Elton John Will Say Farewell to Arizona in 2019

Elton John will perform in Arizona one last time.

On Wednesday, John announced an extensive farewell tour that will include 300 dates over the next three years. That includes 62 shows in the United States and Canada, starting with a September 8 concert in Allentown, Pennsylvania. He's scheduled to play Glendale's Gila River Arena on January 26, 2019, and it's slated to be his final performance in the Valley.

But the Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour doesn't mean the end of music-making for the pop-rock legend. During a Wednesday press conference in New York, John said he planned to continue making music at home after his three-year tour and a well-earned break.

Nine months ago, John reportedly contracted a bacterial infection after a stint in South America. He spent two nights in intensive care and canceled eight shows in April and May 2017. However, the musician doesn't attribute this incident as his reason to quit touring.

John and his husband, David Furnish, have two young children, whom John cited as his main reason to retire from touring. "I'm 71," he said at the Wednesday press conference in New York. "I can't physically do the traveling anymore. I want to be at home. I really want to spend time with my children at home. I've had an incredible life, but life is all about change."

He did insist that this would be his actual last tour. "I'm not Cher," he said, referencing contemporary pop diva's many "farewell" tours.

Tickets for John's Gila River Arena show go on sale to the general public at 10 a.m. on Friday, February 2. Prices will range from $44.75 to $219.75. American Express and other presales are running now at Ticketmaster.