Elton Daily

Bernie Taupin Arrested

2013-05-18T23:16:00.000+10:00

Santa Ynez Valley resident Bernie Taupin — the lyricist behind nearly all of Elton John's most celebrated songs, including “Tiny Dancer,” “Bennie and the Jets,” “Candle in the Wind,” “Rocket Man,” and others — was arrested May 5 on suspicion of DUI.

According to California Highway Patrol spokesperson John Ortega, Taupin, 63, was driving his 2010 Ford pickup truck eastbound on Roblar Avenue when he tried to turn into a private driveway. He failed to navigate the turn and backed up, but wound up colliding with a wooden fence. No one was hurt in the accident.

When CHP officers arrived on the scene they arrested and booked Taupin on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs. Ortega declined to give Taupin's blood-alcohol level at the time of the incident, and no court date on the charge has been set.

Originally from England, Taupin moved to Santa Ynez Valley in the 1980s. He owns Roundup Valley Ranch below Figueroa Mountain where he raises and trains cutting horses for rodeo events.

- Independent

Justin Bieber Tops Elton's Highest Selling Single Record

2013-05-18T23:13:00.000+10:00

Bieber's song "Baby" featuring Ludacris becomes the highest-certified single in history now that the RIAA incorporates on-demand streaming numbers into its Gold and Platinum certifications for digital singles. Elton John's double-sided hit "Candle in the Wind"/"Something About the Way You Look Tonight" was previously the top song in history with a certification of 11-times platinum all the way back in 1997. Bieber's "Baby," which has 3.9 million track sales and over 857 million views on Vevo, is now 12-times platinum.

A gold or platinum certification that incorporates activity on streaming services is an accurate representation of the world consumers live in today. On-demand streaming services have become such a popular way to experience music that YouTube is often called "the new radio." For track certifications the RIAA counts streams only from services that compensate record labels. Among them are video services YouTube and Vevo and audio services Spotify, Muve Music, Rhapsody, MOG, Xbox Music and Slacker.

The digital-era songs with the highest certifications are some of the most popular videos. "Baby" is the second-most-watched video on YouTube. Eminem's "Love the Way You Lie" featuring Rihanna, now 11-times platinum, is fourth all-time at YouTube with over 560 million streams globally (for certification purposes, only streams originated in the U.S. are counted). Now 10-times platinum, Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance" is eighth with nearly 519 million streams. Two spots below "Bad Romance" is Carly Rae Jepsen's "Call Me Maybe," which rose to nine-times platinum.

The addition of streaming data meant there are 11 Gold, 18 Platinum and 27-multi-Platinum new Digital Single Awards. Eleven of those songs received their first Digital Single Awards. Lana Del Rey's "Video Games" and The Weeknd's "Wicked Games" were among the six new Gold certifications. The new platinum certifications included Aerosmith's "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" and Andy Grammer's "Keep Your Head Up." Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You" rose to double-Platinum.

Adding streaming numbers to certifications was "easy to decide as a matter of principle" but much more complicated from a procedural standpoint, says RIAA Chairman and CEO Cary Sherman. The organization gathered a group of label marketing, business and data-analysis executives for a yearlong effort to decide exactly how streaming numbers should be integrated into certifications.

Sherman explains that the Gold and Platinum certification program has always been based on "the consumer saying he or she wants a particular piece of music." For decades that demand was represented by purchases, but today can vote with both their pocketbooks and their clicks. But the RIAA decided to count streams only from "pull" services like subscription service Spotify because the intent behind them is similar to a purchase. Streams from "push" services, or non-interactive Internet radio services like Pandora, are excluded because they don't reflect the same consumer intent.

Once the RIAA decided to include on-demand streams, the inclusion of video on-demand streams fell into place. Sherman says the decision was made easier by the way people use on-demand video services to discover and experience songs. Whether the stream comes from an audio or a video service, a person has chosen to hear a specific song.

Not all music videos are counted. The RIAA chose not to include user-generated content (UGC) and count only streams for a song's official video. "We spent a lot of time on this one because UGC is a very important component of streaming these days." A video that goes viral, such as Carly Rae Jepsen's "Call Me Maybe" or Baauer's " Harlem Shake" receives a significant share of total views because people are attracted to the video as much or more than the actual sound recording. To keep in line with principles behind certifications, the RIAA will count only streams that resulted from the artist's creation and not reward streams that may have resulted from the user-generated video itself. (Billboard counts both official and UGC videos for the Hot 100 chart.)

Another consideration was how to mathematically incorporate streaming numbers in certifications while maintaining "the value of the award," as Sherman puts it. It would need a conversion rate that would stand over time. Using the monetary value of the streams wouldn't work -- data collection would be impractical. After looking at sales and streaming trends of popular songs, the RIAA decided that 100 on-demand streams equal 1 download for the purposes of certifications.

The end result, at least in the short term, is more certifications. Perhaps in the future a decline in download sales will be balanced by the inevitable increase in streaming activity. But for now, more artists and songs will be certified Gold and Platinum. Welcome to the new record business.

- Bilboard

Elton at Robin Hood Gala

2013-05-15T18:03:00.000+10:00

The Robin Hood Foundation raised more than $80 million to fight poverty in New York at its star-studded gala Monday night, thanks in part to a matching $25 million donation by a group of anonymous donors.

Addressing an audience of Wall Street honchos that was entertained by Mary J. Blige, Bono, Elton John and Brian Williams, Robin Hood founder and hedge-fund manager Paul Tudor Jones II said what united the foundation’s donors was “the need to give love.”

The figure raised Monday night bests last year’s haul of $59 million, which in turn beat the $47 million raised by the event in 2011.

The foundation is also hosting its first investment conference this fall, said Barry Sternlicht, chair of the foundation’s board of directors, with scheduled speakers including David Einhorn, Howard Marks and David Tepper.

The annual springtime extravaganza acts somewhat as a barometer of the hedge-fund industry. In 2008, a trip to Australia to scuba dive and have lunch with Hugh Jackman fetched $420,000. The following year, in the midst of the financial crisis and anger toward Wall Street, prizes on offer during a scaled-back auction focused on opportunities to feed hungry families and enroll children in charter schools.

This year, more than 4,200 people attended the 25th anniversary celebration, chaired by Mr. Jones and his wife, Sonia; KKR & Co. co-founder Henry Kravis and his wife, Marie-Josee; CBS Corp. CEO Leslie Moonves and his wife, television personality Julie Chen; and Hollywood stars Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel.

Early in the evening, Mr. Timberlake chatted with Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Steven A. Cohen wandered through the cocktail reception and Elton John played “Tiny Dancer” as attendees munched on shrimp and whipped ricotta cheese at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center.

“I’m very excited to perform for you after you talked over Elton John as if he were playing covers in a Hyatt f– lounge,” the comedian Louis C.K. said, winning laughs, before spinning into an expletive-strewn routine.

Other surprise guests included Jerry Seinfeld, and Paul Simon and Sting, who played together.

Brian Williams, hosting the event, joked about some Bloomberg reporters’ use of the proprietary Bloomberg terminals to access subscriber data, saying, “We have a Bloomberg terminal–I know what you’re all thinking. That’s been a fun development this year.”

Later, addressing New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who was in the audience, he said, “Mr. Mayor, thanks for being a good sport,” then winked and pointed at Mr. Bloomberg, pulling an imaginary trigger. “And, I’m taking the West Side Highway home in case anything happens to me. Five thousand witnesses.”

“Everyone here has been amazing. You showed your love for this great city. Now it’s time to party,” Timberlake said, introducing the finale for the night as “something powerful”: Bono, Elton John, Sting, all joining Mary J. Blige, who opened with “Family Affair.” Guests rushed the stage, with Schmidt and Kuhn grabbing spots up front.

Since its founding, Robin Hood has given out more than $1.25 billion to fight poverty, according to the foundation, helping to feed New Yorkers, install libraries in public schools and help victims of the Sept. 11 attacks.

Last year, Robin Hood also put on the “12-12-12” benefit concert, featuring musicians such as Bruce Springsteen and the Rolling Stones, to raise money for victims of superstorm Sandy.

- WSJ

Elton John to Play Concert for Walmart Executives & Shareholders

2013-05-11T22:58:00.000+10:00

Music icon Elton John is set to perform at Walmart’s shareholders event in Fayetteville next month, alongside country music artist Luke Bryan and special guest Ed Sheeran, according to a Walmart spokeswoman.

An associates’ concert with John and Sheeran will open Walmart’s shareholders week June 4 in Fayetteville’s Bud Walton Arena. Bryan is set to perform the next day, with the shareholders meeting kicking off June 7, said Dianna Gee, a Walmart spokeswoman.

A unannounced special guest will also make an appearance that week, but Gee said Walmart would wait to make an announcement.

Tickets will become available to Walmart associates May 15. The general public may begin purchasing tickets May 30.

- 5 News

Rocketman The Movie Coming to Cannes

2013-05-11T22:52:00.000+10:00

Rocketman, the Elton John biopic, is moving forward, with Good Universe coming aboard to handle international sales at the upcoming Cannes Film Market.

Rocket Pictures, John’s film, TV and theater production company, will produce Rocketman, which is to be directed by Michael Gracey, who is also helming Fox’s upcoming The Greatest Showman on Earth, starring Hugh Jackman, and Disney's The Muppet Man. The original screenplay is written by Lee Hall (War Horse, Billy Elliott). Steve Hamilton Shaw and David Furnish will produce, with John as executive producer.

Rocketman will tell John’s life story, from his childhood as a five-year-old musical genius through his often-troubled life, to becoming a global musical icon.

"We’re excited to be bringing this musical event movie to Cannes.” Shaw, Rocket CEO, said. “It’s bold, brave and inspirational. Good Universe has great commercial sensibility and we’re delighted to have them represent us.”

Joe Drake, co-founder of Good Universe added, “Much like the life of Elton John the man, Rocketman is the larger than life movie spectacle that brilliantly captures the universal struggle of self-love that we all face. Director Michael Gracey's vision for this movie is overflowing with everything that makes for great event cinema.”

UTA Independent Film Group is representing domestic rights.

The deal was negotiated by Shaw for Rocket, which is repped by UTA, and Drake and Michael Meyer, EVP international for Good Universe.

- Hollywood Reporter

Elton to Attend Vienna Life Ball

2013-05-11T22:47:00.001+10:00

Singer Elton John, Desperate Housewives star Eva Longoria and ex president Bill Clinton have confirmed they will take part in the 21st annual Life Ball in Vienna on May, 25.

Black-Eyed-Peas singer Fergie will also be attending the "1,001 Nights" themed grand opening of the event alongside Italian star designer Roberto Cavalli, who will be opening the fashion show for the second time.

This year, the fashion show will have a slightly retro taste. Roberto Cavalli’s wife Eva said: "We’re not just bringing our current Spring-Summer collection, but we’ve also dug out other pieces from the archive."

The actors Ruth Brauer-Kvam and Cornelius Obony will be replacing Ben Becker und Nicholas Ofczarek in commenting the event, which will see the first prominent guests arrive at the red carpet in the square in front of the city hall at around 7.30pm. The doors open for most guests at 3pm on the day.

Elton John and Bill Clinton will also be attending the Aids Charity Gala in the Hofburg just hours before the ball.

A charity concert at the Burgtheater will take place the previous evening, on May, 24.

Proceeds from tickets for all these events will be donated to national and international Aids charities.

- Austrian Times

Happy Birthday Davey & Kim

2013-05-06T20:59:00.001+10:00

Today, May 6, Davey Johnstone, guitarist and Music Director for the Elton John band, and keyboard player Kim Bullard are each celebrating their birthdays in Las Vegas on a night off during the current run of The Million Dollar Piano at The Colosseum, Caesars Palace.

Elton at Race to Erase MS

2013-05-05T13:17:00.001+10:00

Last night, Elton John performed at the 20th annual Race To Erase MS benefit in Los Angeles. The event is put on by activist and author Nancy Davis to raise funds and awareness for the fight against multiple sclerosis. It's grown considerably since its start, from a ski event in Colorado to a celeb-laden dinner and concert that in recent years has featured the Eagles, Heart and more. Despite that expansion, there was a feeling of community and intimacy last night at the Century Plaza Hotel. Jack Osbourne, who was diagnosed with MS last year, was honored along with his mother, Sharon Osbourne.

The camaraderie stems from the Osbournes' long history with John. "It's got to be 40 years ago – we go back that long," Sharon told Rolling Stone. "He came because of Jack. He's known Jack since he was born. Elton has always been here for our family and a great friend, and that's one of the things about being blessed with great friends – they're there with you," she said.

After opening with "Tiny Dancer," John quipped, "Sharon Osbourne has so much information on me I had to be here." Then, getting serious, he praised both Sharon and Jack for their courage and activism in the year since Jack revealed his MS.

John also teased his long-time friend Rod Stewart, and got sentimental when he explained that one of the thrills of the night was getting to sit with him. "We go back a long way," John said from the stage to his fellow British icon. "I love you, man."

Following John's performance, Stewart told Rolling Stone the affection was mutual. "I've just been enjoying the performance of my mate," he said. Stewart gave advance praise for John's upcoming album The Diving Board, due in September: "It's so good," He promised.

John dazzled in his solo performance: He ran through several mega-hits, from a boogie woogie "Philadelphia Freedom" to an extended "Rocket Man." Other standouts in the nearly hour-long set included "Your Song" and "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me," which John recalled first playing for Stewart during a car ride together nearly 40 years earlier. A celebratory "I'm Still Standing" had everyone dancing, and it perfectly captured the resiliency of the night.

Last night Ziggy Marley and country star Kellie Pickler got their first-ever opportunity to witness him live. Pickler had a suggestion for the singer: "I think he needs to come to the CMA's one year. That would be amazing," she said. It's not so far-fetched, as there are a lot of rock acts who go to the Country Music Awards, and John has been very open to working with young artists in the past. If Pickler gets her wish and she got to perform with him, what would she want to do?

"It would be fun to sing a classic country song – maybe pull out an old Tammy [Wynette] and George [Jones]," she said. "He can do anything he wants to do. He's Elton John."

For Marley, the chance to see John and support the cause made for an easy choice to come out. "That's the good thing about having someone like him play events like this; he brings us out to support," Marley said.

Marley, like Guns N' Roses guitarist Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal, was on hand because of personal connections to the illness. "We have a friend who suffers from MS and she invited us here to lend support to the cause," Marley said. Thal explained, "One of my best friends was stricken with the disease about 15 years ago and we started a non-profit organization, a group in New Jersey, the MS Research Foundation. I am here to give my positive vibes, my support, anything I can do to help spread awareness."

Thal summed up the aim of all those in attendance last night when he said "We all have the same goal here. We want to do something to maintain the quality of life [for those] that have this disease."

- RollingStone.com

Bid on Elton's Doodles, Fall Out Boy & Elton Reach Number 1

2013-05-04T12:18:00.000+10:00

As part of the Secret 7" charity project to benefit Art Against Knives, Elton has created seven unique collectables that are currently up for auction on eBay.

The vinyl test pressings of the Bennie And The Jets singles that were sold during the recent Secret 7" Record Store Day event in the UK have each been signed on its white label by Elton. That alone would make them collector's items. However, Elton has also done something he has never done before: drawn a different doodle on each label...thus assuring them their place in the "Ultra-rare" category of Elton memorabilia.

These test pressings are the first batch of records run off the machine used to press the singles for the Record Store Day sale last weekend in the UK. While a collector would want to display these, rather than put them on the turntable and press Play, each single has been approved for sound quality. It should also be noted that these copies on auction do not have the unique Bennie And The Jets sleeve that artist Al Weiwei designed for this year's Secret 7" project. But there is no doubt that Elton's signature and doodle make each single a must-have item for any fan.

To view and bid on the seven different personalised labels, go to the Art Against Knives eBay page. The auction begins April 28, and will go for seven days.

Just as he has did with John Lennon 39 years ago, Elton has helped propel Fall Out Boy to the top position in the Billboard 200 albums chart. Save Rock and Roll, the new album by the Illinois group, has won the race for #1 on the American chart in its first week.

Featuring a guest duet vocal by Elton on its title track, the album has sold 154,000 copies in the US, according to Nielsen SoundScan. This makes it the third-biggest sales week ever for Fall Out Boy, who have released five albums since 2003.

- EltonJohn.com

Elton Makes a Gnome, Meets Nic Cage

2013-05-04T12:14:00.000+10:00

British garden enthusiasts who plan on attending the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Chelsea Flower Show in London next month may notice a difference from previous years' events: garden gnomes. The RHS has lifted the ban on gnomes for this year's show and has invited Elton and other celebrities to help raise funds for the nationwide RHS Campaign for School Gardening.

It's a natural fit, as Elton's Rocket Pictures produced the 2011 animated film Gnomeo & Juliet and his songs served as the film's soundtrack.

Now Elton has autographed two different gnomes for the RHS. One, which he also decorated, is inspired by Paris, the rock star gnome who sang Your Song in the film. The other is a set of the Gnomeo and Juliet characters themselves.

These figurines, along with others painted and signed by Joanna Lumley, Dame Helen Mirren and other celebrities, will be on display for the duration of the Flower Show and auctioned on eBay as part of the RHS Chelsea Centenary Appeal - a charity launched recently to reach out to the next generation of horticulturists.

The RHS Chelsea Flower Show takes place at the Royal Hospital in Chelsea, London, from May 21-25.

- eltonjohn.com

Zany props comedian Carrot Top took a night off from his Luxor headliner show to pal up with Oscar-winning actor and Las Vegas resident Nicolas Cage and attend Sir Elton John’s resident show “The Million Dollar Piano” at The Colosseum in Caesars Palace.

The unlikely trio posed for a photograph after the performance. Before Elton went onstage, he played host to British singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran, who he’d sung a duet with at the 2013 Grammys, where Ed was nominated. The ginger-haired pop star stayed on here after performing at the grand opening poolside party for Nobu Caesars Palace Hotel on Sunday night before returning to the Taylor Swift tour as the opening act.

- Las Vegas Sun

Check Out Elton's New Shoes

2013-05-04T12:07:00.002+10:00

Sir Elton John may have the gift of song but he isn't above showing his sons just how much he loves them - by getting their names adorned on his shoes.

Your Song singer Elton, 66, stepped out in style with the names of sons Elijah and Zachary in sparkles on his polished shoes.

The 66-year-old rocker was out with his partner David Furnish at Crag's Restaurant Thursday night in West Hollywood.

Looking dapper as usual in pressed blue trousers, black coat and pink T-shirt, which matched his rose tinted glasses.

His sparkling shoes certainly caught the attention of passers-by and partner David, 50, went for a more casual style - presumably so as not to upstage his other half.

- Daily Mail

Elton Offered $1M to Play Wedding, Madonna Feud Finished

2013-04-29T17:38:00.000+10:00

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With a back catalogue including ballads such as Can You Feel The Love Tonight? and Your Song, Sir Elton John is the perfect choice for many brides picking the music for their first dance.

But when your father is Formula 1 billionaire Bernie Ecclestone, why settle for a simple recording when you can have the Rocket Man himself?

Tamara Ecclestone, the motorracing tycoon’s 28-year-old daughter, has offered Sir Elton £1 million plus expenses to perform for guests when she marries former City trader Jay Rutland this summer.

It would see the Oscar-winning singer top a star-studded line-up of performers including Lionel Richie and DJ Calvin Harris at what is shaping up to be one of the biggest society weddings of the year.

More than 150 guests, including Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie and their mother Sarah Ferguson, will be flown to the South of France on a chartered jet for the three-day wedding at the Grand Hotel Du Cap Ferrat on June 10. The bride, whose father is worth £2.5 billion, and her husband-to-be have block-booked all 73 rooms of the luxury hotel at a cost of £600,000.

Yesterday hotel staff said it would be closed for three days for ‘a private event’ until June 13.

Last night a spokesman for Sir Elton declined to comment on the offer. A source said: ‘At this point in time there is no agreement. Elton is looking at the dates, but at the moment he’s not sure they will work. No contract has been signed yet.

‘For £1 million plus expenses he can do anything from an hour-and- a-half down to four songs and Happy Birthday. Often you don’t do these things with the whole band. It’s a young crowd, so they’ll want something different.’

Sir Elton has a three-year residency deal at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas with his show, The Million Dollar Piano, and is due to perform there on May 11 before taking a month-long break.

According to his website, his return performance will be on June 15, when he is due at the Stars Of Sounds Festival in Switzerland.

In recent years wedding performances have become a lucrative sideline for Sir Elton, who usually donates his fee to his charity, The Elton John Aids Foundation.

Last October the star, who is worth an estimated £240 million, performed at the LA wedding of actress Holly Valance and billionaire Nick Candy.

Miss Ecclestone began dating Essex-based businessman Mr Rutland, 31, in January. They announced their engagement last month.

- Daily Mail

Can you feel the love between Elton John and Madonna?

Sir John told Extra their decade-long feud is no longer.

“We were in a restaurant in France in the summertime,” he explained. “She came in, and I sent over a note. She was very gracious. I apologized profusely because what I said should never have appeared in public.”

Their altercation began in 2002 when John had choice words over Madonna’s song for the James Bond “Die Another Day” film. He remarked that it was “the worst Bond tune ever.”

If that weren’t enough, the “Candle in the Wind” singer accused Madonna of lip syncing during her Re-Invention Tour in 2004 and deepened that speculation when he said, “Make sure you lip-sync good” before her Super Bowl performance.

Even John’s husband David Furnish insulted the Queen of Pop when he said “I like Madonna’s music, but not her movies,” while attending the 2012 Golden Globe Awards. Even more, Furnish said “she should stick to what she is good at,” when Madonna beat John for the Best Original Song.

Now the couple’s attempt to extinguish the drama seems to have been well received by M.

“She accepted our apology, and then we bought her dinner,” John said. “That’s over and done with. She was fantastic. She was just like, ‘Okay, let’s get a move on.’”

Furnish added, “We don’t believe in putting negativity out in the world, both of us were embarrassed when all that stuff came out. But you’ve got to put all that behind you and just go forward with the positivity.”

- NY Daily News

New Vegas Dates Announced

2013-04-27T12:48:00.002+10:00

14 more dates during September and October 2013 have been announced for Elton's Million Dollar Piano show at The Colosseum, Caesars Palace, Las Vegas.

Public sale for these concerts will go on sale via The Colosseum's website on Sunday, April 28, at 10 am PDT.

Lady Gaga is Elijah's Godmother

2013-04-27T12:44:00.000+10:00

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Elton and David spilled the beans on baby Elijah’s godmother. It turns out Lady Gaga will be looking out for both little ones.

“She’s a great role model,” Elton said. “She’s been a great godmother to Zachary. She came to bathe him in Las Vegas. She was already dressed to go to the show, and she was sitting there and she bathed him, and she was like dressed like Audrey Hepburn… and she fed him… We're all bonkers in this business, but we're human beings at the same time.”

The couple’s baby joy is in large part thanks to the American Fertility Association, which recently honored the pair. “Five years ago we never thought we'd have a family… This organization has enabled us to have two children who we absolutely adore, and are the best things that have ever happened to us!”

The “Rocketman” gushed about how both boys have changed their lives forever. “I love getting up in the morning and having breakfast with Zachary. They’re very portable; it's lovely to take them around the world.”

He added, “The biggest change for me, everything I thought I would find annoying about having children, like screaming and shouting, and tantrums… I don't find any of it annoying, I find it all enchanting.” David added, “You learn so much about yourself and about life by seeing children.”

Elton went on to say that Zachary loves being a big brother, “He loves his younger brother… Zachary’s all boy, Elijah is very Zen.” Elton revealed he knows all about typical kid stuff. “Listen, I can tell you all about Bob the Builder, Thomas the Tank, because I sit down and watch it with him.”

As far as who is the best diaper changer… David wins, while Elton is good with baths. “A ritual I love is 6:30 ‘tubby time.’ I know every children's book back to front… even in Las Vegas, he has his bath backstage, now we have to bathe two of them backstage.” The couple tries to take the children wherever they travel, when they can’t they Skype with them.

Both Elton and David consider themselves strict, agreeing the kids are going to have to earn their own money. David, “It's important they grow up with a sense of values. Things in life come from hard work and dedication.” Elton, who is the godfather of two of the Beckham’s boys, said that David and Victoria are great parents. “They are the best behaved kids, they have great sense of values, they are not spoiled.”

Terri asked whether the couple was planning on a baby girl in the future. Elton replied, “If we wanted three we would love to have a girl, two is enough.”

- Extra TV

Elton John Performing at Race to Erase MS

2013-04-23T23:15:00.001+10:00

Race to Erase MS has announced that multi Grammy-award winning singer-songwriter Elton John will perform at the 20th Annual Race to Erase MS event, hosted by Nancy Davis, taking place on May 3rd, 2013 at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles.

Also performing that evening will be multi-platinum singer-songwriter Taio Cruz.

- Look to the Stars

Elton at Capitol Records

2013-04-16T18:40:00.000+10:00

Sir Elton John performs 'I guess that's why they call it the blues' live at The Diving Board listening party at Capitol Records. The logo for Elton's new album can be seen on the wall behind the stage.

Elton Performs 5 Tracks From The Diving Board

2013-04-13T15:21:00.000+10:00

Elton John performed three songs from his upcoming album "The Diving Board," appropriately at the famed Capitol Studio inside the label's tower building. Coming out September, it will be his debut on Capitol Records.

Calling it "nerve wracking" to play new songs, John was ably assisted by the musicians who appear on the album -- drummer Jay Bellerose, Raphael Saadiq on bass, a four-member brass section and three back up singers -- as he tackled "The New Fever Waltz" and "Home Again."

John performed "Mexican Vacation" with the the rhythm and section and after a 20-minute Q&A with Grammy Museum executive director Bob Santelli, delighted the audience with a solo rendition of "I Guess That's Why They Call it the Blues."

T Bone Burnett, who produced the album, said he asked John to revisit the early 1970s and "make it about you." That led to John re-listening to his own records for the first time in a very long time and revisiting other music of the era, drawing inspiration from his own "Tumbleweed Connection" and "Mad Man Across the Water" plus a record that change his life, "Music From Big Pink" by the Band.

Add to that one more recent release -- Bob Dylan's bluesy 2006 release "Modern Times."

"'Modern Times' was the template," John told the audience, which included his songwriting partner Bernie Taupin and manager Johnny Barbis. "I want to try to make records like that. (Dylan) is the person we aspire to be. The advantage of having Bernie is that he's always been a cinematic writer and working with him is still as exciting as it was in 1967."

For John's part, the writing and recording work was done in two creative bursts of less than a week each. Burnett told Billboard that was true, but finding "the tone" for the record was a months-long process. The album has been finished for a few months.

John made the point "I won't be kicking Nicki Minaj off the charts" and figures radio airplay for the new album is unlikely. Exposure is more likely through film and TV and the audience was ripe with music supervisors and executives, among them Sony Pictures' Kier Lehman and powerhouse supervisors Julia Michels and Nora Felder.

- Billboard

Sir Elton John has a new album, The Diving Board (due out in September), a new label home -- Capitol Music Group, now owned by Universal -- and a new musical partner: T Bone Burnett.

The legendary singer and veteran producer came together on Thursday night to host a private listening party for the album at Capitol’s equally famed Studio A. Attendees included UMG chairman Lucian Grainge along with a slew of CMG executives, among them chairman Steve Barnett, EVPs Michelle Jubelirer and Greg Thompson and Virgin head Ron Fair (with wife Stephanie).

The playback portion of the evening consisted of a five-song introduction to Diving Board, which Burnett noted was a return to form for Sir Elton featuring the simple arrangement of piano, bass and drums. Indeed, in the Q&A that followed, conducted by Grammy Museum executive director Bob Santelli, Sir Elton boasted about how much piano he plays on the album. "The piano is my friend ... and, at the moment, I've never enjoyed it more."

On the "template" for Diving Board... "I wanted at 66 years of age to make records that I think befits a person of my age. Like Modern Times by Bob Dylan. When I heard that record I went, 'My God, this record could have been made any time in the last 50 years!' It's brilliant and I want to try to make records as good as that. And [Dylan] is the person that we look up to. He's the person that we aspire to be as artists because he's always changing, he's always mercurial, he's always like a chameleon. And his quality control is pretty damn good."

On working with T Bone Burnett... "His set of engineers and the way he records led me back to recording in analog, which is very important. The musicians that I played with on this album, which include Raphael Saadiq ... There's not much -- there's piano, bass and drums, two tracks with guitar, horns and two tracks with two cellos and vocals. And that's about it. ... It was just so much pleasure to make this record. And I think it shows. It was written very quickly, in the space of a few days, and recorded in three or four days last year, then I had nine months off and I came back to it and wrote four more songs and they all made the record."

On the importance of having the right producer... "Recording is a crap shoot -- it can be good or bad but it should always be enjoyable. I love going in the studio if I'm surrounded by great people who know what they're talking about. All the great artists and the great albums that have been made have all had great producers -- they've all had another ear, whether it's Brian Eno or whether it's Phil Ramone, bless his heart."

On the songwriting process... Having Bernie [Taupin] as a lyric writer, if you go back to the very beginning, he's a very cinematic writer -- he tells stories in his songs. So as a writer who hasn't got a clue how to write a lyric in his life -- I think I was responsible for 'Don't Go Breaking My Heart,' which I apologize for -- that doesn't compare to what Taupin writes. ... We've never had an argument, we've never disagreed on anything, and it's been an amazing privilege to have that kind of relationship in one's life, to write with someone for 46 years and not have an argument, it's pretty amazing. ... Yes, we've written apart from each other, we've given each other a break -- we had to let each other go to come back and be stronger than ever. ... I sit at the keyboard and something just comes out of it. I thank God, I don't know what it is. It's always very quick and as exciting as it was when I first wrote the first melody to his first lyric way way back in 1967."

On piano players he admires... "Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard and Fats Domino changed my life. And then Ray Charles, Billy Preston -- if you see Billy Preston in the Concert for Bangladesh and you don't cry or have chills, then there's something wrong with you. There's Bruce Hornsby, a brilliant keyboard player, Ben Folds, brilliant, there are so many great keyboard players playing in bands that are probably much better keyboard players than I am. Obviously I'm just a piano player. I'm hopeless on things like a synthesizer."

On choosing the title Diving Board... "I felt that it was a very perfect title for the album because I am on the diving board. I feel like I'm starting again, making records and trying to see how this one does. Sitting here tonight, I was so nervous, but that's good -- fear is a good thing. Without fear, you have nothing. Perfection is everything you chase, and I don't want to be perfect. I want to be imperfect because as human beings we should be imperfect."

On signing with Capitol... When I first came to America, I was lucky enough to be on Universal City Records with Russ Regan ... and I had the best time in my life. I've never had that since then. And I feel with this new team at Capitol, both here and in England, enthusiasm. At 66, all I can ask for when I make a record is for people to be enthusiastic about it and get it -- and they get it. I'm not gonna be chasing Nicki Minaj up the charts, but I'm just making records that are valuable to me. I feel good about them and I can sleep at night."

- Hollywood Reporter

Elton Coming to Spain, GLEE Cover 'Your Song'

2013-04-11T18:27:00.000+10:00

On July 20, Elton will headline the Cap Roig Festival with a solo concert at the Jardins de Cap Roig in Costa Brava, Spain.

Elton to Play Robin Hood Gala with Bono, Justin Timberlake & Mary J Blige

2013-04-11T18:24:00.000+10:00

Elton John, Bono and Grammy-winning singer Mary J. Blige will be featured performers at the Robin Hood Foundation’s 25th anniversary gala next month.

The May 13 event, which raises money for New York’s poverty-fighting organizations, will have actress Jessica Biel and her husband, Justin Timberlake, serving as co-chairmen, according to an invitation mailed to donors and companies this week.

The couple will share the spotlight at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center with fellow co-chairmen KKR & Co. Co-Chairman Henry Kravis and his wife, Marie Josee; CBS Corp. Chief Executive Officer Les Moonves and his wife, Julie Chen; and Sonia and Paul Tudor Jones II, Robin Hood’s co-founder.
“The evening is going to highlight the groundwork our grantees have done over the past quarter century that will help us improve the lives of New York City children over the next 25 years,” Robin Hood spokeswoman Patty Smith said in an e-mail.

Since its start in 1988, Robin Hood’s annual gala has become the largest single-night annual fundraising event for a nonprofit in New York. The party raised $59.2 million last year, $47.4 million in 2011 and $87.8 million in 2010 with the help of a big donation from Open Society Institute Founder George Soros.

The organization has raised and distributed more than $1.25 billion in its history. Robin Hood announced this week that it has given out all the $70.5 million it raised for Hurricane Sandy relief.
(A limited number of tickets are available for the May 13 gala at $3,000 for individuals, and $30,000 to $250,000 for tables. Information: +1-212-245-6570, ext. 20, or debbief@eventassociatesinc.com.)

- Bloomberg

Is Your Son Elton John?

2013-04-09T18:26:00.001+10:00

Rocket Pictures is looking for a very talented young boy aged 6-10 years old to take on the role of young Elton in the forthcoming film: Rocketman.

The role is described as, "Reggie Dwight is an unassuming, shy boy from Pinner, London whose life is transformed when he is first put in front of the piano as a 5 year old.

"Reggie’s immense talent leads him to the Royal Academy of Music and later, as he pushes his awkward insecure younger self to one side, to a desire to be a Rock and Roll legend as he renames himself Elton John."

Written by Lee Hall and directed by Michael Gracey, Rocketman is a fantasy-inspired re-telling of Elton’s story where reality is skewed by an excess world and choreographed musical sequences.

For more information please check out the Rocket Pictures Facebook page, or to apply please email the Rocketman casting director (rocketman@jessicaronane.com) detailing how much experience your child has in piano, singing and acting.

Listen to Fall Out Boy & Elton 'Save Rock and Roll'

2013-04-09T18:22:00.003+10:00

Billy Joel Might Perform with Elton John Again

2013-04-05T23:49:00.000+11:00

Billy Joel has no plans to retire soon, as he is eager to stress to Rolling Stone. "I did an interview, I think with an Australian newspaper," he says. "I said I'd consider retiring if I didn't think I could do it well anymore. I never said I intended to retire. I never said, 'I'm gonna hang it up.' I was just kind of wondering, 'Gee, I wonder what happens when a musician gets to a point where he realizes he's not as good as he used to be?' That turned into 'Billy Joel May Retire After His Next Gigs.' I just want to put those rumors to rest because people keep asking me if I'm going to retire. . . I just love the game too much to not play it well."

Future shows with Elton John are also not out of the question, even though John vented some frustration with Joel in the pages of Rolling Stone in 2011. "It's absolutely possible I'd play with Elton again," says Joel. "Sometimes he runs off at the mouth. But. . . I haven't even heard from him since [he gave that interview]. I guess that 'Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word.'" He gives a huge laugh at that. "But I would always work with him again. I still love the guy. He's a great guy."

- RollingStone

Bernie Taupin & Elton John to Receive Johnny Mercer Award for Songwriting

2013-04-03T21:28:00.000+11:00

Songwriters Hall of Fame Chairman Jimmy Webb announced today that Elton and Bernie Taupin will be the 2013 recipients of the esteemed Johnny Mercer Award at the 44th Annual Induction and Awards Dinner slated for Thursday, June 13 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City.

Elton and Bernie have one of the most prolific and successful songwriting partnerships ever known. Their award-winning relationship spans four decades, with 35 Gold and 25 Platinum albums, 29 consecutive Top 40 hits and more than 250 million records sold worldwide. Elton attributes a great deal of his success to his songwriting relationship with Bernie. Together they have written nearly 400 songs and were both inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1992.

Jimmy Webb said of the duo, “Some catalogs are more ‘deep’ and significant than others not only because of their pertinence to the times in which they were written, but because their sheer mass is overpowering. It’s just not that easy to write 40 Top 10 records. It’s kind of like swimming the English Channel with your hands tied behind your back. Elton’s readily identifiable melodic piano style has proven to be a perfect accompaniment to Bernie’s razor sharp lyrics about relationships and living on the edge of life both in good and bad times.”

The Johnny Mercer Award, the highest honor bestowed by the Songwriters Hall of Fame, is exclusively reserved for a songwriter or songwriting team who has already been inducted in a prior year, and whose body of work is of such high quality and impact that it upholds the gold standard set by the legendary Johnny Mercer. Past Award recipients have included songwriting giants: Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, Holland-Dozier-Holland, Paul Anka, Kris Kristofferson, Smokey Robinson, Stevie Wonder, Carole King, Billy Joel, Jimmy Webb, Hal David, Burt Bacharach, Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller and Paul Simon.

Tickets for the Songwriters Hall of Fame event are available through Buckley Hall Events, (212) 573-6933. Net proceeds from the event will go toward the Songwriters Hall of Fame programs.

- eltonjohn.com

Elton Coming to Carcassonne, Gifts Copy of The Diving Board to Friend

2013-04-03T21:25:00.000+11:00

Elton and the band are to headline a festival in France during their European tour this summer.

July 23, 2013, Festival des Deux Cités, Carcassonne, France.

Public tickets are now on sale.
The Festival des Deux Cités tickets can be purchased online at festivaldecarcassonne.fr.

Backstage before the Elton John concert Thursday night, the singer mingled "with a lot of friends in Houston I know and a lot I don't know," he told the sold-out audience near the end of the two-hour-and-45 minute show.

And, indeed, John spent a lot of time with some old —and new — friends in a private area at the Toyota Center before the show.

He whipped out his iPad to proudly show photos of his children's Easter egg hunt to a group from AIDS Foundation Houston and gave his close friend Lynn Wyatt an advance copy of his new CD, which comes out in September.

"He said, 'I have a present for you. Guard it with your life,' " Wyatt told CultureMap in an exclusive interview.

A tireless fundraiser for AIDS research, prevention and education, John accepted the AIDS Foundation Houston 2013 Humanitarian Award from AFH CEO Kelly Young. She presented the singer with a piece of artwork in the shape of a gold brick by Laura Lark and donated by gallery owner Devin Borden.

Also on hand were Elton John AIDS Foundation board members Barron Segar and Sarah McMullen, CAMAC Foundation president Eileen Lawal and philanthropist Margaret Alkek Williams.

Before the show, John also met privately for about a half-hour with Wyatt, whom he referred to during the concert as a "heavenly body." During the show Wyatt sat on the front row, where she boogied and munched on a gigantic bag of popcorn. When John paid a heartfelt tribute to her near the end of the concert, "I had my hands over my face, I was so touched," she said.

Wyatt had previously been with John and his spouse, David Furnish, last month in Los Angeles on the night before the Academy Awards, where they had dinner. Wyatt also spent time with the couple's two children Elijah and Zachary, whom they call "Aunt Lynn."

John did not stick around in Houston afterwards. Wyatt said after each concert, he "walks off the stage, gets in his private plane and goes to Atlanta (where he owns an apartment). It's worth it to him to sleep in his own bed."

But she talked to him by phone on Friday, before he flew to Baton Rouge for a show that night. When she asked him about the Houston audience, which included exiting Houston Texan Connor Barwin, John said, "They were fabulous. They never sat down. They knew every song and they were so excited."

"The energy that he has — oh my goodness," Wyatt said.

- Houston Culturemap

2Cellos & Elton John Cover Fleetwood Mac's Oh, Well

2013-04-03T20:58:00.005+11:00