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PEOPLE & ARTS Friday 26 January 2018
Elton John says upcoming tour will be his last

By MESFIN FEKADU about being able to play
AP Music Writer live. The great artists that
NEW YORK (AP) — Elton are out now — McCart-
John is retiring from the ney, Springsteen, Sting, Bob
road after his upcoming Dylan — they’ve all been
three-year global tour, great live performers, The
capping nearly 50 years on Who — that’s the longev-
stages around the world. ity,” he said. “There aren’t
“I’ve had a good run, I think many of us left and I don’t
you’d admit that,” John think when we go there
said Wednesday, adding will be anybody else to re-
that he wanted to “leave place us.”
people thinking, ‘I saw the John launched his first tour
last tour and it was fantas- in 1970 and has performed
tic.’” over 4,000 times in more
The 70-year-old singer, pi- than 80 countries. He was
anist and composer said inducted into the Rock and
he wanted to spend time Roll Hall of Fame in 1994.
with his family. His children He said the upcoming
will be 8 and 10 when the tour could include special
tour ends in 2021, and John guests onstage: “Maybe.
said he hoped he might be Yeah, of course. ...That
able to take them to soc- keeps the momentum of
cer practice. “My priorities Singer Elton John performs before announcing final world tour at Gotham Hall on Wednesday, Jan. the tour going. ...That will
now are my children and 24, 2018, in New York. happen.” From 1970-76,
my husband and my fam- Associated Press John released 10 original
ily,” he said. “This is the line as soon as possible.” coli bacterial infection in ably would have, definite- studio albums and seven
end.” John said he decided on 2009. He’s also had appen- ly. I would love to have a consecutive chart toppers.
John made the announce- his retirement plans in 2015 dicitis and has been fitted little girl.” At the Grammy He remained a hit maker
ment at an event in New in France: “I can’t physi- with a pacemaker. But on Awards, to be presented over the following four de-
York in which he sat at cally do the traveling and I Wednesday he said he’s in New York on Sunday, cades, from “The Lion King”
a piano and performed don’t want to,” he said. “in great health.” John is to perform along- soundtrack song “Can You
“Tiny Dancer” and “I’m Still He said he may do a resi- In an interview after the side Miley Cyrus and will Feel the Love Tonight” to a
Standing.” He wore his sig- dency after the tour wraps, announcement, John told collect the President’s Merit revision of his Marilyn Mon-
nature glasses and a col- but ruled out the idea of us- The Associated Press, “Ten Award. His Las Vegas resi- roe ode “Candle in the
orful suit jacket that read ing a hologram of himself. years ago, I wanted to die dency ends in May after Wind,” released in 1997
“Gucci Loves Elton.” He called it “spooky” and onstage.” six years. His hits include after the death of John’s
His final tour — dubbed “a bit freaky,” and said he But, he said, “I just never “Your Song” and “Candle friend Princess Diana and
“Farewell Yellow Brick told his kids to “promise me thought fatherhood could in the Wind.” He has won one of the best-selling sin-
Road” — starts on Sept. 8 that there won’t be a holo- bring me so much joy, and I five Grammys, an Oscar, a gles of all time.
in Allentown, Pennsylvania gram of me.” came to fatherhood late in Golden Globe for “The Lion “I love music. It’s not a
and includes 300 shows in “Who knows? They may go the day, but it’s been one King” and a Tony Award for chore. It’s pleasure. Music
North America, Europe, broke and put me back on of the miracles of my life.” “Aida.” He is the recipient kept me alive when I was
Asia and South America. the (expletive) stage,” he He said two children keep of a Kennedy Center Honor doing drugs and I was still
Tickets go on sale begin- added. him and husband David and has sold 300 million re- working. It’s a constant in
ning Feb. 2. John has suffered several Furnish busy: “We thought cords. my life ever since I’ve been
Interest in the announce- medical setbacks of late, about (more kids) but “I had a period in my life a young boy. The reason
ment was so high his web- including a bacterial in- we said, ‘No.’ We have when I was selling records, I’m here is because of mu-
site crashed. He wrote on fection last year that he enough on our plate with I couldn’t stop being No. sic. And now the reason has
Instagram that “EltonJohn. contracted during a South these two. If we were 10, 1, and I gradually evened changed — it’s because of
com will be fully back on- American tour and an E. 15 years younger, we prob- out. If you’re good live, it’s my children,” he said.q

Emmy-winning ‘Roots’ star Olivia Cole dies in Mexico at 75

By LYNN ELBER group. The cause of death In the late 1970s, Cole re-
AP Television Writer was a heart attack, Coo- portedly lamented that
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Olivia per said Thursday. Hollywood failed to re-
Cole, who won an Emmy Cole received an Emmy spond to “Roots” with more
Award for her portrayal of Award for her role in ABC’s opportunities for black ac-
Matilda, wife to Chicken smash hit 1977 drama tors and actresses. She
George in the landmark based on African-Amer- wasn’t alone.
miniseries “Roots,” has ican writer Alex Haley’s “You’d think somebody
died, a burial association book “Roots,” which dra- might have followed up
executive said. She was 75. matized the lives of his an- with stories about other
Cole died last Friday at her cestors from West Africa to black families and experi-
home in San Miguel de Al- slavery and post-Civil War. ences. Nobody followed
lende, a central Mexico She was the first African- up,” series executive pro-
city, said Linda Cooper, ex- American to win in the ducer David L. Wolper told In this May 23, 2016 file photo, actress Olivia Cole, who starred
ecutive secretary of the 24 Emmy category of best The Associated Press in in the original TV series “Roots,” attends the premiere of History
Horas de San Miguel de Al- supporting actress in a mini- 2002, on the drama’s 25th Channel’s updated “Roots” mini-series in New York.
lende cremation and burial series. anniversary. q Associated Press