years old at the end of my career was everything I could have dreamed of and more," he noted.
Elton John has expressed his desire to now spend more time with the two sons he shares with husband David Furnish, 10-year-old Elijah and 12-year-old Zachary, and to see them get married.
