Exclusive interview Nigel Olsson my career with Elton John

Exclusive interview: Nigel Olsson - my career with Elton John

http://www.musicradar.com/news/guitars/exclusive-interview-nigel-olsson-my-career-with-elton-john-419704

The drum legend on 40 years of hits

Joe Bosso, Mon 11 Apr 2011, 11:03 am BST

Nigel Olsson, with trademark gloves and headphones, behind his DW drum kit during an Elton John concert in Sydney, Australia, 2008. © Bob King/Corbis
"Playing live is just as exciting today as it was 40 years ago," Elton John drummer Nigel Olsson told MusicRadar. "I know Elton feels the same way, especially when we play Madison Square Garden. The Garden is always like one big party."
Of the crowds that packed the iconic New York venue for two recent sold-out shows, Olsson said, "Obviously, the audiences are different now than when we started out. We've got everybody from kids to their grandparents." Chuckling, he added: "And there's granddad on drums!"
As his longtime bandmate, guitarist Davey Johnstone, also pointed out, the Garden holds a special place in the hearts of certain members of the Elton John camp for another reason: "It's where John Lennon played his last live show, in 1974, during one of our concerts," Olsson said. "What a night. Electricity was in the air. Every time I walk out on that Garden stage, I think back to that show."
MusicRadar sat down with Olsson at Manhattan's London Hotel on the same day that we spoke with Johnstone (the two were in town, along with Elton and the rest of the band, for a Saturday Night Live appearance). The drummer and guitarist go way back, comprising half of the famed, original Elton John four-piece (which also included the late bassist Dee Murray). Olsson admitted to a fair amount of amazement that he's played with Sir Elton for over 40 years.
Not that there haven't been bumps in the road: in 1975, John let Olsson and Murray go, only to bring Olsson back in 1980 (Murray returned two years later); and then, in 1985, the mercurial superstar jettisoned his rhythm section once again – it would take 15 years, and several fits and starts, for Olsson to take his rightful place on the drummer's throne for good. (Sadly, Murray died in 1992 of a stroke, following a lengthy battle with skin cancer.)
"All in all, it's been an incredible journey playing with Elton," Olsson said. "You start out with somebody and you hope it'll last a year. Forty years and more, you never consider that."
Many drummers have talent, but it takes a certain kind of talent to propel a drummer to the level of artist. Throughout his career with John, on landmark albums such as 11-17-70, Honky Chateau, Don't Shoot Me, I'm Only The Piano Player and Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Olsson, an individualist with a quirky, dramatic sense of timing, has informed John's smash hits with a freshness and striking point of view.
"When people tell me that they like my style and I've influenced them, it's most flattering," Olsson said. "But really, I just tried to play what the songs needed. That's a drummer's job, and it's a job I adore."
How did you get into Elton John's band?
"In the late '60s, I was in a band called Plastic Penny. We'd had some success with a cover of a Box Tops song called Everything I Am. It actually went to number one in England, so we had to do TV and live shows. We did a few albums and some touring, but after a while we couldn't keep it going – the interest just faded. However, we were handled by Dick James' publishing company, and as it turned out, Elton and Bernie Taupin were signed to the same organization as staff writers. A nice coincidence.
"I saw Elton and Bernie around the office a lot, and eventually they asked me to play on demos. So that's how we all became friends. We'd hang out together, and it went on from there, basically."

Did Elton tell you specifically what he liked about your playing? What made him pick you of all the other drummers he could have hired?
"He just said, 'You're perfect for the music I'm writing because you don't overdo it.' During that period, drummers were mad for showing off and playing all over the breaks. Even though I valued a good fill, I knew when to pull back and let the songs breathe.
"Also, at this point, all Elton and Bernie wanted to be were songwriters. They didn't think about going on the road and making all of these albums and playing arenas and stadiums and, you know…what's happened since. Their aspirations were quite different when I joined up with them." [laughs]
You're right handed, yet your style reminds me of Ringo Starr's – who, of course, is left handed. You both seem to lead with your left hand. And when you play fills, like Ringo, you come in a tad early.
"It's just the way I play. You're right, though, I do lead with my left. I never planned it. Probably listening to people like Ringo is how it all happened. To this day, Ringo is my biggest idol. I love him. The influenced was very natural.
"I also listened to bands like Sly & The Family Stone and Redbone. Their drummers always used to hold back a little. Buddy Miles, too, he's another one. I try to play a little bit behind – it's just how I hear things. Also, when I'm playing and listening on the headphones, I'm paying attention to the low end of the piano and the vocals. All of that contributes to my style."
Like Ringo, you value taste and economy. A song like Rocket Man, for example - some drummers would've overplayed it.
"I think that comes from the fact that, on those early records, we'd all go away somewhere – Elton, Bernie, the band, along with Gus Dudgeon, our producer. Oftentimes, we'd be in the same room with Elton while he was at the piano, writing music to Bernie's words. This gave us a chance to figure out our parts. When you hear a song being created in front of you, you focus more on what's needed. It's very immediate, what's necessary and what isn't.
"On the ballads, I always knew where to put the fills in and where to leave them out. I'd think to myself, All right, going into the chorus, I need to do something interesting, so I'll do this... You're part of the storytelling process in that way. You can't go over the top on a ballad because it doesn't sound right – to me, it doesn't.
"It's so easy to play crazy and go off. People do it all the time and think it's exciting. Keith Moon could do it, but he's an exception. He was a marvelous drummer, by the way. But knowing how to do more with less, that's what I've always found challenging. A simple, well-placed pattern stands out and announces itself. Plus, it moves the music from one section to the next in a very dramatic fashion."


Much of the material on the early records dealt with Bernie Taupin's fascination with America and the Old West. Your playing suited it so well.
"I listened to a lot of American music. For many years, all we had in England were The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. Not that there's anything bad about that, but if you wanted to hear something different…well, that's when you bought records from American bands. Although I really liked the drumming on American music, I didn't intentionally sit down and go, 'This is how I'm going to play.' I guess it got absorbed somehow."
You, Davey and Dee Murray contributed backing vocals that were crucial to Elton's songs. How did you three develop your harmonies?
"We loved doing the vocal sessions because there was always a lot of laughing going in the studio. The spirit was loose and fun. Basically, we'd be left alone. Elton would sing his vocals, and then he'd say, 'OK, you guys can get on with the backgrounds.' We'd come up with our harmonies and experiment a bit. If something didn't work, we'd try another approach till we nailed it.
"Because my vocal range was similar to Elton's in those days, I'd do some harmonies that were quite similar. Sometimes it sounded like he was doubling himself, when, in fact, it was really me. Like in Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, the [sings] 'doo-doo-doo-doo-dooo' part – I wrote that. Gus said, 'Why don't you try it?' and it worked. The magic of the music, and the fact that we were all together so much, it helped us form a very tight bond as singers as well as musicians."
Elton and the band made albums so fast in the '70s. As a drummer, was that frenetic pace exciting, or did you sometimes wish you had more time to work on arrangements?
"No, it was great. The Elton John Band sound always had energy. It sounded like a band playing a song for the first time because that's exactly what we were doing! [laughs] A song can lose its freshness if you concentrate on it too much. Daniel, Rocket Man…those were one-take tracks. Most of our stuff was done in five takes or less. Elton always liked to work fast, which was good because we were always on the go. Making records, touring, TV shows – the pace was non-stop, but it was fabulous."
You used to play a Slingerland double bass drum setup. Most people associate double bass kits with harder rock drummers.
"Yes, I supposed that's true. I began with Premier – Keith Moon put me with those guys. But I was always fascinated by Slingerland because that's what Buddy Rich played. When we first came to America, I hooked up with the people in the company in Illinois and asked them if they'd build me a custom set. I wanted oversized toms, oversized kick drums, oversized everything!" [laughs]



Nigel at his Slingerland "drum orchestra" kit in the '70s. © Neal Preston/CORBIS
"I had six kits made for me - one for recording, which had all wooden rims, and the others were for touring, and they had metal rims. The reason for the massive size of the drums was because I loved the low tones I could get. The deeper and bigger the drums, the richer and more powerful the sound. As for the double bass setup, it was mainly for the look, a bit of flash, you know? [laughs] One wanted to look impressive on stage, and a giant kit certainly helped. If you couldn't see me, you were certainly going to see my drums! [laughs] But the setup also helped because I liked big rack toms, which had to be mounted on their own stands."
Nowadays, you play DW Drums. What do you like about them so much?
"Their tones. [DW COO] John Good got me to the factory, and he said, 'You have got to hear these new shells.' He took one right off one of the factory benches, hit it with his fist, and it was just like… It made that sound that you want to hear. I was knocked out.
"John goes all around the world collecting different woods. Strangely enough, he found this wood at the bottom of a river in Holland, but the wood was from a tree in Ghana in West Africa. Now, I used to live in Ghana when I was a kid, so hearing this was unbelievable. I told John I had to have a kit made from that wood. We figured out the sizes, and I gave him a wild, wacky color scheme. It turned out beautifully. I use the Ghana kit in the studio and tune it very low."
During a tour, you have a few different rigs flown around the world at any given time.
"That's right. I have separate rigs that we take around with us. If we're doing a gig somewhere, another rig is being set up somewhere else. My drum tech is Chris Sobchak, and he's wonderful. He's got everything measured and put into a computer. Each setup is exactly the same. Chris can get my drums set up and tuned in under two hours. That's pretty fast."
Tell me about how you position yourself behind the drums. You don't sit very high, nor are you very low.
"No, I'm probably right in the middle. I used to sit high, but I've changed over the years. I like to sit where I can easily get a rim shot on the snare – that's kind of my signature."

During the Captain And The Kid tour, 2006. © Tim Mosenfelder/Corbis
Well, that and the gloves. How did you come to start wearing them?
"I started wearing them in 1970, probably. I saw a bass player playing with gloves – his were cut off at the fingers, of course – but still, I thought, What a great idea! You know, I was getting cuts and calluses, and instead of using bandages, which would always peel off, I decided to try gloves.
"I started out using driving gloves and then, later on, moved to golf gloves. I'm actually sponsored by Foot-Joy. Their gloves are made of very thin leather, and they allow me to feel the stick as if I'm wearing nothing at all on my hands. They do wear out: I can only do five or six shows before I need a new pair. But it's a small trade-off. And, yes, they are something of a signature, another thing I'm known for."
And the headphones. Are you listening to a click track, or do you wear the cans to protect your hearing?
"I loathe click tracks. Playing to a click takes all the heart out of the music. No, I use the headphones because I have a full 42-track mixing board, and I'm getting everything in stereo. I don't like having monitors pointed at me, blaring away. The phones gives me a great mix at a reasonable volume."
Let me ask you about one of my favorite albums, 11-17-70. Was it a nerve-wracking experience cutting that record?
"Incredibly nerve-wracking! It was just the three-piece band, Elton, Dee and myself – Davey hadn't joined yet. We went into a studio here in New York to do a live broadcast on WABC radio. There were maybe 50 people there to watch us. I remember [Billy Joel producer] Phil Ramone was the engineer. We just went for it. That red light came on, and it was like, 'OK, play!'
"A lot of people still comment on that record being one of their favorites, and I think it's because it was live, it was fresh, and it had a raw energy. It was a small band, a tight space, and we were caught up in a moment. People had heard of Elton in the States, but that really helped propel him and us as a performing act."

Hanging at the London Hotel in New York City, April 2011. © Joe Bosso
I asked Davey about this. The '70s were pretty wild times, and being in the Elton John Band allowed you access to anything and everything. Did drugs and alcohol ever become a problem?
"Well, I used to smoke marijuana and took pills sometimes. I never got into sniffing or shooting anything. And, of course, there was the groupie situation. We don't get them anymore! [laughs] Go figure. But it all did get to a point where it was slowing things down – it certainly slowed me down. I couldn't handle it, and I didn't like feeling paranoid. Eventually, I stopped all that. It's a waste of time, really. You know what's funny, though? I didn't drink back then. You know what I used to drink? Milk."
Milk? You could have been an Osmond!
[laughs] "I could have been an Osmond. It was actually in our tour rider: a gallon of milk for Nigel."
Now, that's rock 'n' roll. When Elton broke up the original band the first time, was it a huge blow, or did you see it coming?
"Oh, it was a huge blow. I didn't see it coming. At all. To this day, I don't know why he let us go. His excuse in the press was that he wanted to change the sound of the band. He tried, but I don't think he did. It was just the same songs played by different people.
"I was very bitter for a while. What was especially hard was that Elton didn't tell me – one of the lackeys from the office called and said, 'Elton isn't using you on the next record and tour. What do you think you're going to do?' I was devastated. But I pulled my boots up, made my own record and had some success with that.
"The second time I was let go, it was the same thing: someone from the office told me. After a while, though, Davey called me and asked me to sing backgrounds for the soundtrack to a Disney film Elton was doing called The Road To El Dorado. I didn't have a problem with it; I love singing backgrounds."
"They were using another drummer, a great player named Curt Bisquera. We did a promo tour for the project, but we'd slip in some hits. At one point, I think it was the song Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Curt looked at me and said, 'This is your song to play. I can't play this.' So I played on it, it felt great, and soon after Elton said to Davey, 'I think it's time to bring Nigel back.' And I've been back ever since – very happily, too.
"The touring is very different now, and as you get older, it gets a little harder. You do a gig, and then you get on a bus for 11 hours and try to sleep, which I can never do. I get to the hotel and try to grab some sleep before the show. The concerts are always great; the traveling…not so much."
Talk to me about Dee Murray. When I spoke with Davey, he said that he thought Dee never got his due as a musician.
"Dee…[pauses] No, I don't think he did get the proper respect he deserves. I think about him every single day. Brilliant bass player. Wonderful guy. Dear, dear, dear friend. A musical genius across the board.
"Bob Birch, our current bass player, idolizes Dee. And I'll tell you, there's times when we're in the studio and we'll be recording a track, and if I close my eyes, I feel as if Dee is in the room – that's how close Bob can get to Dee's sound. But you can never replace a guy like Dee. It's impossible."
The song Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding is such an epic, with so many moods and changes. How did you work out what to play on it?
"Again, we heard it as it was being written, and it was the magic of Elton, Bernie, the band, Gus and our engineer [David Hentschel] – we were all on the same wavelength. It just happened. It was so easy, and everything just flowed. We followed one another and knew where we had to go."
Can you point to specific songs and albums that you are particularly proud of from a drumming standpoint?
"Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Captain Fantastic and Don't Shoot Me. Although Honky Chateau was a pretty decent album, too. I call my playing 'descriptive' on those albums. I tried to do my part in bringing the lyrics to life. You can actually do that on the drums if you allow yourself to feel the music and let your imagination take over. Of course, it helps when you're playing some pretty astounding songs!" [laughs]

1. The Studio Kit (nicknamed "Ghana") is DW set featuring African Ghana wood outer-ply shells.

2. The "A" Set (nicknamed "F-1") is a custom fade between Ferrari Red and Williams F1 Yellow airbrushed "Little Blokes" on the shells (this is a stylized version of Nigel's trademark signature drawing he does with his autograph).

3. The "B" Set (nicknamed "Annette") is a custom fade between Breast Cancer Pink and Williams F1 Yellow with airbrushed "Little Blokes" on all the shells (also a stylized version of Nigel's trademark signature autograph drawing).

2x DW 18x22'' kick drums
2x DW 8x22'' woofers
DW 7x8'' rack tom
DW 8x10'' rack tom
DW 10x12'' rack tom
DW 14x16'' floor tom
DW 16x16'' floor tom
DW 5.5x14'' snare drum
All DW hardware and DW5000 pedals

Vic Firth drumsticks (signature model based on the "Rock" stick)
Remo drumheads (Clear P-3 on kick, Coated Ambassador tops and Smooth White Ambassador bottoms on the toms)
Paiste 2002 24'' ride with 24 Rivets
Paiste signature 20'' Mellow ride or Silver Mellow ride
Paiste signature 18'' Full crash
Paiste signature 14'' Power hi-hats
Special thanks to Johnny Barbis, Chris Sobchak and Steve Lehrhoff

Elton’s band partied harder than the Stones

http://rocknewsdesk.com/world-news/eltons-band-partied-harder-than-the-stones/1275/

Sunday, April 10th, 2011

Guitarist Johnstone says his outfit were “twice as hardcore” but got away with it because of the music they played

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Racket man: But it's all in the past for Johnstone

Long-time Elton John guitarist Davey Johnstone says his band, amongst the biggest in the world during the 1970s, were “twice as hardcore” as bands more known for their heavy lifestyles – but they got away with it because of the type of music they played.
And the man behind classic rock performances like Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting says he’s amazed the classic four-piece act survived the era intact.
Johnstone, bassist Dee Murray, who died in 1992, and drummer Nigel Olsson were the mainstay members of John’s band during his first flush of success, when they experimented with a wide range of musical forms. But the guitarist reports they also experimented with a wide range of recreational drugs.
He tells Music Radar: “Believe me, there were many ‘never again’ nights. Many ‘never again’ three-nights – 72-hour stretches where you literally never went to sleep. Then you did it again, twice as hard.
“We did as many drugs as you can imagine and drank as much alcohol as we could possibly pour down our throats. But because of the music we were never linked to the drug culture like, say, the Rolling Stones. People didn’t think we were decadent, even though we were.
“We were twice as hardcore as so many other bands, but we never got hassled. But there were some scary times, and periods none of us are particularly proud of. In recent years I’ve stopped everything and I’m very grateful that I have my health. We were very fortunate to have come through it all alive.”
He says John have him free reins with arranging the band’s songs from their very first session together, when the guitarist suggested large-scale changes and proved they could work. But his greatest moments have been on their rockier tracks like Saturday Night’s Alright – hailed by the Who as one of the best songs of all time, with Roger Daltrey having said it “should have been a Who song.”
Johnstone comments: “In those days, when a song came up I’d immediately start working on what I should do. Elton wrote so fast I had to be just as quick to keep up.
“As soon as I heard him writing Saturday Night I knew it was a total guitar-rocking track. So I wrote the intro and all the guitar parts. It was so much fun – at first Elton didn’t even want to play on it. He was just jumping around while the rest os us played. Eventually he put some piano parts on it. It was very exciting.
“What’s funny is, you listen to a track like Saturday Night and you think it’s fast, but it’s really not. It’s got the feel of a speeding train, and when you’re young you play everything fast because of the adrenaline. We play it properly now, but for years we played it way to fucking fast.”

Elton John To Sing To Sold-Out Arena

http://www.spokesman.com/blogs/hbo/2011/apr/08/elton-john-sing-sold-out-arena/
Posted by DFO

April 8, 2011 8:29 a.m.  •

The Inland Northwest has enjoyed a long and happy relationship with Elton John. At least, John should be happy with it, from a box-office standpoint. His show tonight at the Spokane Arena sold all 11,000 tickets in three days. And that includes the seats behind the stage. In fact, every time, Reg Dwight (yes, that’s his real name) has appeared in the region, the tickets have gone rocketing out of the box office. This will be the fourth time Sir Elton has taken the stage in the Inland Northwest/Jim Kershner, SR. More here. (AP file photo, of Elton John in concert in Germany)

Elton John wows the crowd

MIKE McCLEARY/Tribune MIKE McCLEARY/Tribune Elton John raises his arm from the piano keys and yells to the crowd during his opening song of Wednesday's concert at the Bismarck Civic Center. 4-6-2011

http://www.bismarcktribune.com/news/local/article_ed7b617c-615c-11e0-80bc-001cc4c002e0.html

 Sir Elton delivered.
 Nearly 9,000 people packed the Civic Center on Wednesday night to see Sir Elton John and his band perform for the first time in Bismarck. And they were not disappointed.

There were a few open seats here and there. But for the most part, the fans did not need them - most were on their feet throughout the show that ran nearly three hours.

Ross Horner, marketing director for the Civic Center, said the concert was the highest grossing concert ever at the venue, bringing in nearly $800,000.

"Feedback from the promoter and Elton's people was that Bismarck was a great host and we may see him back sooner rather than later," Horner said.

John opened the concert with his classic "Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding" from the 1973 double album "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road." Following that up with "Saturday Night is Alright for Fighting," John had the crowd - whose members ranged in age from 8 to 80 it seemed - enthralled.

For fans, many of whom came donning big glasses, feather boas and other "John-like" apparel, the hits kept coming. After several cuts from his latest album, "Union," a collaboration with Leon Russell, he closed with three show-stoppers, "Bennie and the Jets," "The Bitch is Back" and "Crocodile Rock."

John returned for an encore, "Your Song," but not before signing autographs for those up front.

Country music star Willie Nelson is up next at the Civic Center April 15. Only about 3,000 tickets were available for that show. About 600 tickets remain for the concert, which will be a small, intimate theater setting.

APRIL 19 AT LA CROSSE CENTER

Elton John concert tickets soar on secondary market

http://lacrossetribune.com/news/local/article_dda48d9c-619c-11e0-a88e-001cc4c03286.html



Elton John takes a final bow after performing at his show "The Red Piano" in Las Vegas, Wednesday, April 22, 2009. The Rocket Man is saying farewell to the Las Vegas Strip after five years and 241 shows. Elton John's last show was slated for Wednesday at Caesars Palace. He's scheduled to embark May 2 on a tour of the United States, Canada and Europe. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

The good news for Elton John fans is that tickets to his April 19 concert in La Crosse are available at many Internet sites. The bad news? Some tickets are on sale for more than $700, five times their face value.
After tickets sold out in a few hours March 14, it’s buyer beware, said Art Fahey, La Crosse Center director
“The secondary sites, some of them are more reputable than others, but I can’t vouch for anyone,” he said.
Some tickets were reserved for production holds, and they could be released and go on sale, Fahey said. But he doesn’t know when, “and there won’t be many.”
The best way to check for face-value tickets, he said, is to keep a watch on the ticketmaster.com site, which is the official online ticket outlet for the La Crosse Center.
La Crosse was caught off guard by the Elton John ticket frenzy, Fahey said. He is the biggest act ever booked here, and previous big acts, such as Metallica and Aerosmith, performed in La Crosse in the 1990s before the center partnered with ticketmaster.com.
“The speed of the Internet probably surprised everybody,” Fahey said. “The speed of what we sold (for Elton John) was entirely different.”
In the ’90s, people would have bought tickets at the box office or from ticket outlets in the area. Selling tickets then was much more drawn-out, and Fahey said it would have been impossible under that cumbersome process to sell out in a few hours as the Elton John concert did March 14.
“It’s a totally different world of what we’ve jumped on now,” Fahey said.

He’s ba-a-a-ack! Elton John in concert

http://www.idahostatesman.com/2011/04/08/1597171/hes-ba-a-a-ack-elton-john-in-concert.html

Michael Deeds - Idaho Statesman

Published: 04/08/11

Elton John

Larger-than-life entertainer Elton John is pretty much inescapable. Not only is he constantly in the news — hosting “SNL,” adopting a baby, chiding bands who don’t let their music be used on “Glee” — he also pops by for an Idaho visit every now and again.
Consequently, many concertgoers headed to Taco Bell Arena on April 9 know exactly what to expect: pomp, energy and terrific showmanship. John, 64, will bring a full backing group, just as he did when he played there in 2006.
Also, be aware: Although Leon Russell has been joining John at select concerts to perform material from 2010’s “The Union” album, that isn’t the case for Boise. The plan is just John and hits, hits, hits. And this time, when the crowd sings “Saturday! Saturday!” — it really will be Saturday.

Win tickets to Elton John in concert

http://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/comps2detail.asp?recnumber=160

The Rocketman is coming to New Zealand - be there!

 The Rocketman, Sir Elton John, is back in New Zealand for his 'Greatest Hits Tour' and playing live at the Forsyth Barr Stadium Dunedin – his first South Island gig in 20 years.

Mike Hosking is giving you and a friend the chance to be there – A-Reserve tickets and flights and accommodation if you need them.

Each morning, Mike will play a montage containing snippets of three Elton John songs. All you need to do is register your details here and list the three songs in that day's music montage.

All correct entries will be in the draw on Friday 15th April during the Mike Hosking Breakfast Show.

You can enter everyday but just once a day.

Offical Rules to win Elton John tickets

http://www.ktvq.com/news/offical-rules-to-win-elton-john-tickets/

Posted: Apr 8, 2011 8:44 AM
Updated: Apr 8, 2011 8:47 AM

OFFICIAL CONTEST RULES
Text-to-Win Elton John Concert Tickets
EXPLANATION OF CONTEST RULES

1. The Text-to-Win Elton John concert tickets Contest is a contest sponsored by KTVQ Television ("Q2") and is subject to these Official Contest Rules.
2. No purchase is necessary. To enter the Contest, contestants (hereinafter the "Contestant or Contestants") can register by texting in "TIX" to 95730 from 5:02pm Thursday April 7, 2011 through 4:00pm Saturday April 9, 2011 OR by sending name, address, and phone number via email to kschwend@ktvq.com with TIX in the subject line. One entry per person will be accepted.
3. The grand prize winner will be selected from the registrants subject to these Official Contest Rules. One winner will be randomly selected from all registrants. The winner will be selected on Saturday April 9, 2011 and announced on Q2 5:30pm News Saturday April 9, 2011. The randomly selected winner will receive a pair of tickets to the Elton John concert to be held Sunday April 10, 2011 at the Rimrock Auto Arena at Metra Park, Billings, Montana. The winner will also be notified by phone after the drawing. The estimated value of the grand prize is $258. The winner will redeem their prize by picking up their concert tickets at the ‘WILL CALL' desk of the MetraPark arena anytime between 4:00pm Saturday, April 9, 2011 and the start of the concert at 8:00pm Sunday, April 10, 2011.
CONDITIONS
1. The winner will be notified by telephone by Q2. Winner may call Q2 at 406-252-5611 to claim the prize if they learn their name has been drawn as set out in paragraph 3 above. KTVQ nor concert promoter shall have any responsibility for failure to claim any prize based on mechanical or printing errors, or allegations of telephone difficulties.
4. As a condition to being eligible to enter the Contest, or to receive any prize, all Contestants are by their entries submitted, subject to the terms of these Official Contest Rules as well as the statements contained in the entry form itself. As a condition to being awarded the grand prize, the winners must execute a written release of Q2 and concert promoter from any and all liability arising out of participation in the Contest and receipt and use of the prizes. (See "Agreements & Releases" below.)
5. All federal, state and local taxes, if any, levied on the receipt of the prizes shall be the sole responsibility of the winners. The prizes are not transferable to third parties nor can they be resold, exchanged, or redeemable for cash.
6. All decisions of KTVQ are final.
7. Determination of the eligibility and acceptability of all entries, Contestants and winner(s) are in the sole discretion of KTVQ and are final.
8. Winners must show proof of identification and sign an affidavit of eligibility and release.
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Lady Gaga Confirmed as the Godmother of Elton John's Son

http://celebs.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474979190337

April 05, 2011 07:10 AM EDT

comments: 1

The son of Elton John now has an unlikely godmother - Lady Gaga. The little boy was born in December, and the identity of his godmother had been kept secret until just recently. When Elton John appeared on Saturday Night Live this weekend, he let the cat out of the bag.

According to Pop Eater, he said the following during the broadcast: "For those of you concerned that we are unusual parents, don't worry. It's not like we are the only two people involved in the child's life. His godmother is Lady Gaga. That is true. It's not a joke. Lady Gaga is his actual godmother, which is ironic, because I've always said that Mars ain't the kind of place to raise your kids. And Gaga loves Mars. She says Mars has good schools and great discos."

Little Zachary certainly has a mix of people around him. Some might say an odd mix even, but there is nothing wrong with that. What is most important in the life of a child is love, and it certainly looks like Zachary has that around him with Elton John, David Furnish, and the addition of Lady Gaga in his life. Would you want Lady Gaga to be the godmother of your child though?

Lady Gaga is Elton John’s son Godmother

Baby God-Monster

http://923now.radio.com/2011/04/06/lady-gaga-is-eltons-baby-god-monster/

Kimberly Rae Miller

Photo by Christopher Polk/Getty Images

If you were watching Saturday Night Live last week and thought that Elton John was joking in his opening monologue when he let slip that Lady Gaga was his son’s godmother, you were wrong. And if you missed it entirely,
n his opening monologue (which you can watch above) John said, “For those of you concerned that we are unusual parents, don’t worry, it’s not like we are the only two people involved in the child’s life. His godmother is Lady Gaga. That is true. It’s not a joke. Lady Gaga is his actual godmother, which is ironic, because I’ve always said that Mars ain’t the kind of place to raise your kids. And Gaga loves Mars. She says Mars has good schools and great discos.”

Photos: Lady Gaga & Elton John Perform @ the 53rd Annual GRAMMYSview gallery

It left a few of us scratching our heads, but Elton’s long time partner David Furnish confirmed Zachary’s god-mama’s identity, “She’s all about inclusiveness and tolerance. She believes that you can be whoever you want to be and that we don’t have to live in a world of conformity and that we can all [benefit] from individuality. That’s the best message in the world. The freedom to be who you are, do what you want and love who you want to love.”
Can you imagine holidays with Lady Gaga and Elton John? That is going to be one fashion forward toddler!

Read more: Lady Gaga is Elton John’s Baby God-Monster http://923now.radio.com/2011/04/06/lady-gaga-is-eltons-baby-god-monster/#ixzz1IjyZRg2q

Read more: Lady Gaga is Elton John’s Baby God-Monster http://923now.radio.com/2011/04/06/lady-gaga-is-eltons-baby-god-monster/#ixzz1Ijxvbdn2

Fuse TV Review: Elton John Takes Over the Tube

http://artsfuse.org/?p=28177

Featured, TV (Gasp!) Add comments

Apr 062011

Whether Elton John aimed to appeal to a new demographic or simply wanted to cross “host SNL” off his bucket list, it was clear from the beginning of the show that he would be a charming, committed host.

by Molly Jay

Elton John on SNL -- He was a charming, committed host.

While last week was studded with a few attention grabbing events on television – Grey’s Anatomy’s musical episode, Stephen Colbert appearing on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon to sing the viral hit “Friday” – for the most part, programming seemed to be dominated by one individual, and for once it wasn’t Charlie Sheen. Instead, Elton John, who kicks off a worldwide tour on April 6, lit up the small screen, taking over Saturday Night Live as both the host and musical guest, and appearing on late night talk shows. His presence was also felt on American Idol, as the reality TV juggernaut featured an all-Elton night.
It’s hard to believe that John, who has sold over 250 million records, has never served as SNL’s host and musical guest before. In fact, he only appeared on the show once before, as the musical guest in 1982, with host Johnny Cash. Now, however, John has joined the ranks of such performers as Ray Charles, Garth Brooks and Britney Spears, as artists who have pulled a double duty on the late night staple.
Whether John aimed to appeal to a new demographic or simply wanted to cross “host SNL” off his bucket list, it was clear from the beginning of the show that he would be a charming, committed host. He delivered his monologue, which commonly drew laughs from his past drug use and pampered lifestyle, with the good-natured air of “laugh at me now, but at the end of the day, I’m still Elton John.” As he finished his opening, he promised a fun night and a great show. Unfortunately, what followed was an uneven program that may have had elements of fun, but certainly wasn’t great.
However, the show’s flaws seemed to lie within lazy, tired writing – not John himself. In the first half of the show, John was often overshadowed by surprise guests Carmelo Anthony and Tom Hanks (Hanks appeared in the digital short and two sketches – one of which didn’t even include John). Half of the sketches featured John playing himself, which enabled him to deadpan a few catty comments that felt both natural and organic, but kept his appearances fairly one-note. The other half of the show had John playing flamboyant characters, such as a gay movie critic who spent half the time kissing his partner (newcomer Taran Killam) and a unicorn-riding, turquoise outfit-wearing cowboy. For a host as game as John appeared, it was disappointing that the writers felt the need to rely on stale, obvious material.

Elton John as a cowboy on SNL

But perhaps John’s strongest showing this week was with a television program on which he didn’t appear. On American Idol, each contestant had to perform an Elton John original, and the talented singers proved that John’s music is still relevant, with some kids turning his pop songs into country tunes, reggae jams and hard rock anthems.
Perhaps most importantly, by allowing his music to be featured on the show, John has exposed a new generation to his music, and undoubtedly picked up a few more fans. Though John did not perform on the Los Angeles-based Idol, most likely because he was busy rehearsing in New York for SNL, he told Jimmy Fallon last week that he was happy with the talent competition’s theme, stating it is always a compliment when artists cover his work.
By taking over the tube this week, John proved that he is charming and witty, and most of all, still relevant, which is impressive given his first appeared on The Andy Williams Show in 1971. It’s hard not to look forward to the next time John makes his way around the networks, though hopefully he’ll have better material with which he can work.

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John’s latest album, The Union, was released in October of last year. While John’s tour will only be stopping in 12 U.S. cities, he will be swinging through the Northeast, playing in Rochester, New York on April 23.

Yes! Lady GaGa Really Is The Godmother To Elton John's Son!

http://perezhilton.com/2011-04-05-lady-gaga-really-is-the-godmother-to-elton-john-son

Filed under: Baby Blabber > Elton John > Lady GaGa
He told you so on Saturday. How come none of you believed him???
On SNL this past weekend, Elton John revealed in his monologue that he and his partner David Furnish decided to ask Lady GaGa to be the godmother to their son, Zac. The crowd had a laugh, but what they really should've been doing was applauding their hands off - because it is 100% true!
In fact, David pretty much confirmed not too long ago in an interview that she would be. Does no one remember this? Ugh! Alright, we'll refresh your memory! He told sources:

"She's all about inclusiveness and tolerance. She believes that you can be whoever you want to be and that we don't have to live in a world of conformity and that we can all [benefit] from individuality. That's the best message in the world. The freedom to be who you are, do what you want and love who you want to love."

Now, why wouldn't you want a person like that as your kid's godmother! C'mon!
Our heartiest congrats to GaGaloo for the esteemed honor and to Elton and David for making a fine choice. Zac is a very lucky little boy! So much love and light in his life!