By Medha Godbole Singh
For fans, behind-the-scenes of larger-than-life tours of celebrity artists are a bit of an enigma. Now, Elton John has joined the list of celebrities offering a glimpse of their lives and experience on tour to quell the fans' curiosity. His book, Farewell Yellow Brick Road: Memories of My Life On Tour will hit the stores on September 24, 2024. It charts his incredible record breaking five-year tour of 330 shows, which began in Allentown, Pennsylvania in 2018, and ended with a flourish in Stockholm, Sweden in 2023.
Disney Publishing imprint Hyperion Avenue is set to publish this photo memoir which will offer a rare glimpse at Elton’s personal archive of posters, sketches and never-before-seen photographs and postcards on tour. Fans will be further treated with photographs of stage design, his Gucci-designed touring wardrobe and celebrity attendees. It will also include his final performances at Los Angeles’ Dodger Stadium and at the Glastonbury festival. The foreword for the book is by the legendary singer’s husband and the tour’s creative director, David Furnish.
The book is a successor to the 2022 documentary, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road: The Final Elton John Performances and the Years That Made His Legend, which landed on Disney+ following a theatrical release.
According to the seventy-six-year-old iconic singer’s Instagram handle, he was elated and excited to announce the book. The update on Instagram included the book cover and read: “It’s been a beautiful journey creating this book and remembering the people and places that shaped an incredible chapter in my life. I’ve included unreleased photography and memorabilia that I hope give you never-before-seen insights of my life on the road.”
The tour, as most would know, was met with a roadblock thanks to the pandemic, after it kicked off in 2018. Fortunately, and much to the delight of the fans, the final Europe leg of the tour concluded with a bang. The tour and consequently the book, are significant for the “Rocket Man” as well his die-hard fans as they mark his retirement from live performance after a touring career spanning over five decades.
The milestone book would be available for Fans and members of the Rocket Club to pre-order via Elton John’s official webstore and they can receive a copy two weeks before it hits bookstores.