Elton John, Chelsea Clinton & Anna Wintour Kick Off Fashion Week At amFAR Gala (PHOTOS)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/
Posted: 02-10-11 07:42 AM
A flock of fashionistas and fashion-supporters headed to Cipriani Wall Street on Wednesday to kick off the fall shows at the amFAR New York Gala. Some highlights? Marc Mezvinsky and Chelsea Clinton all gussied up, Carine Roitfeld in not black but white and supermodel Carol Alt looking as stunning as ever.
Check out who was there and what they wore.
One of pop music's living legends, Sir Elton John, has sold more than a quarter of a billion records and enjoyed more than fifty Top 40 hits over his five-decade career, reaching a kind of commercial success that has dwarfed his art. Some industry calculations estimate that his music once accounted for as much as three percent of annual sales worldwide.
Until this day, the 63-year-old singer, composer and pianist remains a formidable live draw, attracting young and old alike.
"I learned from the young," he exclaims. "A lot of my contemporaries don't listen to new music. They don't get that energy that you can get from the young. I still want to hear the next thing that's going to inspire me. Of course, I am inspired by the past. Who wouldn't be? If you want to remain, why would you want to keep listening to the same music? I keep my eye on the ball and I still have fun with it. That's why I've been around for 40 years."
Since his early twenties, every week, the timeless musician has bought new releases, amassing a collection of over 70,000 CDs. He listens to new music, goes to the movies and visits new art exhibitions, constantly searching for inspiration.
"There is always something around the corner that you didn't expect to find, someone who will inspire you and whenever I am inspired by an artist, whether it be a singer, an actor, a dancer, a painter or a writer, I phone them or I write them a letter and say thank you because I remember when I was young and getting a telegram from George Harrison and being introduced on stage by Neil Diamond meant so much to me. It validated what I did and if you validate the young and you give them encouragement and you say, 'listen you're doing really good work at your age,' it inspires you and it inspires them."
Conscious of the difficulties and hardships young talents face in the early stages of their careers, Sir Elton has established a management company that is dedicated to guiding and nurturing such talent, encouraging them to play live without rushing them.
"Records aren't selling," he exclaims. "Sales figures in the last weeks on Soundscan and Billboard have been the lowest that they've ever been. The number 1 album this week sold 44,000 copies, which is unheard of. It's quite scary, but live entertainment is doing very well."
"Don't put out the first album just for the sake of it. You have to know, you have to tour, you have to play in front of three people, you have to play in front of 100 people, and maybe it's not so good and you're disappointed, but that gives you the necessary resolve and experience, so you're ready when you become successful."
Although he finds instant television shows entertaining, Sir Elton believes that they don't give an artist any stability for the future. "You're just as good as that series and then the next series comes along and there's someone else so I worry about the artist in that sense."
A technophobe, who doesn't have a phone, a computer or an iPod, Sir Elton laments the closure of many book and music stores. "It's going to get very depressing because I like the tangible feel of a CD, a book or a record. That's gradually disappearing from landscapes."
But he is upbeat about the future of the music industry. "Music will always be okay because people will want to see live entertainment and that's where, as an artist, if you can't play live, you're stuck now."
Sir Elton's career is not confined to live music. The 9 times Grammy award winner has also scored major motion pictures, such as Days of Thunder, Four Weddings and A Funeral and The Lion King, for which he won an Academy Award for the song 'Can You Feel The Love Tonight' in 1995.
In the 90s, he formed his own production company 'Rocket Pictures', whose latest production is the animated comedy 'Gnomeo and Juliet', which retells Shakespeare's tragic love story of two teenagers in the world of garden gnomes and gives it a happy ending.
Composed by James Newton Howard, who used to be in Sir Elton's backing band, the film is graced by a soundtrack featuring both new songs and classics from the Elton John-Bernie Taupin library, including 'Tiny Dancer', 'Rocket Man', 'Bennie and The Jets' and 'I'm Still Standing'.
Each song has been fitted to an appropriate scene, lending it an emotional depth and enhancing its comedy.
"I suddenly become the gnome," he laughs. "We just sifted through the lyrics and even though the lyrics aren't in there, the songs that seemed appropriate for each scene we gradually got them and worked them out."
"I never ever envisaged doing a film about gnomes, but one of the funniest things in my life was when Tim Rice gave me a lyric for The Lion King and it started off 'When I was a young warthog'. I thought, 'Oh my God, what am I doing? I'm writing songs about warthogs.' But gnomes are funny characters and they're great."
Dressed in a dark navy suit and crew-necked shirt and wearing rimless blue glasses and making jokes about himself and his work, Sir Elton believes that artists should not take themselves too seriously. "We're blessed to be who we are. We're not more important than anybody else, and if you can't take a joke, then you're a sad person. I hope I've always had the capacity not to take myself too seriously and I think being able to send yourself up in visual ways as well as verbal ways is great. That's why I do things like Gnomeo."
Sir Elton's creativity is always sparked by the written word. He began his career collaborating with Bernie Taupin, who has written many of his songs, and in the 1990s he teamed up with Tim Rice, producing awards-winning soundtracks for Disney's animated smash 'The Lion King' and Verdi's opera 'Aida'.
"I don't really create until I have a project in front of me. It's always been lyrics first. When I get a written lyric from Bernie Taupin or Lee Hall or Tim Rice, that inspires me to write."
Without changing a word and rarely consulting the lyricists, Sir Elton fits his tune to the words almost effortlessly. He seldom spends more than an hour writing a song, and he never thinks about what he's going to write until he goes into the studio to record.
I have met Sir Elton John in the past at social events; he is amiable, engaging and a lively conversationalist. However, I have never seen him beaming with so much joy and vibrancy as he is today. He is known for his profound love for music, but that love seems to have paled next to his love to his recently-born son, Zachary.
It's evident that everything in his world now spins around Zachary.
Zachary was born in Los Angeles on Christmas Day to a surrogate mother. Sir Elton and his partner, David Furnish, whom he married in 2005, contributed equally to the conception. On the birth certificate, Sir Elton is listed as the father and David as the mother.
"I just saw him this morning and he's something that's brightened our lives tremendously in the nearly four weeks that we've had him. I've had amazing things that have happened to me in my life, career wise and personal life, but this is the icing on the cake. "
Running into his 60s, Sir Elton is not concerned about fathering a child. "I am 60 going on 40," he laughs. "I have just thought this is the right time for David and myself to have a child."
"I am young at heart. I work hard and I do more shows now that I ever did before. I will try and be as young for him as I can."
An exciting life is awaiting little Zachary. His proud father, who own homes in England, Los Angeles, Nice, Venice and Latin America, is planning to take him everywhere he goes, whether it's business, pleasure or music tours. And unlike his technophobe father, Zachary has already got his own iPod, playing Mozart, Chopin, Carole King, the Carpenters, James Taylor and Sir Elton John, to his tender ears.
"I'll have to enter the world of technology," Sir Elton sighs. "They are coming out with a Skype iPad in April and I've got to get one because I want to see my son when I am not there."
The arrival of Zachary has relaxed but also energised Sir Elton. He is currently involved in the development of a musical adaption of George Orwell's Animal Farm. He is also planning to produce a film about himself.
"We're talking about maybe three to four years' time, so I think Robert Downey Jr. could definitely play me at one point in my life because he's musical and he sings. He'd be wonderful."
Angela Weiss, Getty ImagesGrammy Week's festivities kicked into high gear on Wednesday night with a tribute for T Bone Burnett at Santa Monica's legendary Village Studio.
The 10-time Grammy winner was honored by two of his recent collaborators, Elton John and Leon Russell, who sent video messages that earned some laughs. A particular highlight was when John, who called Burnett "the best producer out there," ended his message by quipping, "I love you and let's run away together." Russell's was also hilarious, as he joked, "I'm not sure what this award is for."
The award, given by the Producers and Engineers Wing of the Academy, was to honor Burnett's body of work, and all joking aside, everyone agreed it was well-deserved. Iconic engineer Eddie Kramer, who's worked with the likes of Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix, said of Burnett, "I admire him. He's one of the finest producers in the business today. He deserves every accolade that thrown at him." Soft-spoken rocker Ray LaMontagne also came out because he "always wanted to meet [Burnett]. Jay Bellerose, who plays drums in the Pariah Dogs, he's always talking really highly of him and that's really it. I love the records that he makes."
On top of working with everyone from Robert Plant and Alison Krauss to John Mellencamp, Jakob Dylan and Willie Nelson, Burnett has also been involved in the music of such films as 'Cold Mountain,' 'Crazy Heart' and the surprise smash soundtrack to 'O Brother, Where Art Thou?' The turnout reflected that range, with Lisa Marie Presley, actress Eliza Dushku and her boyfriend, former basketball player/actor Rick Fox, stopping by for free sushi, a chocolate tasting bar, and a beautiful performance by the Burnett-produced Secret Sisters.
During his impassioned speech, Burnett earned some laughs of his own, joking, "I wrote all this down, but I'm a little drunk now." Still, that didn't dilute his message in any way, as he blasted the industry for poor sound in the digital age and said of those only interested in digital sound, "You don't care about music and I don't want to make music for people who don't care about music."
What was clear is that after four decades, Burnett's passion for music is as strong as ever -- and that's why his peers admire him so.
Just as predicted, Billy Joel now hates Elton John.
In the last issue of Rolling Stone, John spoke about his close friend and tourmate Joel's struggles with addiction, criticizing him for not taking rehabilitation more seriously.
John said:
John appeared on the Today Show on Thursday and spoke about Joel's unhappy reaction:
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A flock of fashionistas and fashion-supporters headed to Cipriani Wall Street on Wednesday to kick off the fall shows at the amFAR New York Gala. Some highlights? Marc Mezvinsky and Chelsea Clinton all gussied up, Carine Roitfeld in not black but white and supermodel Carol Alt looking as stunning as ever.
Check out who was there and what they wore.
Elton John gets a new gnome
http://www.ukscreen.com/article.htm?article_id=40493Husam Asi learns how Sir Elton John is inspired by young artists as well as old
10 February 2011One of pop music's living legends, Sir Elton John, has sold more than a quarter of a billion records and enjoyed more than fifty Top 40 hits over his five-decade career, reaching a kind of commercial success that has dwarfed his art. Some industry calculations estimate that his music once accounted for as much as three percent of annual sales worldwide.
Husam Asi with Elton John
"I learned from the young," he exclaims. "A lot of my contemporaries don't listen to new music. They don't get that energy that you can get from the young. I still want to hear the next thing that's going to inspire me. Of course, I am inspired by the past. Who wouldn't be? If you want to remain, why would you want to keep listening to the same music? I keep my eye on the ball and I still have fun with it. That's why I've been around for 40 years."
Since his early twenties, every week, the timeless musician has bought new releases, amassing a collection of over 70,000 CDs. He listens to new music, goes to the movies and visits new art exhibitions, constantly searching for inspiration.
"There is always something around the corner that you didn't expect to find, someone who will inspire you and whenever I am inspired by an artist, whether it be a singer, an actor, a dancer, a painter or a writer, I phone them or I write them a letter and say thank you because I remember when I was young and getting a telegram from George Harrison and being introduced on stage by Neil Diamond meant so much to me. It validated what I did and if you validate the young and you give them encouragement and you say, 'listen you're doing really good work at your age,' it inspires you and it inspires them."
Conscious of the difficulties and hardships young talents face in the early stages of their careers, Sir Elton has established a management company that is dedicated to guiding and nurturing such talent, encouraging them to play live without rushing them.
"Records aren't selling," he exclaims. "Sales figures in the last weeks on Soundscan and Billboard have been the lowest that they've ever been. The number 1 album this week sold 44,000 copies, which is unheard of. It's quite scary, but live entertainment is doing very well."
"Don't put out the first album just for the sake of it. You have to know, you have to tour, you have to play in front of three people, you have to play in front of 100 people, and maybe it's not so good and you're disappointed, but that gives you the necessary resolve and experience, so you're ready when you become successful."
Although he finds instant television shows entertaining, Sir Elton believes that they don't give an artist any stability for the future. "You're just as good as that series and then the next series comes along and there's someone else so I worry about the artist in that sense."
A technophobe, who doesn't have a phone, a computer or an iPod, Sir Elton laments the closure of many book and music stores. "It's going to get very depressing because I like the tangible feel of a CD, a book or a record. That's gradually disappearing from landscapes."
But he is upbeat about the future of the music industry. "Music will always be okay because people will want to see live entertainment and that's where, as an artist, if you can't play live, you're stuck now."
Sir Elton's career is not confined to live music. The 9 times Grammy award winner has also scored major motion pictures, such as Days of Thunder, Four Weddings and A Funeral and The Lion King, for which he won an Academy Award for the song 'Can You Feel The Love Tonight' in 1995.
In the 90s, he formed his own production company 'Rocket Pictures', whose latest production is the animated comedy 'Gnomeo and Juliet', which retells Shakespeare's tragic love story of two teenagers in the world of garden gnomes and gives it a happy ending.
Composed by James Newton Howard, who used to be in Sir Elton's backing band, the film is graced by a soundtrack featuring both new songs and classics from the Elton John-Bernie Taupin library, including 'Tiny Dancer', 'Rocket Man', 'Bennie and The Jets' and 'I'm Still Standing'.
Each song has been fitted to an appropriate scene, lending it an emotional depth and enhancing its comedy.
"I suddenly become the gnome," he laughs. "We just sifted through the lyrics and even though the lyrics aren't in there, the songs that seemed appropriate for each scene we gradually got them and worked them out."
"I never ever envisaged doing a film about gnomes, but one of the funniest things in my life was when Tim Rice gave me a lyric for The Lion King and it started off 'When I was a young warthog'. I thought, 'Oh my God, what am I doing? I'm writing songs about warthogs.' But gnomes are funny characters and they're great."
Dressed in a dark navy suit and crew-necked shirt and wearing rimless blue glasses and making jokes about himself and his work, Sir Elton believes that artists should not take themselves too seriously. "We're blessed to be who we are. We're not more important than anybody else, and if you can't take a joke, then you're a sad person. I hope I've always had the capacity not to take myself too seriously and I think being able to send yourself up in visual ways as well as verbal ways is great. That's why I do things like Gnomeo."
Sir Elton's creativity is always sparked by the written word. He began his career collaborating with Bernie Taupin, who has written many of his songs, and in the 1990s he teamed up with Tim Rice, producing awards-winning soundtracks for Disney's animated smash 'The Lion King' and Verdi's opera 'Aida'.
"I don't really create until I have a project in front of me. It's always been lyrics first. When I get a written lyric from Bernie Taupin or Lee Hall or Tim Rice, that inspires me to write."
Without changing a word and rarely consulting the lyricists, Sir Elton fits his tune to the words almost effortlessly. He seldom spends more than an hour writing a song, and he never thinks about what he's going to write until he goes into the studio to record.
I have met Sir Elton John in the past at social events; he is amiable, engaging and a lively conversationalist. However, I have never seen him beaming with so much joy and vibrancy as he is today. He is known for his profound love for music, but that love seems to have paled next to his love to his recently-born son, Zachary.
It's evident that everything in his world now spins around Zachary.
Zachary was born in Los Angeles on Christmas Day to a surrogate mother. Sir Elton and his partner, David Furnish, whom he married in 2005, contributed equally to the conception. On the birth certificate, Sir Elton is listed as the father and David as the mother.
"I just saw him this morning and he's something that's brightened our lives tremendously in the nearly four weeks that we've had him. I've had amazing things that have happened to me in my life, career wise and personal life, but this is the icing on the cake. "
Running into his 60s, Sir Elton is not concerned about fathering a child. "I am 60 going on 40," he laughs. "I have just thought this is the right time for David and myself to have a child."
"I am young at heart. I work hard and I do more shows now that I ever did before. I will try and be as young for him as I can."
An exciting life is awaiting little Zachary. His proud father, who own homes in England, Los Angeles, Nice, Venice and Latin America, is planning to take him everywhere he goes, whether it's business, pleasure or music tours. And unlike his technophobe father, Zachary has already got his own iPod, playing Mozart, Chopin, Carole King, the Carpenters, James Taylor and Sir Elton John, to his tender ears.
"I'll have to enter the world of technology," Sir Elton sighs. "They are coming out with a Skype iPad in April and I've got to get one because I want to see my son when I am not there."
The arrival of Zachary has relaxed but also energised Sir Elton. He is currently involved in the development of a musical adaption of George Orwell's Animal Farm. He is also planning to produce a film about himself.
"We're talking about maybe three to four years' time, so I think Robert Downey Jr. could definitely play me at one point in my life because he's musical and he sings. He'd be wonderful."
T Bone Burnett Honored by Elton John and Producers at Grammy Gala
http://www.spinner.com/2011/Angela Weiss, Getty ImagesThe 10-time Grammy winner was honored by two of his recent collaborators, Elton John and Leon Russell, who sent video messages that earned some laughs. A particular highlight was when John, who called Burnett "the best producer out there," ended his message by quipping, "I love you and let's run away together." Russell's was also hilarious, as he joked, "I'm not sure what this award is for."
The award, given by the Producers and Engineers Wing of the Academy, was to honor Burnett's body of work, and all joking aside, everyone agreed it was well-deserved. Iconic engineer Eddie Kramer, who's worked with the likes of Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix, said of Burnett, "I admire him. He's one of the finest producers in the business today. He deserves every accolade that thrown at him." Soft-spoken rocker Ray LaMontagne also came out because he "always wanted to meet [Burnett]. Jay Bellerose, who plays drums in the Pariah Dogs, he's always talking really highly of him and that's really it. I love the records that he makes."
On top of working with everyone from Robert Plant and Alison Krauss to John Mellencamp, Jakob Dylan and Willie Nelson, Burnett has also been involved in the music of such films as 'Cold Mountain,' 'Crazy Heart' and the surprise smash soundtrack to 'O Brother, Where Art Thou?' The turnout reflected that range, with Lisa Marie Presley, actress Eliza Dushku and her boyfriend, former basketball player/actor Rick Fox, stopping by for free sushi, a chocolate tasting bar, and a beautiful performance by the Burnett-produced Secret Sisters.
During his impassioned speech, Burnett earned some laughs of his own, joking, "I wrote all this down, but I'm a little drunk now." Still, that didn't dilute his message in any way, as he blasted the industry for poor sound in the digital age and said of those only interested in digital sound, "You don't care about music and I don't want to make music for people who don't care about music."
What was clear is that after four decades, Burnett's passion for music is as strong as ever -- and that's why his peers admire him so.
Elton John: Billy Joel 'Hates Me' For Rehab Comments
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ Just as predicted, Billy Joel now hates Elton John.
In the last issue of Rolling Stone, John spoke about his close friend and tourmate Joel's struggles with addiction, criticizing him for not taking rehabilitation more seriously.
John said:
"He's going to hate me for this, but every time he goes to rehab they've been light. When I went to rehab, I had to clean the floors. He goes to rehab where they have TVs. I love you, Billy, and this is tough love. Billy, you have your demons and you're not going to get rid of them at rehab light. You've got to be serious. People adore you, they love you and respect you. You should be able to do something better than what you're doing now."While Joel released a statement that both forgave and brushed aside John's sharp words, behind the scenes, they're certainly not making sweet music together.
John appeared on the Today Show on Thursday and spoke about Joel's unhappy reaction:
"He hates me at the moment. He sent me a message and he's not happy. I understand that. I'm sorry I had to say it, but I'm saying it because I really want Billy to live a long life and be very happy. That's all it came from. I understand why he's mad at me. I'm only trying to help. Maybe I should have done it privately, but I've been so frustrated over the years."
Elton John: Billy Joel 'Hates Me' For Rehab Comments
First Posted: 02/10/11 02:03 PM Updated: 02/10/11 06:53 PM
Just as predicted, Billy Joel now hates Elton John.
In the last issue of Rolling Stone, John spoke about his close friend and tourmate Joel's struggles with addiction, criticizing him for not taking rehabilitation more seriously.
John said:
John appeared on the Today Show on Thursday and spoke about Joel's unhappy reaction:
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In the last issue of Rolling Stone, John spoke about his close friend and tourmate Joel's struggles with addiction, criticizing him for not taking rehabilitation more seriously.
John said:
"He's going to hate me for this, but every time he goes to rehab they've been light. When I went to rehab, I had to clean the floors. He goes to rehab where they have TVs. I love you, Billy, and this is tough love. Billy, you have your demons and you're not going to get rid of them at rehab light. You've got to be serious. People adore you, they love you and respect you. You should be able to do something better than what you're doing now."While Joel released a statement that both forgave and brushed aside John's sharp words, behind the scenes, they're certainly not making sweet music together.
John appeared on the Today Show on Thursday and spoke about Joel's unhappy reaction:
"He hates me at the moment. He sent me a message and he's not happy. I understand that. I'm sorry I had to say it, but I'm saying it because I really want Billy to live a long life and be very happy. That's all it came from. I understand why he's mad at me. I'm only trying to help. Maybe I should have done it privately, but I've been so frustrated over the years."John added that Joel -- perhaps metaphorically -- wanted to punch him in the face.
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Just as predicted, Billy Joel now hates Elton John. In the last issue of Rolling Stone, John spoke about his close friend and tourmate Joel's struggles with addiction, criticizing him for not taking ...
Just as predicted, Billy Joel now hates Elton John. In the last issue of Rolling Stone, John spoke about his close friend and tourmate Joel's struggles with addiction, criticizing him for not taking ...
A flock of fashionistas and fashion-supporters headed to Cipriani Wall Street on Wednesday to kick off the fall shows at the amFAR New York Gala....
Well, she has worn a mop-top wig before... Elton John provides the music for the new Disney-produced lawn love story 'Gnomeo and Juliet,' and in...
NEW YORK — Billy Joel's reaction to Elton John's declaration that the Piano Man needs rehab is one big shrug. In a statement released Wednesday,...
Elton John was filled with 'Glee' to do this duet. Speaking at his Wednesday gay marriage fundraising gala, John touched on the recent work he...
Essential Elton
From his hit-making days of the early '70s to now, a look at the pop legend behind those crazy glasses
What: Elton John
Where: Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre
When: Feb. 14 and 15, 8 p.m.
Tickets: Both shows sold out
Elton John always seemed an unlikely pop star.
Born Reginald Kenneth Dwight, John was a pudgy English duffer with a soon-to-be receding hairline. And yet, by the early 1970s, he had established himself as an international pop star. Over four decades, John has sold more than 200 million albums — and acquired a most natural-looking toupée.
Elton John was a relentless hit-making machine in the 1970s, teaming with lyricist Bernie Taupin to create Rocket Man, Honky Cat, Crocodile Rock, Daniel, Bennie and the Jets and many others. In concert he was an absolute hoot, reinventing himself as a baby-boomer's Liberace with bejewelled platform shoes, Louis XIV wigs, Vegas-style costumes and glasses that looked more like chandeliers than eye-wear.
Behind the glitz and glamour (and later, battles with alcohol and cocaine) John always relied on a not-so-secret weapon: His considerable talent. He plays gospel-inflected piano like a combination of Leon Russell and Ray Charles — with a touch of Jerry Lee Lewis tossed in. And even if John's post-'70s music often dipped deeply into the saccharine, no one can deny his canny gift for melody.
In Victoria, John reunites with his old bandmates Nigel Olsson on drums and guitarist Davey Johnson, as well as bassist Bob Birch, percussionist John Mahon and keyboardist Kim Bullard. His sold-out gigs here are touted as greatest-hits shows. Expect radio-cured favourites as well as samplings from The Union, John's new rock/soul album with Russell.
For those going to the concerts (and those who must content themselves with playing his greatest- hits CD), here's Sir Elton at a glance:
The hit list: Tunes regularly surfacing in recent EJ set lists include: Sixty Years On, Levon, I Think I'm Gonna Kill Myself, Rocket Man, Tiny Dancer, Philadelphia Freedom and Candle in the Wind. There is no opening act, so expect a couple of hours from Sir Elton and company.
Where might Elton stay in Victoria? Given that he's one of the most commercially successful popsters in history (a U.K. newspaper estimated his worth at $265 million in 2009) this city's swankiest hotels are an obvious call. We suggest the Fairmont Empress, given John's penchant for grandiosity. He has been known to book under fanciful pseudonyms, including: Sir Colin Chihuahua, Sir Humphey Handbag and Sir Horace Pussy.
Elton is close pals with Elvis Costello and Diana Krall (the couple were married at John's mansion in England). So perhaps he'll visit their home in Nanoose.
Dressed to the max: Wherever Elton stays, there must be oodles of closet space. He's a clothes horse who packs a mammoth wardrobe. He once said: "I tend to take my home when I travel on the road." Perhaps he'll rent a house.
Bringing up baby: As any fan knows, 63-year-old John and his Canadian partner, David Furnish, 48, became parents in December. Their baby, Zachary Jackson Levon Furnish-John, was born through a surrogate mother. The Mail on Sunday reported Zach possesses John's nose and Furnish's ears (both men contributed to the fertilization process). The baby reportedly resides at the couple's $2-million Los Angeles apartment, overseen by round-the-clock nannies.
Furnish says the child will call him "Papa" while Elton will be "Daddy."
The pop star's own Daddy-dom issues: John has said his own late father was an emotionally distant man who never attended his concerts. Dad wanted John to avoid showbiz, even though he had been a professional trumpeter himself. John's mum was his biggest supporter. In the 1997 documentary, Tantrums and Tiaras, John says: "I think I've always been a mummy's boy ... nobody has stood by me as much as my mother."
(The aptly titled Tantrums and Tiaras, directed by Furnish, also shows John leaving the south of France in a blind rage because a woman impertinently yelled "Yoo-hoo" while he was playing tennis. Elton's a serious tennis player — die-hard fans might even spy him on a local tennis court.)
Elton in the movies: Those who failed to score Victoria concert tickets can content themselves with a new Disney movie opening this week (see story at right). Gnomeo and Juliet is an animated flick about battling garden gnomes. The soundtrack — studded with classic songs — showcases John's hits. It includes a new version of Crocodile Rock with Victoria's Nelly Furtado.
John even appears briefly, albeit in animated form. "Suddenly there I am — Glam Gnome — the 'Gnomosexual' in the film," he joked at a recent news conference.
More on Elton in the movies: If garden gnome comedies don't do it for you, stay tuned for a future Elton John bio-pic. John says it won't be a straight-ahead take on his life, but rather, a surreal interpretation in the vein of such films as Moulin Rouge.
But tell us what you really think, EJ: John's famous for being a shoot-from-the-hip kind of guy. In the latest Rolling Stone he says piano-man and former tour-mate Billy Joel is "coasting" artistically and ought to enter rehab for alcoholism. Joel has countered with: "Elton is just being Elton."
John also recently took aim at pianist Jools Holland (formerly of Squeeze). He expressed f-word disgust during a radio interview upon learning the disciplined Holland plays his piano first thing every morning.
Still, John has been extraordinarily gracious to fellow pianist Leon Russell, single-handedly rejuvenating the keyboardist's sagging career by collaborating on the Grammy-
nominated album, The Union. Next month, John will induct Russell into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
I'm Elton John's biggest fan ... but there are no tickets: Live Nation is officially calling these shows sell-outs. However, new tickets occasionally open up at the last minute for arena concerts, depending on the stage's configuration. Our best advice: Keep your eyes and ears open for day-of-show announcements.
achamberlain@timescolonist.com
February 10, 2011
Happy Birthday Nigel Olsson
http://www.eltonjohn.com/news/
http://www.eltonjohn.com/news/
Elton's drummer celebrates in Los Angeles
By the Editor/eltonjohn.com
Happy birthday to Nigel Olsson, who celebrates his birthday today at home in Los Angeles.Nigel was the drummer with the very first Elton John Band, formed in 1970, and in 2009 he played his 1500th concert with Elton. All of us at eltonjohn.com wish Nigel many happy returns, and look forward to seeing him back on the road with Elton and the rest of the band on Monday, February 14 in Victoria, BC, Canada, for the start of the new tour.
Elton John tour expands plans for U.S. concerts this spring
http://www.ticketnews.com/Wed, Feb 9th 2011 3:21 pm EST
By Allison Reitz
The 20-city trek launches early next week with a February 14-15 stand at the Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre in Victoria, BC. And thanks to the recent unveiling of more dates, John's concert calendar now stretches through a May 6 performance at the Entertainment Covention Center in Duluth, MN.
Along the way, performances are also booked for February 24-25 at the Maui Arts and Cultural Center in Kahului, HI; March 16 at Madison Square Garden in New York, NY; March 25 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, PA; and April 9 at Taco Bell Arena in Boise, ID.
Public onsales are already underway in select markets. Remaining ticket sales open this coming Valentine's Day weekend — February 11 in Boise; February 12 in Bismarck, Billings, Rochester, Spokane and Wilkes-Barre; and February 14 in Duluth.
Ticket prices vary slightly depending on the market. According to Ticketmaster.com listings, most are priced in the ballpark of $27 up to $137, before applicable fees.
The winter and spring tour will feature a selection of the "Rocket Man's" greatest hits. John will be accompanied by current Elton John Band members Davey Johnstone (guitar), Bob Birch (bass), John Mahon (percussion), Nigel Olsson (drums), and Kim Bullard (keyboards).
John has toured extensively in recent years, including two high-profile co-headlining jaunts in North America. Most recently, he completed the Union Tour with Leon Russell in fall 2010. Earlier that year, he also wrapped the last dates of his Face 2 Face Tour with Billy Joel, which began in 2009.
Elton John itinerary:
(Dates are subject to change.)
(Dates are subject to change.)
| February 14 - 15 | Victoria, BC | Save On Foods Memorial Centre |
| February 17 | Eugene, OR | Matthew Knight Arena |
| February 19 | Reno, NV | Reno Events Center |
| February 24 - 25 | Kahului, HI | Maui Arts & Cultural Center |
| March 11 | Uncasville, CT | Mohegan Sun Arena |
| March 12 | Worcester, MA | DCU Center |
| March 16 | New York, NY | Madison Square Garden Arena |
| March 18 | Norfolk, VA | Constant Convocation Center |
| March 20 | New York, NY | Madison Square Garden Arena |
| March 23 | Pittsburgh, PA | CONSOL Energy Center |
| March 25 | Philadelphia, PA | Wells Fargo Center |
| March 26 | Baltimore, MD | 1st Mariner Arena |
| March 27 | University Park, PA | Bryce Jordan Center |
| April 6 | Bismarck, ND | Bismarck Civic Center Arena |
| April 8 | Spokane, WA | Spokane Arena |
| April 9 | Boise, ID | Taco Bell Arena |
| April 10 | Billings, MT | Rimrock Auto Arena at MetraPark |
| April 22 | Wilkes-Barre, PA | Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza |
| April 23 | Rochester, NY | Blue Cross Arena |
| May 6 | Duluth, MN | Duluth Entertainment Convention Center |
Elton John Says Billy Joel Wants To Punch Him In The Face
February 10th, 2011 3:27pm EST
http://www.starpulse.com/news/
Elton John has no regrets about airing his views about Billy Joel's sobriety issues in the press, even though his rock pal has made it clear he's far from happy with the Brit for speaking so openly.
The Rocket Man, who battled drug and alcohol addictions early on in his career, recently accused his on/off touring partner of "coasting" through rehab treatments and admitted he's upset by Joel's apparent reluctance to get tough with his alleged heavy drinking problems.
In the candid Rolling Stone magazine interview, Elton said, "I always say, 'Billy, can't you write another song?' It's either fear or laziness. It upsets me. Billy's a conundrum. We've had so many cancelled tours because of illnesses and various other things, alcoholism... I love you, Billy, and this is tough love. Billy, you have your demons and you're not going to get rid of them at rehab light. You've got to be serious."
Joel issued a statement responding to the claims, brushing off his pal's comments as Elton "just being Elton" - but the Brit admits the pair has yet to speak directly because the Uptown Girl hit-maker is "not happy" with him.
Opening up on Today on Thursday, Elton said, "He hates me at the moment and I understand why. He sent me a message and he's not happy and I understand that."
However, the 63 year old stands by his actions and insists he will take any comeback from Joel "on the chin" - because he's only trying to help. He continued, "I'm sorry I had to say it, but I'm saying it because I really want Billy to live a long life and be very happy. I understand why he's p**sed with me and I can take that on the chin. Years ago when people tried to tell me, I didn't talk to them for years. Now I look back and they were only trying to help."
"Maybe I should have done it privately, but I've been so frustrated over the years at some of the things. I love the guy... I wanna stress that. He may wanna punch my face in at the moment, but it's OK."
--
Robson Vianna.
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