After months of touring, that is it - the ultimate likelihood to see music legend Sir Elton John performing reside within the UK.
The Rocketman is hanging up his hat (however hopefully not the massive glasses) together with his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour. After some gigs had been rescheduled through the pandemic, this now ends in Sweden in July - however the star's closing present on house turf takes place at Glastonbury Festival tonight.
Sir Elton is among the biggest-selling artists on the earth - a performer with 32 studio albums beneath his belt, 10 quantity ones, and greater than 300m in report gross sales - however surprisingly has by no means performed on the world-famous pageant earlier than. His headline set closing the Pyramid stage will likely be his first and final likelihood to expertise that 100,000-strong crowd, which so many performers who've skilled it earlier than him describe as like no different.
In interviews, Sir Elton has stated acting at Glastonbury "couldn't be a more perfect ending".
It's onerous to think about how the star who has entertained the world for greater than 50 years will stroll away from performing fully - however what a stage to bow out on.
So will this actually be the tip?
Tom Smith, NME's commissioning editor for music, says whereas there's numerous hypothesis the star will not be in a position to withstand a comeback later down the road, it looks like this actually may very well be his farewell from reside performing.
"There's always been a kind of 'will he, won't he', but he seems pretty set that this is going to be the last UK show," he instructed Sky News. "I think the way that he's gone about it and prepared for the show and talked about all of the new bands he wants to celebrate in his career, you know, this long tour that he's been on, it feels like it could be it, it really does."
However, Sir Elton's husband David Furnish told Sky News ahead of the festival that this won't be the end of his music altogether.
"I don't think he'll be sitting on the sofa with a remote control," Furnish stated. "He's going to go back into the studio in October and start his next album. Which will be great. He's not done a studio album in a long time."
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We know for Glastonbury, the star plans to deliver out 4 particular visitors - Furnish confirmed it might be a star-studded line-up, however did not give something away.
Bookies are providing odds on everybody from Lady Gaga, Harry Styles and Rocketman star Taron Egerton, to current collaborators Britney Spears, Ed Sheeran and Dua Lipa. Sir Paul McCartney, who headlined the pageant final yr and was noticed in conjunction with the stage for the Foo Fighters' surprise set on Friday, can also be now a late addition to the hypothesis.
BRITNEY SPEARS - Last yr, Sir Elton and Spears collaborated on the hit music Hold Me Closer which was the US singer's first return to music in six years. He stated he needed the monitor, which reached quantity three within the UK charts, to "enlighten everybody" that Spears, 41, is "one of the great pop stars of the world".
DUA LIPA - The chart-topping 27-year-old singer and Sir Elton launched the chart-topping Cold Heart (Pnau Remix) collectively in August 2021. They carried out the music on the finish of his US closing tour date at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles in November final yr.
BILLY JOEL - Sir Elton and American singer Joel, additionally a pianist, have performed a collection of excursions titled Face To Face since 1994. Playing gigs, additionally within the 2000s and 2010s, the pair have constructed up a friendship collectively and Joel can also be set to be in London in two weeks for BST Hyde Park on 7 July so would possibly arrive within the UK early.
HARRY STYLES - The former One Direction star has expressed how he appears as much as "showmen" resembling Sir Elton, Prince, David Bowie, Elvis and Freddie Mercury. Sir Elton has additionally expressed he want to work with the 29-year-old singer-songwriter, who's free from touring on Sunday after taking part in Festivalpark in Belgium on Saturday.
ED SHEERAN - Sir Elton mentored Sheeran's budding profession and he was initially signed to the megastar's administration firm Rocket Music in 2011. They have collaborated collectively quite a few instances together with on the festive music Merry Christmas, which turned a chart-topper in December 2021. Sheeran, 32, is taking part in the FedEx Field in Maryland, US on Saturday and with an early flight may make Sir Elton's present the following day in time for 9pm to 11.05pm. He will not be as a consequence of proceed his American tour leg till 29 June.
OLLY ALEXANDER - The Years And Years frontman and Sir Elton shocked viewers on the Brit Awards 2021 with a hanging rendition of Pet Shop Boys' It's A Sin. This model of the hit music was later launched to lift cash for the Elton John Aids Foundation. Years And Years additionally has a pageant efficiency within the US on Saturday so getting again in time may additionally show a problem.
EMINEM - Sir Elton has spoken beforehand about his friendship with US rapper Eminem and he as soon as interviewed him for a characteristic in Interview journal. At the 2001 Grammy Awards, the pair carried out Stan which had initially been launched with Dido, and Sir Elton has since spoken ceaselessly about how he "adores" the "amazing guy".
LADY GAGA - Sir Elton featured on Lady Gaga's sixth studio album, Chromatica, which was launched in May 2020. She was additionally a co-host at his Oscar watch get together and took on Sir Elton's catalogue as a part of the album Revamp.
DOLLY PARTON - The US nation veteran just lately launched a brand new album, titled Rockstar, which featured Sir Elton, Sting, Sir Paul McCartney and Sir Ringo Starr. At the Country Music Awards 2005, they sang The Beatles band member John Lennon’s hit music Imagine.
KATE BUSH - The singer has recorded Sir Elton's hits resembling Rocket Man and Candle In The Wind together with the duet Snowed In At Wheeler Street with the megastar. The 64-year-old, who doesn't tour typically, additionally attended his wedding ceremony to Furnish.
TARON EGERTON - He starred as Sir Elton within the biopic Rocketman which was based mostly on the musician's life. The 33-year-old additionally sang Tiny Dancer accompanied by Sir Elton at an Oscars get together and recorded the music (I'm Gonna) Love Me Again for the movie collectively.
Sir Elton has additionally teased that he'll play a distinct set to that performed on his farewell tour.
Whatever he sings, whoever he brings out on stage, one factor is definite - he'll need to exit with a bang, and go down within the Glastonbury historical past books.
"You look at Paul McCartney last year - it was an incredible celebration of music for people of all ages, over his career, The Beatles to Wings and solo stuff," NME journalist Tom added. "Elton's got that level of repertoire and that goodwill among music fans. There's every chance in 10, 15 years it could be: 'I was there for Elton's big send-off'."
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Fellow Glastonbury first-timer Rick Astley - who drew a huge early crowd to the Pyramid stage on Saturday morning - believes few artists have had Sir Elton's impression.
"With Elton, you're naming one of the people who literally put one of the foundation blocks of music," he stated. "There's a few people, men and women, who've laid down the rule book, the story book - everything - for the rest of us, and he's one of them. There's just no one comparable to him."
One fan who's trying ahead to tonight's present is Alex McGuire, 47, who lives close to to the pageant website in Taunton.
Now on his sixteenth time on the occasion, for the previous 5 events he has been making hats to have fun his favorite acts.
For Glastonbury 2023, he says the choice was straightforward.
"It's Elton's final tour and final chance to see him quite possibly. It's absolutely amazing for the Eavises to get him," he instructed Sky News.
Alex has recreated Sir Elton on the Pyramid stage, full with a grand piano and rainbow rockets - and it even lights up.
"It's going to be a legendary moment," he stated. "Like Paul McCartney last year - it's the ultimate for Glastonbury."
In the run-up to the pageant, Sir Elton has been teasing his efficiency - even sharing an image of some spangly custom-made wellies on Instagram.
"It's just come at the right time," he stated in a single interview. "I'm a great believer in serendipity and fate - this is the most wonderful way to sign off in England."
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