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Elton John never performs without his trademark glasses because he feels "exposed" without them.

The 76-year-old pop legend is rarely seen without a pair of his beloved spectacles or shades and hasn't been on stage without them in more than 40 years - and Elton says fans won't ever see him perform bare-faced again.

He told the Sunday Times: "I tried it in the early eighties but I felt exposed. Glasses give me confidence. I'm not me without them."

During the interview, Elton's husband David Furnish admitted the veteran singer owns thousands of pairs of glasses and most are kept in storage.

Elton has launched his own line of glasses which are being sold at a shop in central London, but he won't be wearing any of his own designs on tour because he's got a contract with fashion house Gucci to wear their spectacles on stage.

The 'Rocket Man' star is preparing to finish up the final shows of his 'Farewell Yellow Brick Road’ in Europe next month but Elton is adamant he's going to continue performing in the future but he just won't hit the road for lengthy tours any more.

He added in the interview: "They [the shows] are not a farewell to performing, just to touring. There may be the odd show in the future. It isn't quite goodbye."

Elton's final UK stop of the tour will be a headline set at Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm, Somerset later this month and he's lining up a star-studded list of special guests for the show.

During an interview on BBC Radio 2 last month, Elton spoke to host Scott Mills about his Glastonbury appearance, saying “It’s the first time I’ve been asked… it’s come at the right time, I’m a great believer in serendipity and fate and it’s the most wonderful way to sign off in England. “I’ve got guests and I can’t tell you who they are.”