In an , Elton John says he is the happiest he has ever been and is having the best year of his life as he performs around the world for his "Farewell Yellow Brick Road" swan-song tour.
"Where I am now is the happiest Iāve ever been. Iām 72 years of age, I had the best year of my life professionally this year with the tour, the film, the book, and āThe Lion Kingā coming out. Itās been an amazing year and Iām so grateful," he said in the exclusive interview with etalk anchor Danielle Graham.
The rock legend is in Toronto this week for two performances at Scotiabank Arena on Wednesday and Thursday. Heās also promoting his which was just released last week.
The book chronicles his life from the shy Reginald Dwight, to the highs and lows of superstardom, to finding love with Toronto-native David Furnish and becoming a father. It comes on the heels of the biopic film āRocketman,ā which came out earlier this year.
He does not shy away from the darker chapters in his life when he tells his life story. He regrets the drugs and the behavior of the past, he said, but it got him to where he is today.
"You get success and you lose touch with reality, which is what this book is all about and the film is about. And then you have to kind of go back and start all over again," said Elton John, calling fame a "surreal world."
"When I was in rehab, and when I did my aftercare, when I came out, I had a lot of work to do. I had to work as hard at getting well and getting real as I did at getting famous and unreal."
Elton John has performed 127 shows so far on his ā, which kicked off in September 2018. Heās expected to perform more than 300 shows by the time it wraps up in 2021.
He said he wanted to raise the bar for his ālast hurrahā for touring: This meant better visuals, singing better, and playing better.
"Thereās no point in going out if youāre just going through the motions,ā he said, adding that audiences have been āspectacular."
"Iām enjoying it more every night, and weāre playing and singing better than weāve ever done. And Iām very proud of that."
Because this is his last tour, he wants to leave people with āthe best Elton John youāre ever going to see or youāve seen. Thatās what Iām aiming for."
"If itās taken me 72 years to get to this place, so be it,ā he said. āItās been a most fantastic journey possible."