Elton John at Royal Opera House

 British singer/pianist Elton John perfoms at the Royal Opera House in London on January 28, 2011. UPI/Rune Hellestad

 

Elton John professes love for Motown, Eminem

http://www.mlive.com/entertainment/detroit/index.ssf/2011/01/elton_john_professes_love_for.html

Published: Saturday, January 29, 2011, 11:46 AM     Updated: Saturday, January 29, 2011, 11:49 AM

Elton John, who's making the media rounds promoting his new film "Gnomeo and Juliet," is telling music snobs to not knock hip-hop until you've seen the masters at work.

"People who mock rap, and say, 'I don't like it,' they should go check out Kanye in the studio rapping. Or Eminem when he's in the studio," John tells TeenMusic.com. "It's a phenomenon. Don't knock it until you've seen it. It may not be your cup of tea, but don't ridicule."

John is one of the 6,434,295 singers that appears on Kanye West's "All of the Lights" track from his "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy." And of course, John famously teamed up with Eminem for a performance of "Stan" at the Grammys a few years back and have stayed in touch ever since. Last year, Eminem presented John and his partner, David Furnish, a pair of diamond-encrusted sex toys.

"If you don't notice the young and you don't give them credit and you don't listen to all sorts of music then you're missing out on something," he said.

John also said how much he loved listening to Motown growing up across the pond.

"When I grew up as a kid I grew up in a house that listened to the radio, bought records. When rock and roll came in I'd already had all this knowledge of great American singers and bandleaders and musicians and jazz players by the time that I was six or seven," he said.

"Then I grew to love R&B and Motown and all Black music, gospel music. I never dismiss any form of music. I listen to everything."

Rich celebrities watch Elton John at Royal Opera House, he doesn't swear at them

http://www.holymoly.com/celebrity-news/rich-celebrities-watch-elton-john-royal-opera-house-he-doesnt-swear-them52679