Elton John Is Retiring to Become a Soccer Dad

Call it the circle of life: Sir Elton John has announced that he will be retiring, following a final world tour that kicks off in September.

On Wednesday, at a press conference at N.Y.C.'s Gotham Hall, John sat down with Anderson Cooper and revealed that his decision was a personal one, especially to his husband David Furnish and two children, Zachary, 7, and Elijah, 5.

"It's the last time I will be touring and traveling the world because my priorities have changed," John said. "10 years ago, if you would've said I would stop touring, I would've said no. But we had children and it has changed my life. I sat down with their school schedule and decided I don't want to miss too much of this. I've had an amazing life and an amazing career—I feel very lucky."

John, who has been touring for almost five decades, says that his final global go-round, called the Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour will be one to remember. The 300-plus date schedule will kick off in Allentown, Pa., and run for three years, taking fans on a highly visual journey incorporating all of the singer's greatest hits. "It's a way of saying thank you to all my fans and go out with a bang," said John, who also used YouTube's VR180 technology into his announcement to take fans on an immersive ride that celebrated all of his career milestones (below).

Ever the showman, John also revealed that Gucci designer Alessandro Michele will be creating a fantastical costume wardrobe for the tour. "I've always had great people making me great clothes throughout my career and about 2 years ago I discovered Alessandro Michele, who became the head designer of Gucci," said John. "I loved what he was doing because it reminded me of Gianni Versace's [work]—it was humorous and fun and beautifully made. Gucci really gets the spirit of Elton John and I can't thank Alessandro enough for it."

For more on the Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour, visit eltonjohn.com.

If you can't wait until September to catch John and his sparkly suits in action, look no further than this Sunday's Grammys, where the singer is set to take the Madison Square Garden stage with none other than Miley Cyrus.

And even in his retirement, the superstar promises to keep us on our toes with surprise projects. "When I say I'm stopping touring, I'm not stopping music," he added. "I will be making more records, writing more musicals, doing more exhibitions, but mostly I will be taking my kids to soccer academy—which is the most important thing."