Elton John says prior to fatherhood, his life had “no purpose”

Elton John‘s decision to launch a Farewell Tour came about because he says he found a new purpose in life when he became a father. 

Speaking to Attitude magazine, Elton says he kept on touring for decades because he felt he didn’t have anything else in his life. As he puts it, he and his husband, David Furnish, were “two affluent gay people going around the world with a nice philanthropic side to us, but there was no other purpose other than that.”

But he says after they had their first child, Zachary, in 2010, and their second, Elijah, in 2013, they finally had something to focus on.

“Having the children changed everything for the better because now it’s all about them,” he says. “It’s all about their welfare and their future … it’s the children that just really inspire us and it’s the most wonderful time of my life at the moment, and that’s pretty amazing.”

Having wrapped up his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour last year, Elton says, “I understand why Adele wants to stop because there’s more to life. I’ve done nearly over 5,000 shows in my life and I’ve done all there is to do, and so I just knew that my boys and David needed me, and I need them.”

Attitude magazine gave Elton its Legacy Award Wednesday, which had been given out just one time prior — posthumously, in 2017, to Elton’s close friend Princess Diana. In his speech, he noted that he’s “very lucky” to live in a country where, as a gay man, he can be married and have kids.

“But there are still people who don’t have those rights,” he said. “And I intend to fight for those rights until the day I die.”