JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The video above originally aired on June 23, 2021
Elton John brings his Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour to Jacksonville on Saturday, April 23. It's probably your last chance to see the rock legend before he retires but, of course, Elton's fans have heard that before.
I didn’t know Elton John was coming to town! Did they just announce this?
You could be forgiven for forgetting about this show. Tickets for the show — which was originally scheduled for June 3, 2020, but postponed by the pandemic — went on sale Oct. 18, 2019. That means that fans who bought tickets the first day will have held them for 919 days by the time the show actually happens.
Are tickets still available?
Yes, but they don't come cheap, mainly because they've been on sale for so long. The least expensive tickets available through Ticketmaster are $213.25, the most expensive $1,631.25.
How long is this Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour?
Long enough for this to be the second time it's played Jacksonville (the first was in 2019). The tour opened Sept. 18, 2018, in Allentown, Pa. It was originally scheduled to conclude Dec. 16, 2020, in London, after more than 300 shows. Because of pandemic rescheduling, the tour will now wrap in July of 2023 in Sweden.
Is he going to play my favorite song?
Good chance of that. His setlist for this tour has been packed with his big hits. If you’re the sort of person who likes to spoil the surprise, you can see the songs he’s been playing at setlist.fm.
Who’s in his band?
He’s been touring with six bandmates, including guitarist Davey Johnstone, percussionist Ray Cooper and drummer Nigel Olsson, who started playing with Elton on the “Madman Across the Water” album in 1971. Other band members are bass player Matt Bissonette, keyboardist Kim Bullard and percussionist John Mahon.
Has Elton John ever played in Jacksonville?
He sure has. In fact, he was the first act to play at Jacksonville (now VyStar) Veterans Memorial Arena, in 2003. According to setlist.fm, a website that tracks such things, Elton has played at least eight shows in Jacksonville:
• March 15, 2019, Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour at Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena.
• March 13, 2015, All the Hits Tour at Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena
• March 2, 2009, Face to Face Tour (with Billy Joel) at Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena
• Nov. 21, 2003, at Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena
• Sept. 12, 2002, Songs from the West Coast Tour at the Jacksonville Coliseum
• Sept. 23, 1999, the first show on the Medusa Tour, at the Jacksonville Coliseum
• Nov. 24, 1972, Honky Chateau Tour at the Jacksonville Coliseum
• May 30, 1971, Tumbleweed Connection Tour at the Jacksonville Coliseum
How many albums has he released?
He’s released more than 30 studio albums, four collaboration albums with other artists, nine movie soundtracks, four live records and a holiday album. From 1970-76, he put out 10 albums, most of which are considered classics today. “Elton John’s Greatest Hits,” released in 1974, has sold more than 17 million copies.
What’s his biggest song?
He’s had 57 Top 40 singles in the U.S., second only to Elvis Presley, and has reportedly sold more than 100 million singles. But one song dwarfs all others in terms of record sales. “Candle in the Wind 1997,” released as a tribute to Princess Diana, went No. 1 literally everywhere in the world and is the best-selling song in U.S. and UK history, somewhere around 33 million.
What honors has he received?
What honors hasn’t he received might be a better question. He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth in 1992, inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility and got a Kennedy Center Honor in ’04. He’s in the Songwriters Hall of Fame and has an Oscar, a Tony, five Grammys and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
So what’s next for Elton?
Well, he’s retired from performing before (in 1977), but we suspect this one is going to stick. He's 75 and said he wants to spend more time with his family once the tour wraps.
Elton John
8 p.m. Saturday at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena
$175-$1,449