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.
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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