Legendary musician Paul Simon announced Monday that he plans to retire from touring over the summer.
Simon, 76, said he will kick off his “Homeward Bound – The Farewell Tour” on May 16 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The tour will wind through the U.S. and Europe before coming to an end July 15 in London.
“I’ve often wondered what it would feel like to reach the point where I’d consider bringing my performing career to a natural end,” Simon wrote in a statement posted Monday on Twitter. “Now I know: it feels a little unsettling, a touch exhilarating and something of a relief.”
He said the decision came after the death of his friend and lead guitarist Vincent N’guini, who died in December.
“His loss is not the only reason I’ve decided to stop touring, but it is a contributing factor,” Simon said. “Mostly, though, I feel the travel and time away from my wife and family takes a toll that detracts from the joy of playing.”
Simon said that despite his retirement from touring, he’ll likely continue to perform occasionally “in a (hopefully) acoustically pristine hall … to donate those earnings to various philanthropic organizations, particularly those whose objective is to save the planet, ecologically.”
The following tour dates were announced Monday:
Simon has earned 16 Grammy Awards over a career that has spanned more than six decades. In 2003, he and Art Garfunkel were awarded a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award for their work as the folk rock duo “Simon & Garfunkel.”
Simon has sold more than 100 million records across the globe. He is a member of the Songwriters and the Rock ‘n’ Roll halls of fame.
Tickets for Paul Simon’s “Homeward Bound – The Farewell Tour” will go on sale in the U.S. at 10 a.m. on Feb. 9.
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