Ah, farewell tours. They don’t usually stick, do they? It seems like each and every year there’s a whole lineup of big-name artists who announce that they are kicking off final farewell tours, only to come back the next year with an even more final-er farewell tour.
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While the finality of farewell tours rarely sticks, there have been a few career-ending tours that fans really, really didn’t want to happen, and some that seemed far too premature. And luckily, those artists decided to continue their careers instead of ending. Let’s look at three instances of farewell tours that weren’t the end after all!
1. Elton John, 1977
Can you imagine an alternate universe where Elton John’s career ended in 1977? It was almost part of our reality when the English singer and pianist announced his final show at Wembley Empire Pool in London.
While performing, John told the crowd that very night would be the last show of his career. He noted: “There’s a lot more to me than playing on the road and this is the last one I’m going to do.”
Luckily, his career didn’t end there. He took two years off and returned to music after dealing with his drug abuse issues, according to The Rocket Man himself.
[See Electric Light Orchestra on Their Final Tour in 2024]
2. Motley Crue, 2014
This is one of those farewell tours that weren’t the end that wasn’t that surprising. Back in 2014, the famed glam metal band announced their final tour. The last show of their careers was meant to be at Staples Center in Los Angeles in 2015. According to Nikki Stix, it was because of him.
“Legally, we can’t play again,” the bassist had said at the time. “The only loophole is if all four band members agreed to do it, we could override our own contract. But we know that will never happen. There are people in this band who will refuse to ever do it again, and you’re talking to one of them. There is no amount of money that would ever make me do it again because I have such pride in how we’re ending it.
Motley Crue did take six years off from touring. However, they reunited again to capitalize off of their Netflix documentary The Dirt. They’re still touring today, albeit with some drama.
[Catch Motley Crue Live at Welcome To Rockville Fest in 2024]
3. Ozzy Osbourne, 1992
Black Sabbath icon Ozzy Osbourne quite comically announced the No More Tours Tour back in 1992. The final performance of his career would be at Pacific Amphitheatre in Costa Mesa, California. On the subject, Osbourne had said that he was exhausted, wanted to enjoy his home and car, and wanted to spend more time with his family.
Osbourne took three years off, and in 1994 made his return to the music industry with a simple statement: “Retirement sucked.” Now, he’s officially retired.
Photo by Kevin Winter
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