BIG FINALE
fundraiser was such a success, raising £5million in one night.
Elton may have decided to quit touring but says he will never give up his fundraiser, which is one of the top events in Hollywood.
“We’ll never stop doing this,” he vowed, adding: “The end of Aids we hope will be by 2030, by which time I will be 83, if I live that long.
“Our children have always been educated. They know that we do this and the older they get, they have to support people, not just with Aids, people in general who need help.”
Husband David, 56, added: “We will never stop having this party.
“In fact, the great thing about having Elton off the road is we can devote more time to the foundation.”
Some fans were worried the star was packing in too much work on his three-year cross-planet show, which goes well over two hours nightly.
However, the Watford-born musician, whose real name is Reg Dwight, is loving his last hurrah on the road. Elton said: “I’m having so much fun. I didn’t expect to have as much fun as I’m having but what we try to do visually and musically is elevate it to another level, because if you’re going to do one more tour, you’ve got to make it a little special.”
Colosseum in Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, then did another 450 shows there. At the end, it was like groundhog day because you’re going back to the same thing.
“When you’re on tour, you’re going to a different place every night more or less, so it’s different.”
He added: “Three hundred shows is a lot and we’re doing 40 in Australia and New Zealand alone.
“I’m trying to stay in the moment and not think about what’s going to happen.
“I want it to end triumphantly, I want to have a wonderful finish and then have a breather.
“The reason I did this farewell tour was because I’ve been travelling since I was 17 in a group and then as Elton.
“The situation has changed personally. My children need to be with me and I need to be with them.
“I’m fed up travelling – and I travel in the most comfortable, luxurious way – but I find it really boring.
“By the time I finish, I’ll be at least 75. That will be a chance to reassess what I want to do. I just owe it to those children to be there for them.”
Elton admits the boys have a far from average life but being there for them doesn’t mean spoiling them rotten.
He previously told how they do chores for pocket money.
Elton said: “We try not to spoil them and they have a pound each a week pocket money.
“They get pocket money every week. They get savings, pocket money and charity money and have their own account for philanthropy.
“They have to do chores around the house. They help in the garden, take their plates out and help tidy their rooms.
“It helps give them a sense of responsibility, because God knows, they don’t lead a normal life, there’s no pretending about that.”
Rocketman, the biopic of his rise to fame, is released in May and stars Kingsman’s Taron Egerton, 29.
He sings all the music and gave Elton a sneak peek of his talents while performing at last Sunday’s fundraiser, which included star guests Heidi Klum, Paris Jackson and Diana Ross.
Elton, who co-starred with Taron in Kingsman 2: The Golden Circle, is impressed with the actor’s portrayal.
He said: “The trailer is amazing but I haven’t seen the whole film. But I have heard the music and Taron has done an amazing job.”
Beaming with pride at the 27th anniversary of his fundraiser, he said: “It’s flown by and it’s always a hugely important occasion.
“We have the end in sight but we have to make sure that people get tested and stop the stigma. I am very optimistic, I hope we can stop this disease in the next few years.
“We have to get the medicine to the people who need it, we have to get the price of the medicines down and, more importantly, as I say every year, we have to get rid of the stigma.
“But you know we’re slowly battling away and I’m still confident in a few years’ time, we’ll see the end of this.”