All the musicians who are retiring from touring in 2018
Paul Simon, Elton John and Aretha Franklin are among those who have announced their retirements this year
Paul Simon
Simon has hinted for some time that the end of the road might be close before making the official announcement, telling in 2016: āShowbiz doesnāt hold any interest for me.ā But it wasnāt until February 5 that he confirmed it.
āIāve often wondered what it would feel like to reach the point where Iād consider bringing my performing career to a natural end,ā Simon wrote in . āNow I know: it feels a little unsettling, a touch exhilarating, and something of a relief.ā He explained that the time away from his family was taking a toll, but that he hoped to do āthe occasional performance in a (hopefully) acoustically pristine hall, and to donate those earnings to various philanthropic organizations, particularly those whose objective is to save the planet.ā
Simonās last show is set for July 15 at Hyde Park in London.
Elton John
John announced his retirement from touring on January 24th in an interview with , explaining that he wants to spend more time with his two children. But the decision isnāt effective immediately—heās embarking on a three-year, 300-gig tour beginning in September of 2018, by which point itās fair to say he will have earned a break.
āBy the time the tour finishes Iāll be 74, and thereāll be so much more for me to do creatively, but it wonāt be touring,ā he said. āDavid [his husband] and I sat down with a school schedule, and I thought, I donāt want to miss too much of this… When I stop, theyāre going to be 10 and 8, and thatās a very important time of their lives. I see them a lot anyway. But I love them so much. I donāt want to miss them and I donāt want them to miss me.ā
But John is not retiring from making records—he expects to make āa couple more albumsā—and didnāt rule out future concert performances. āI would imagine it would be something like a residency, like Kate Bush did at the Hammersmith Apollo; she did three weeks. I donāt want to travel."
Neil Diamond
Diamond on January 22, following his diagnosis with Parkinsonās Disease. In a statement, Diamond said that he plans to keep for as long as his health allows. āIt is with great reluctance and disappointment that I announce my retirement from concert touring,ā he said. āI have been so honored to bring my shows to the public for the past 50 years.ā
The last stage of Diamondās world tour—in Australia and New Zealand—was set to begin in March, but that leg has been cancelled. His last public performance was on Dick Clarkās Rockinā New Yearās Eve.
Aretha Franklin
Franklin will play her last concerts in 2018, she confirmed in an interview last year. āI will be recording, but this will be my last year in concert,ā she told Detroitās . āāI feel very, very enriched and satisfied with respect to where my career came from and where it is now. Iāll be pretty much satisfied, but Iām not going to go anywhere and just sit down and do nothing. That wouldnāt be good either.ā
Franklinās last concert is currently scheduled for June 2 in Boston. But as part of , she has expressed interest in opening a nightclub in downtown Detroit, and has noted that she would perform there should that dream come to pass.
Lynyrd Skynrd
The band will retire from touring after one last run of concerts, they announced in January. āItās hard to imagine, after all these years, the band that Ronnie Van Zant, Allen Collins and myself started back in Jacksonville, would resonate for this long and to so many generations of fans,ā guitarist Gary Rossington . āIām certain they are looking down from above, amazed that the music has touched so many.ā
āThe Last of the Street Survivors Farewell Tourā will kick off on May 4 in West Palm Beach, Florida, and will conclude on September 1 in Atlanta, Georgia.
Paul Simon
Simon has hinted for some time that the end of the road might be close before making the official announcement, telling in 2016: āShowbiz doesnāt hold any interest for me.ā But it wasnāt until February 5 that he confirmed it.
āIāve often wondered what it would feel like to reach the point where Iād consider bringing my performing career to a natural end,ā Simon wrote in . āNow I know: it feels a little unsettling, a touch exhilarating, and something of a relief.ā He explained that the time away from his family was taking a toll, but that he hoped to do āthe occasional performance in a (hopefully) acoustically pristine hall, and to donate those earnings to various philanthropic organizations, particularly those whose objective is to save the planet.ā
Simonās last show is set for July 15 at Hyde Park in London.
Elton John
John announced his retirement from touring on January 24th in an interview with , explaining that he wants to spend more time with his two children. But the decision isnāt effective immediately—heās embarking on a three-year, 300-gig tour beginning in September of 2018, by which point itās fair to say he will have earned a break.
āBy the time the tour finishes Iāll be 74, and thereāll be so much more for me to do creatively, but it wonāt be touring,ā he said. āDavid [his husband] and I sat down with a school schedule, and I thought, I donāt want to miss too much of this… When I stop, theyāre going to be 10 and 8, and thatās a very important time of their lives. I see them a lot anyway. But I love them so much. I donāt want to miss them and I donāt want them to miss me.ā
But John is not retiring from making records—he expects to make āa couple more albumsā—and didnāt rule out future concert performances. āI would imagine it would be something like a residency, like Kate Bush did at the Hammersmith Apollo; she did three weeks. I donāt want to travel."
Neil Diamond
Diamond on January 22, following his diagnosis with Parkinsonās Disease. In a statement, Diamond said that he plans to keep for as long as his health allows. āIt is with great reluctance and disappointment that I announce my retirement from concert touring,ā he said. āI have been so honored to bring my shows to the public for the past 50 years.ā
The last stage of Diamondās world tour—in Australia and New Zealand—was set to begin in March, but that leg has been cancelled. His last public performance was on Dick Clarkās Rockinā New Yearās Eve.
Aretha Franklin
Franklin will play her last concerts in 2018, she confirmed in an interview last year. āI will be recording, but this will be my last year in concert,ā she told Detroitās . āāI feel very, very enriched and satisfied with respect to where my career came from and where it is now. Iāll be pretty much satisfied, but Iām not going to go anywhere and just sit down and do nothing. That wouldnāt be good either.ā
Franklinās last concert is currently scheduled for June 2 in Boston. But as part of , she has expressed interest in opening a nightclub in downtown Detroit, and has noted that she would perform there should that dream come to pass.
Lynyrd Skynrd
The band will retire from touring after one last run of concerts, they announced in January. āItās hard to imagine, after all these years, the band that Ronnie Van Zant, Allen Collins and myself started back in Jacksonville, would resonate for this long and to so many generations of fans,ā guitarist Gary Rossington . āIām certain they are looking down from above, amazed that the music has touched so many.ā
āThe Last of the Street Survivors Farewell Tourā will kick off on May 4 in West Palm Beach, Florida, and will conclude on September 1 in Atlanta, Georgia.
Paul Simon
Simon has hinted for some time that the end of the road might be close before making the official announcement, telling in 2016: āShowbiz doesnāt hold any interest for me.ā But it wasnāt until February 5 that he confirmed it.
āIāve often wondered what it would feel like to reach the point where Iād consider bringing my performing career to a natural end,ā Simon wrote in . āNow I know: it feels a little unsettling, a touch exhilarating, and something of a relief.ā He explained that the time away from his family was taking a toll, but that he hoped to do āthe occasional performance in a (hopefully) acoustically pristine hall, and to donate those earnings to various philanthropic organizations, particularly those whose objective is to save the planet.ā
Simonās last show is set for July 15 at Hyde Park in London.
Elton John
John announced his retirement from touring on January 24th in an interview with , explaining that he wants to spend more time with his two children. But the decision isnāt effective immediately—heās embarking on a three-year, 300-gig tour beginning in September of 2018, by which point itās fair to say he will have earned a break.
āBy the time the tour finishes Iāll be 74, and thereāll be so much more for me to do creatively, but it wonāt be touring,ā he said. āDavid [his husband] and I sat down with a school schedule, and I thought, I donāt want to miss too much of this… When I stop, theyāre going to be 10 and 8, and thatās a very important time of their lives. I see them a lot anyway. But I love them so much. I donāt want to miss them and I donāt want them to miss me.ā
But John is not retiring from making records—he expects to make āa couple more albumsā—and didnāt rule out future concert performances. āI would imagine it would be something like a residency, like Kate Bush did at the Hammersmith Apollo; she did three weeks. I donāt want to travel."
Neil Diamond
Diamond on January 22, following his diagnosis with Parkinsonās Disease. In a statement, Diamond said that he plans to keep for as long as his health allows. āIt is with great reluctance and disappointment that I announce my retirement from concert touring,ā he said. āI have been so honored to bring my shows to the public for the past 50 years.ā
The last stage of Diamondās world tour—in Australia and New Zealand—was set to begin in March, but that leg has been cancelled. His last public performance was on Dick Clarkās Rockinā New Yearās Eve.
Aretha Franklin
Franklin will play her last concerts in 2018, she confirmed in an interview last year. āI will be recording, but this will be my last year in concert,ā she told Detroitās . āāI feel very, very enriched and satisfied with respect to where my career came from and where it is now. Iāll be pretty much satisfied, but Iām not going to go anywhere and just sit down and do nothing. That wouldnāt be good either.ā
Franklinās last concert is currently scheduled for June 2 in Boston. But as part of , she has expressed interest in opening a nightclub in downtown Detroit, and has noted that she would perform there should that dream come to pass.
Lynyrd Skynrd
The band will retire from touring after one last run of concerts, they announced in January. āItās hard to imagine, after all these years, the band that Ronnie Van Zant, Allen Collins and myself started back in Jacksonville, would resonate for this long and to so many generations of fans,ā guitarist Gary Rossington . āIām certain they are looking down from above, amazed that the music has touched so many.ā
āThe Last of the Street Survivors Farewell Tourā will kick off on May 4 in West Palm Beach, Florida, and will conclude on September 1 in Atlanta, Georgia.
Paul Simon, Elton John and Aretha Franklin are among those who have announced their retirements this year
Related Content
Though weāre barely into the second month of 2018, thereās already been a huge amount of bittersweet news on the music front. Several beloved and iconic musicians have announced that they will be retiring this year, with many of their final shows slated for the spring and summer.
So that you can prepare yourself emotionally for all of this yearās farewells, hereās a running list of the musicians who have confirmed retirements in 2018.