Elton John: The Retirement Announcement (1977)

The famous retirement speach from Wembley 1977 followed by 'Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word'.

[@steviemills]

I was there that night, that was a jawdropper! The band didn't have a clue, we also saw John Reid (his manager and lover?) in the wings, he was dumbfounded. What a tune to play after the announcement...

[@TheSkirvo]

I think you realise that if you are a performer, playing on the road is never anything you can really give up. it's something you miss and you itch to get out there again. Elton returned to the road very quickly and in the 80s said he was doing last world tours frequently. he's still touring the world over, some thirty years over. Billy Joel is the same, the guys from queen are the same, you never truly retire

[@candelise]

Just look at the workload Elton put in through the Seventies! Two albums a year(four in '71), endless TV apearences/touring straight after. In retrospect, absolutely no surprise. Stevie Wonder later told him that he could not quit because he would make another record and will naturally want to play it to people.

[@cbfall]

Wonderful & Bittersweet at the time! Elton looks sharp in this performance!!!

[@nelsoncastro4349]

Bela canção não tem, igual magnífico.

[@johnroberts8247]

The man was fed up with the treadmill and had his wealth. I don't blame him one bit. He put forth an enormous amount of quality work that can't be improved on. He had the right to quit whenever he wanted. He wasn't knighted for nothing.

[@dosenwurst101]

And 40 Years of Non Stop Touring and working after this retirement announcement :D But this Time, it will be a real retirement

[@myself1908]

you cant watch that announcement as an elton john fan and not watch the whole video, this song takes a whole new meaning after that

[@martind586]

Could u even imagine if he quit in 1977 - he was killing himself thou,.,,, good thing he slowed down!

[@TheSkirvo]

Scott he was famous for a little more than 13 minutes. it can get a little boring I'm sure when you have to play crocodile rock, your song, bennie and the jets and rocket man over and over again for nearly a decade. I mean yeah they are great songs but imagine how Elton would have felt after a little bored playing these songs over and over again

[@cimarronhopper4605]

I heard he was vary sick when he made this announcment I saw him live last year he was awesome

[@gaminglegend]

Now, he's really retiring... (in 2021)

[@anthonylarusso9676]

a sad person in need of help/ glad he eventually sought it

[@ImprovedNewShimmer]

is there any way to apply noise reduction to a youtube video (on windows 7). This is good clip but very noisy.

[@waldenhouse]

Something clearly will have upset him (like his car being late or something utterly trivial to normal people) and he will have had one of his Tantrums and declared "right, that's it, I've had enough".

[@skyhop557]

what whas the year in tha 70's he started doin drugs

[@cimarronhopper4605]

sky hop around 1974 to my knowledge it was cocaine and alcahol as elton has confirmed but he also most likely took alot of upers and downers to keep up his Energy

[@FutureAbe]

...And then he did fucking many drugs, and came back. Try drugs, kids. It will get you back on that horse.

[@scotttossman4898]

You're famous for about 13 minutes and you're going to retire. Oh, the drama...