Has Elton John finally announced retirement from music?

Elton John has announced at a festival in France that he will retire from his music career as he wants to spend more time with his sons.

The 67-year-old musician has twice said he wanted to retire first in 1977 and again in 2010 when he said he was "too old to be a pop star", the Mirror reported.

In 2012, the Brit singer said that he wanted to be around to take his son Zachary, to school and pick him up.

A spokesman for the singer, who had 40 more shows lined up this year in America and Europe, said that John was only joking.