Elton John Is Biological Father of Baby With Husband David Furnish
http://www.popeater.com/2011/01/04/elton-john-baby-biological-father/
  

Sir Elton John has been named as the father on the birth certificate for his 
new son  Zachary, ending speculation as to whether he or husband David Furnish  is the biological father of the little boy, born by a surrogate mother.
"Elton really wanted the child to have his genes," a friend of the  singer tells me. "He has a god-given talent and wanted to pass that one  to a child. And after years of discussion and thought, Elton and David  decided together that Elton's sperm would be used."
The couple chose to have their baby in California because it is the only  place in the world where a couple using a surrogate are considered its  legal parents even when the baby is still in the womb.
 
"As the little boy grows it will become obvious that Elton is the biological dad," an insider predicts. 
Zachary was born weighing 7 lbs., 15 oz. via a surrogate mother in  California on Christmas Day. This is the first child for John, 62, and  Furnish, 48. The couple married in 2005 after being together for 12  years.
My source says the couple's son is already living like royalty. "Elton  has already purchased a $2 million adjoining apartment in Los Angeles to  turn into the perfect nursery. Elton's son already has four  round-the-clock nannies and his own chef. This little boy is going to  want for nothing except a mom."
Sources tell me the couple carefully selected the surrogate mother and  egg donor insisting she sign over legal documents to ensure her identify  will never be revealed. 
Sir Elton to attend 2011 People`s Choice Awards
http://www.monstersandcritics.com/people/news/article_1609402.php/Sir-Elton-to-attend-2011-People-s-Choice-Awards
 
Sir  Elton John visits BBC Radio Two studios where he was being interviewed  on the Steve Wright show. The singer was dressed in a green suit with  matching green sunglasses.  A piano was delivered earlier on to the  studio and was on display in the foyer.  After 45 minutes inside the  studio, Elton signed autographs for the fans outside on his way to his  car, London, UK. - Ian Lawrence / Splash News
 By Vicky Allison  Jan 4, 2011, 20:13 GMT 
New dad Sir Elton John is set to attend the People's Choice Awards, according to US TV network CBS.
The  63-year-old music legend will attend the 37th annual ceremony tomorrow,  which will be hosted by Queen Latifah and broadcast live from LA’s  Nokia Theatre.
Other stars expected to walk the red carpet  include Teri Hatcher, Zac Efron, Katy Perry, Taylor Lautner, Kristen  Stewart, Taylor Swift, Natalie Portman and the Kardashian clan.
Disney star Selena Gomez is said to be performing on the night. 
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse is reported to be leading the way with eight nominations, including Favourite Movie.
Album Review - The Union by David Sigler
http://eltonography.com/bblog/index.php?blog=3&title=album_review_the_union_by_david_sigler&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1
With the release of 2001’s Songs From The  West Coast, Elton John claimed that he was drawing a line in the sand  regarding the overall songwriting quality of future album projects.  Because he felt so strong about that album, he didn’t want to make  anything that hit below that mark. He subsequently released, Peachtree  Road in 2004 and The Captain and The Kid in 2006, both of which  continued that commitment (though Peachtree Road slipped a bit in  places, it has grown on me considerably over the years). So, I’m pleased  to report that 2010’s The Union, a collaborative effort with his  musical hero, Leon Russell, has not only continued this hot streak but  may have even exceeded his expectations.
Furthermore, what makes The Union so special is how unexpected it is.  Who’d have thought, that nearly 35 years after they first met, the pair  would team up? Bring in a fresh new band, hot producer T. Bone Burnett  and of course, his trusty lyric partner, Bernie Taupin, and you have the  ingredients for a first rate album that matches both John and Russell’s  best work.
The Union runs the gamut of musical styles throughout but maintains a  fundamental dedication to quality from start to finish. There are no  fillers here. Each track builds upon the previous one and never loses  its focus (there are 14 tracks on the release, with 2 bonus tracks on  the deluxe version – get that one if you can). From the album oriented  rock of If It Wasn’t For Bad, the flat out charging of Hey Ahab, a  touching civil war tribute in Gone To Shiloh, the funky brass infused  Monkey Suit, and honky-tonk piano of A Dream Come True, this album finds  both artists respectively doing what each other does best. But they  also merge together so well, one has to wonder what took them so long to  get together.
Vocally, John’s voice is deeper these days but still delivers an  emotional punch and when Russell sings his lines, the aging of his  southern drawl brings an authenticity to the often heartfelt and bleak  lyrically themes.
Songwriting duties are mostly by Elton and Taupin but some are  pairings of Leon and Taupin and in some cases, a complete collaborative  effort by all including producer Burnett. This added spike in the mix  only adds to the excitement where everyone partners up and yet the  outcome works extremely well regardless of who wrote what melody or  lyric.
Burnett gives the songs the kind of touch and arrangements that hark  back to Elton’s earlier work i.e. Tumbleweed Connection and Honky  Chateau. It’s not a retread by any means, but Burnett taps into the  spirit of those early Elton John albums with a tip of the hat to Elton’s  best producer, Gus Dudgeon. Real instruments are used and there are no  studio gimmicks or tricks trying to keep up with modern times. Just  listen to Jimmie Rodgers Dream to understand how one of Taupin’s best  lyrics is driven by a simple shuffle beat and steel guitar.
It should be noted that the piano playing by John and Russell was  recorded separately, John on the left side and Russell on the right.  This allows for the listener to hear the artists distinctive piano  playing, John’s classic rock vamping and Russell’s boogie-woogie  flourishes. This makes for a unique listening experience that captures  both of their styles flawlessly.
There are no songs about John and Russell being long lost buddies or  looking back at when they first met. And thank goodness for that.  Instead, we have two great songwriters (and Taupin and Burnett cannot be  excluded) coming together to write some songs and see what transpires.  Luckily for us, they wrote and delivered an engaging set of memorable  tunes.  A lot has been written that this is John’s best album in 35  years. Well, I disagree. The statement should be that The Union is as  good as anything Elton John released 35 years ago. 
 
ELTON JOHN ADDED TO THE STELLAR LINE UP FOR THE “PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARDS 2011″, WEDNESDAY, JAN. 5 ON THE CBS TELEVISION NETWORK
January 3, 2011 by 
J!-ENT
http://www.nt2099.com/J-ENT/news/american-entertainment/elton-john-added-to-the-stellar-line-up-for-the-peoples-choice-awards-2011-wednesday-jan-5-on-the-cbs-television-network/
Selena Gomez and The Scene to Perform 
Elton  John is scheduled to attend the PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARDS 2011,  to be  broadcast live from the Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE in Los Angeles, 
Wednesday, Jan. 5 (9:00-11:00   PM, live ET/delayed PT) on the CBS Television Network.  The show will   also feature  performances by Selena Gomez and The Scene.
Previously  announced talent from film, television and music  attending the first  awards show of the year include Malin Akerman,  Julie Bowen, Michael  Chiklis, Miranda Cosgrove, Kaley Cuoco, Taye  Diggs, Lisa Edelstein, Zac  Efron, Neil Patrick Harris, Teri Hatcher,  the Kardashians, Minka Kelly,  Mila Kunis, Ashton Kutcher, Taylor  Lautner, Zachary Levi, AnnaLynne  McCord, Leighton Meester, Stephen  Moyer, Conan O’Brien, Jerry O’Connell,  Jim Parsons, Pauley Perrette,  Katy Perry, Natalie Portman, Emma  Roberts, Kristen Stewart, Taylor  Swift and Kate Walsh.  A performance by  Kid Rock was also previously  announced.
Also during the  live show, Vanessa Williams will announce that the  official charity of  the  PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARDS 2011 is Special  Olympics, a cause that  P&G and its brands have sponsored for more  than 30 years. Williams  will deliver a message informing fans how they  can support Special  Olympics Team USA this summer as their athletes  prepare for the Special  Olympics World Summer Games in Athens, Greece.
ABOUT PEOPLE’S CHOICE
Now in its 37
th year, the People’s Choice Awards celebrate fan favorites in music, movies and television.  The People’s Choice Web site at 
http://www.PeoplesChoice.com  serves as a year-round destination for entertainment enthusiasts to   voice their opinions on pop culture by voting in and creating polls and   features an extensive video archive and photo gallery of People’s  Choice  Awards footage.  PeoplesChoice.com houses the voting platform  where  fans determine the categories, nominees and winners for the  annual  awards show.  Fred Nelson is the President of People’s Choice,  and the  awards show is produced by Procter & Gamble Productions,  Inc.  [NYSE:PG], which is represented by MediaVest Worldwide, Inc.,   supervisors of the production.  Queen Latifah is the host of PEOPLE’S   CHOICE AWARDS 2011 and Mark Burnett is the Executive Producer.
 Tags: 
American Entertainment News, 
CBS Television Network, 
PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARDS 2011
             GRAMMY Week event honors T Bone Burnett - Elton John and Leon Russell co-chair
http://www.examiner.com/elton-john-in-national/grammy-week-event-honors-t-bone-burnett-elton-john-and-leon-russell-co-chairs
  
         
                  
       Iconic musicians Elton John and Leon Russell will act as honorary co-chairs at a GRAMMY event for T Bone Burnett  
     Photo: John Shearer/Getty Images
     Great news for Sir Elton John fans straight from the GRAMMY.com  website. GRAMMY-winning producer T Bone Burnett will be honored during  "Shaken Rattled and Rolled" on Feb.9, an event celebrating the 10th  anniversary of the "Producers & Engineers Wing" of The Recording  Academy. None other than 
Elton John and 
Leon Russell will serve as honorary event co-chairs.
T Bone Burnett just produced John and Russell's critically acclaimed and highly successful 
The Union collaboration, which spawned a GRAMMY nomination for lead single "If It Wasn't For Bad."
Neil Portnow, President/CEO of The Recording Academy remarked in today's 
press release:
"As we celebrate this milestone anniversary, it is only  fitting that we pay tribute to one of our industry's finest, T Bone  Burnett, whose visionary talent and masterful skills have greatly  impacted the landscape of audio production."
10-time GRAMMY winner and current three-time nominee Burnett has a body of work that spans 40 years. In addition to producing 
The Union,  he holds producer credits for Elvis Costello, Jakob Dylan, Robert Plant  & Alison Krauss, k.d. lang, John Mellencamp, Willie Nelson, and  many more artists. Burnett also produced popular film soundtracks 
O Brother, Where Art Thou? and 
Walk The Line to name only a few.
It's truly an honor for Elton and Leon to be able to act as  honorary co-chairs of the celebration. GRAMMY Week culminates with the  53rd Annual GRAMMY Awards on Sunday, Feb. 13 at 8 p.m. on CBS. Keep your  fingers crossed in hopes that Elton and Leon will perform on the show!
Look Back: Elton John Tops Chart With Beatles Cover 36 Years Ago                                          
http://www.rttnews.com/Content/EntertainmentNews.aspx?Section=2&Id=1518161&SM=1
 
(RTTNews) -                                      Elton John reached the top of the singles 
chart with a cover of the Beatles' "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds" on January 4, 1975.  
The recording features Beatle 
John Lennon  on guitar and background vocals, though he was credited under the  pseudonym Dr. Winston O'Boogie.  (Winston was Lennon's original middle  name, though he changed it to Ono after his marriage to Yoko Ono.)  The  tune, written by Lennon after he saw a 
drawing done by his son Julian, originally appeared on the Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band."
Elton  John's version of "Lucy In The Sky," released only as a single, was  backed by "One Day (At A Time)," a tune written by Lennon for his 1973  "Mind Games" album.
The song took over number one from "Angie  Baby" by Helen Reddy.  It reigned for two weeks, before getting knocked  off by Barry Manilow's "Mandy." 
by RTT Staff Writer