and his husband couldn’t be happier that the superstar’s life on the road is coming to an end, for the sake of their sons.
The 76-year-old music icon played his last-ever UK show at Glastonbury festival in front of a crowd of more than 120,000 people at Worthy Farm and nearly and, despite evident sadness at a chapter closing, the couple is looking forward to a quieter, more family-focused lifestyle.
Sir Elton and Furnish, 60, are parents to two boys Zachary, 12, and Elijah, 10, who they have brought on tour with them many times.
Now, Furnish is eager for the foursome to be together again full-time, and stressed just how important this is to all of them.
The Canadian filmmaker thrilled fans at London’s Pride parade on Saturday as he walked in the celebrations with the , where he exclusively chatted to Metro.co.uk about his husband’s retirement from touring.
Admitting they were both ‘jubilant’ at the thought of no more long stints on planes, trains and automobiles, he said: ‘It’s always hard saying goodbye.
‘You’re saying goodbye to a long commitment of time because it’s a bunch of shows that are planned six months, 12 months in advance.
‘It’s hard. I really miss him. The boys really miss him. He really misses us. He’s had enough of that. We’ve had enough of that. Now it’s time to spend more time together as a family.
‘We could not be happier and more excited about it, and a lot of people would say like, “Oh, you must be really emotional”, but at the end of the tour, he and I both sit at the table and go, “We can’t wait to be a family”.’
He added: ‘Elton says, “I’ve done this my whole life. I have loved every minute of it”. He loves his time on stage. He’s super grateful but he doesn’t need any more. Our boys are 10 and 12, they really need us more and more.
‘To be able to do that is more satisfying, more joyful, more fulfilling and having that opportunity to co-parent those children brings us endless happiness, joy and satisfaction.’
Sharing intimate details about their life at home, following a mid-interview FaceTime from the Rocket Man singer himself, Furnish revealed how they have kept their marriage alive during so much time apart, and it’s all down to a ‘really cheesy custom’ they have.
The pair met at a mutual friend’s dinner party in 1993 and had a civil partnership in 2005 – followed by a wedding ceremony in December 21, 2014 when same-sex marriage was legalised in the UK.
‘We met on a Saturday so every Saturday we celebrate our anniversary and we write each other a handwritten card every week,’ he said, grinning. ‘We’ve done it every Saturday for the last 30 years.
‘When we’re apart, we always courier the cards back and forth to each other. They go on the bedside table at night. It’s just one part of how we remain communicative and try to be open and honest with each other.’
Elsewhere Furnish reflected on the ‘deeply worrying’ state of the world and outlined his fears for the LGBTQ+ community, alongside how the foundation planned to help.
Setting up the foundation in 1992, Sir Elton established one of the leading independent Aids organisations in the world with a simple mission to end the epidemic by funding innovative partners providing HIV/Aids education, prevention and care services around the world.
‘We have to continue to break down barriers and break down rules. Once we get to people effectively, the news is really, really good and that’s why we believe we can end Aids by 2030.
‘I couldn’t have dreamed that we’d make the progress that we’ve made, but you can’t ever take it for granted and there are unfortunately extreme rightwing forces in our world who have a very, very toxic political agenda.
‘There’s a lot of lobbying and a lot of funding. There’s a lot of misinformation coming across on social media. A lot of things that stoke fear. A lot of – particularly with the trans community – really hateful, horrible stigmatization messaging. It’s being shared and it’s not true.
‘Elton has this saying with the Aids foundation. It’s our mantra, which is “No one gets left behind”.
Sir Elton’s The Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour began in Allentown, Pennsylvania, in September back in 2018.
Since then – in between breaks due to Covid – he has belted out roughly played 300 shows, with four gigs remaining.
He will close out his last show in Stockholm, Sweden later this summer.
The funds frontline partners to prevent HIV infections, tackle stigma, and provide compassionate care for vulnerable communities worldwide.
