When the US run wraps in mid-November, John will head for Japan, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa through the new year. Details about those shows can be found at his website.

In addition to his 40th year of touring, John celebrated his 60th birthday this year, as well as his record 60th show at New York City's Madison Square Garden. He marked the occasions in March with the release of "Rocket Man - Number Ones," an 18-song set of hits covering the first 35 years of his career.

Now, the Grammy-winning singer is getting ready to release a two-disc DVD of the Madison Square Garden show. In addition to the concert film, the set includes the "Live, Rare & Unseen" collection, which comprises 18 recordings of John performing live or on television over the past 36 years, according to a posting at his website. Another five-song collection entitled "Elton's New York Stories" will also be included, along with a 36-page booklet of archive photos and sleeve notes written by Jake Shears of Scissor Sisters. "Elton 60: Live at Madison Square Garden" will be released Oct. 2 in the US.

"The Captain & The Kid," John's latest set of new material with his longtime collaborator, Bernie Taupin, surfaced last year. The album is billed as a sequel to 1975's "Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy."

In addition to making music, The Rocket Man stays busy raising money for his Elton John AIDS Foundation, which has taken in more than $150 million to support HIV/AIDS prevention and service programs around the globe, according to a statement. Earlier this week, John performed in New York City at the foundation's sixth annual benefit soiree, which raised more than $2.25 million.