Sir Elton John choreographer Dame Arlene Phillips has dismissed claims the superstar will quit performing saying she “can’t imagine him stopping”.
Sir Elton has said he will retire from touring at the end of his current Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour, the final UK date of which was yesterday’s knockout performance at Glastonbury Festival.
Former Strictly Come Dancing judge Dame Arlene is a close friend of the 76-year-old singer and worked with him when he released a music video to his 1983 hit I’m Still Standing.
When asked about his Glastonbury performance on Good Morning Britain, Dame Arlene said: “He’s unbelievable and the magic of his music and the lyrics… and the energy.
“I remember seeing him in Madison Square Garden where he literally danced on the piano, played it backwards, upside down. It was remarkable.”
The 80-year-old choreographer also said he “just knows” to leave the crowd wanting more and called the Rocketman singer the “master of his own creation”.
During the set, he played crowd-pleasers such as Tiny Dancer, Your Song and I’m Still Standing and was joined by guest acts including The Killers frontman Brandon Flowers and Japanese-British singer Rina Sawayama.
He also paid tribute to his friend and what he called one of Britain’s “most fantastic” singer-songwriters, George Michael, on what would have been the late Wham! star’s 60th birthday.
When asked if this marked the end, Dame Arlene said: “You listen to the voice, you listen to the songs, I can’t imagine him stopping.”
Sir Elton is now set to play the Accor Arena in Paris on Tuesday and Wednesday along with touring in other European cities throughout June and July.
His last scheduled date is at the Tele2 Arena in Stockholm, Sweden, on July 8.
