Music icon Sir Elton John will return to Seoul for the first time in eight years with a live performance celebrating his 40-year career.

John’s last visit electrified a crowd of 25,000 fans.

“I first visited Korea in September 2004 for a concert at the fantastic Seoul Olympic Stadium,” he wrote in an email interview with The Korea Herald. “It was a privilege to play in this vibrant country and I am very much looking forward to revisiting.”

The singer, songwriter, composer and pianist behind the classic rock hits “Tiny Dancer,” “Rocket Man” and “Bennie and the Jets” has sold more than 250 million albums, making him one of the most successful music artists in history.

“It is always a joy for me to find that, wherever I play, the audience members are familiar with my songs and want to join in and share the experience. So in that way Korean fans are similar to fans everywhere ― they enjoy the music, they want to be entertained and to go home having had a great musical experience. And that is what we try to give them,” he said.

One of his most popular songs, “Candle in the Wind,” was originally written in 1973 in honor of Marilyn Monroe. Then in 1997, John performed a rewritten version as a tribute piece at the funeral of Princess Diana, bringing many people to tears. The single sold more than 30 million copies worldwide and was listed as one of the best-selling singles of all time. The following year, he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for his “services to music and charitable services.”

The multitalented entertainer has also composed music for a number of theatrical productions, such as the Broadway hit “Aida,” and composed movie soundtracks for the Disney classic “The Lion King” and “Friends.”

John, who was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994, has won six Grammy Awards, four Brit Awards, a Golden Globe, a Tony and an Academy Award for “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” from “The Lion King.”

The solo concert will be held at Olympic Park Gymnastics Arena on Nov. 27 starting at 8 p.m. Ticket prices range from 77,000 won to 250,000 won.

The concert that was originally to be held in Busan on the following night has been canceled.

By Julie Jackson (juliejackson@heraldcorp.com)