Elton John's future really does lie beyond the yellow brick road.

In a press conference Wednesday, John announced he will soon embark on a farewell tour. Despite reports to the contrary, he also clarified that he is not retiring from music altogether. Anderson Cooper hosted a Q&A with John, a recipient of five Brit Awards and five Grammy Awards, in New York. It was live-streamed Google Cardboard or Google Daydream for VR180.

John opened with a performance of "Tiny Dancer" and "I'm Still Standing."

"The announcement is that I am not going to be touring anymore, apart form the last tour, which is going to start in September of this year. It'll be a global tour. And it's the last time that I will be touring and traveling the world. My priorities have changed in my life. Ten years ago, if you'd had said I have to stop touring, I'd say, 'No, no. I'm a working man,'" John said, adding, "I've had an amazing life. I've had an amazing career. I've been incredibly lucky. My life has changed. The priorities of my life have changed. My priorities now are my children, my husband and my family. I've been touring since I was 17 in various bands, and as Elton John in 1969. And I thought the time is right to say thank you to all my fans around the world globally and to say goodbye and just to have a breathe." The boys will join him for nine months with a tutor, he said. "When I stop they're going to be 10 and 8, and that's a very important time in their lives."

To do it properly, John will embark on a three-year, 300-date tour all around the world. "It'll be the best production I've ever done," he promised. "It'll be a wonderful way to thank everyone."

John plans to stay "creative," and despite reports to the contrary, he said, "I'm in great health."

Rest assured, John said he will still be "making music" in the years to come.