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David Furnish Takes Son Zachary Jackson Levon Furnish-John To The Park

http://eltonjohnspics.blogspot.com/2012/05/exclusive-pics-david-furnish-takes-son.html

Exclusive Pics David Furnish Takes Son Zachary Jackson Levon Furnish-John To The Park While Elton John Recovers In Hospital

Elton John Out Of The Hospital, Condition Said To Be Improving

http://www.411mania.com/music/news/239898/Elton-John-Out-Of-The-Hospital,-Condition-Said-To-Be-Improving.htm

Elton John Out Of The Hospital, Condition Said To Be Improving 
Posted by Joseph Lee on 05.26.2012 


He's at home resting... 


ET Online reports that Elton John is now at home after a trip to the hospital for "a serious respiratory infection" that forced him to cancel shows in Las Vegas scheduled for this weekend.


John was rushed to the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles on Wednesday. A representative said he is now "at home and doing well". A spokeswoman for The Colosseum at Caesars Palace said on Wednesday that doctors told John to postpone his "Million Dollar Piano" concerts for at least a week to get rest while he receives antibiotics. 


John said in a statement: "I love performing this show and I will be thrilled when we return to The Colosseum in October to complete the eleven concerts soon to be scheduled. All I can say to the fans is sorry I can't be with you. I hope to see you soon at this wonderful theatre at Caesars Palace."

Elton John deixa hospital e se recupera bem

Elton John: boa recuperação após internação, diz porta-voz do cantor a site


Elton John está tendo uma boa recuperação após a sua hospitalização no início desta semana, de acordo com relatos do porta voz do cantor. As informações são do site NME, especializado em música.


Um porta-voz do cantor disse ao site ET Online que ele estava "em casa e passando bem" após sua internação no hospital. O cantor foi levado para o Cedars-Sinai Hospital, em Los Angeles no início na última  quarta-feira (23) com uma grave infecção respiratória, que o forçou a cancelar uma série de shows no Colosseum, em Las Vegas.


O cantor se desculpou com os fãs pelo cancelamento de seus shows e afirmou que não vê a hora de voltar a se apresentar.
"É uma sensação estranha, não ser capaz de realizar os shows do "Million Dollar Piano". Eu adoro me apresentar e ficarei muito feliz quando voltar a se apresentar em outubro para completar os 11 concertos. Tudo que posso dizer aos fãs é 'Me desculpem por eu não poder  estar com vocês'".

Cantor Elton John é internado com infecção respiratória grave

Cantor Elton John é internado com infecção respiratória grave
O músico passou a quarta-feira no Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, onde se submeteu a exames

http://www.correio24horas.com.br/noticias/detalhes/detalhes-3/artigo/elton-john-e-internado-com-infeccao-respiratoria-grave/


Cantor se internou por problema de saúde


Da Redação


O cantor Elton John foi hospitalizado em Los Angeles, nos EUA, por conta de de uma "grave infecção respiratória", de acordo com informações dadas nesta quinta-feira (24) pelo assessor de imprensa do músico. Elton John cancelou shows em Las Vegas por conta do problema de saúde.


O músico passou a quarta-feira no Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, onde se submeteu a exames. "Elton desenvolveu uma infecção respiratória grave na semana passada enquanto se apresentava no The Colosseum (em Las Vegas) no domingo, 20 de maio", disse seu assessor de imprensa, Fran Curtis, em comunicado.


Nessa semana, a condição do músico piorou, mesmo com repouso, ele precisou ser hospitalizado para passar por exames. "Os médicos recomendaram que ele não fizesse shows por aproximadamente sete dias, com repouso completo e tratamento com antibióticos para curar a infecção respiratória e evitar qualquer dano", continou Curtis. 


Elton John começou em setembro uma turnê de três anos, Million Dollar Piano, em Las Vegas, em um hotel-cassino. O artista divulgou nota dizendo estar "muito desapontado" com os cancelamentos.


"É estranho não poder realizar esses shows no Colosseum", disse. "Adoro promover essa apresentação e ficarei muito contente quando voltarmos ao Colosseum em outubro para completar 11 shows que serão agendados em breve. Tudo o que posso dizer aos fãs é me desculpem por não poder estar com vocês", disse.

Elton John in hospital with serious infection

Elton John in hospital with 'serious infection'



LOS ANGELES - Sir Elton John has been forced to cancel three upcoming concerts due to a respiratory infection, the superstar singer announced Thursday morning. According to information sent out by John's publicist, he developed a "serious respiratory infection" over the weekend during his weekly Las Vegas performances of "The Million Dollar Piano" show at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace.
After the condition worsened on Monday and Tuesday, the six-time Grammy winner and member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame was hospitalized at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles at 6 a.m. Wednesday, where he remained throughout the day. There he underwent tests, and his doctor recommended he take a week off for rest and to treat the infection with antibiotics.
As a result, John will cancel three performances scheduled for Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday at Caesar's Palace.
"It feels strange not to be able to perform these 'Million Dollar Piano' concerts at the Colosseum," said John in the press release. "I love performing this show and I will be thrilled when we return to the Colosseum in October to complete the 11 concerts soon to be scheduled. All I can say to the fans is sorry I can't be with you."
John and his band still plan to tour Europe this summer, starting June 1 in Germany.




Concern: The 65-year-old was taken to Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles around 6am yesterday

‎8700 Beverly Boulevard #6732 West Hollywood, CA 90048, 
(310) 423-3277

Elton John Hospitalized

Elton John Corporation Blog reached the milestone of 1,000,000 one million pages viewed

Elton John ´s Corporation Blog reached the milestone of 1,000,000 one million pages viewed  !!!

Thank You very much !!!


Débora Machado and Robson Vianna

Elton John AND Robin Gibb Up The Revolution feat. Bee Gees

Singer Robin Gibb, Bee Gees co-founder, dies at 62




Elton John - Up The Revolution (feat. Bee Gees)
Elton John sang this song, produced by Barry Gibb of the Bee Gees, as part of the British animated television show Bunbury Tails.

O filho de Elton John

O filho de Elton John
Maria Berenice Dias
Advogada
Ex-Desembargadora do Tribunal de Justiça-RS
Vice-Presidenta Nacional do IBDFAM
www.mariaberenice.com.br

http://www.mariaberenice.com.br/uploads/o_filho_de_elton_john_-_s.pdf

Filhos que os pais não querem ou não podem exercer o poder familiar
sempre existiram.  Legiões de crianças abandonadas, jogadas no lixo,
maltratadas, violadas e violentadas, escancaram esta realidade. A sorte é que
existem milhões de pessoas que desejam realizar o sonho de ter filhos.
Daí o instituto da adoção, um dos mais antigos que se tem notícia.
Agilizar este processo de encontrar um lar para quem quer alguém para
chamar de pai e de mãe deve ser a preocupação maior do Estado, pois não há
solução pior do que manter abrigados crianças, adolescentes e jovens.
Mas a onda fundamentalista e conservadora que vem tomando conta
deste país tem gerado empecilhos de toda a ordem para solucionar grave
problema social. Apesar de este ser um número que ninguém quer admitir,
existem mais de 100 mil menores de 18 anos de idade literalmente depositados
em instituições sobre as quais o Estado não consegue manter qualquer
controle. O Cadastro Nacional da Adoção busca mascarar este número, ao
indicar um pequeno contingente de crianças disponíveis à adoção, o que só
revela a enorme dificuldade de agilizar o processo de destituição do poder
familiar.

A Lei 12.010/2009, a chamada Lei Nacional da Adoção, não faz jus ao
nome, pois só veio dificultá-la. Na injustificável tentativa de manter a criança
com a família biológica se olvida que esta é a pior solução. Além de a justiça
levar muito tempo na busca de algum parente que a deseje, nem sempre ela
ficará em situação regular. A primeira tentativa é entregar a criança aos avós.
Como eles não podem adotá-lo, terão somente a guarda do neto, o que o deixa
em condição das mais precárias. Ao depois, sempre será estigmatizado como
o filho de quem não o quis e assim se sentirá quando encontrar a mãe nas
reuniões de família.

Fora isso, é tal a burocracia para disponibilizar crianças à adoção que,
quando finalmente isso acontece, muitas vezes ninguém mais as quer e os
candidatos a adotá-las perderam a delícia de compartilhar da primeira infância
do filho que esperaram durante anos na fila da adoção. É tão perverso o cerco
para impedir o acesso a crianças abrigadas que os adotantes sequer são
admitidos para realizar trabalho voluntário. E quem não está cadastrado
simplesmente não pode adotar.

Ao depois, de modo muito frequente, por medo de serem multados,
juízes e promotores arrancam crianças dos braços dos únicos pais que elas
conheceram para entregá-las ao primeiro casal habilitado, sem atentar que
estão impondo uma nova perda a quem teve a desdita de ter sido relegado.

Tudo em nome do respeito aos malsinados cadastros que deveriam servir para
agilizar a adoção e não para obstaculizá-la.
Mas é necessário chamar a atenção para uma nova realidade que não é
possível encobrir. Em face das enormes percalços impostos à adoção, ao invés
de se sujeitarem a anos de espera, quem deseja ter filhos está fazendo uso
das modernas técnicas de reprodução assistida.

O nascimento do filho do cantor Elton John e de seu marido David
Furnish é um exemplo emblemático. Depois de terem tentado, sem sucesso,
adotar um órfão ucraniano, portador do vírus HIV, fizeram uso da gestação por
substituição, a chamada barriga de aluguel, que ocorreu nos Estados Unidos,
por ser procedimento não aceito na Inglaterra.

Aliás, o documentário da HBO denominado “Google Baby” mostra a
existência de uma verdadeira indústria que comercializa fertilizações e está
sendo utilizada com enorme desenvoltura. Os candidatos escolhem via internet
a mulher que se dispõe a vender seus óvulos. Ela se submete a um tratamento
que multiplica o número de óvulos, que são extraídos, congelados e
transportados para que a inseminação seja feita no país onde os contratantes
residem. Depois da fecundação o embrião é levado para a Índia, onde o
procedimento é permitido e os custos são baixos. Implantado em mães
gestacionais, elas ficam confinadas durante a gravidez. Após o nascimento, o
filho é entregue a quem contratou o serviço, que o registra em seu nome.
Apesar de esta ser uma prática legítima, tem um efeito assustador, pois
impede que as crianças abandonadas que se encontram espalhadas pelo
mundo tenham a chance de conseguirem uma família. Quem sabe perdem a
única possibilidade que teriam de sobreviver.

Não tivesse o governo da Ucrânia, de forma para lá de preconceituosa,
impedido a adoção homoparental, certamente a criança que o casal britânico
havia escolhido estaria a salvo da morte por inanição, destino mais provável de
milhões de crianças dos chamados países do terceiro mundo. Aliás, da mesma
injustificável recusa foram alvo Madonna e Angelina Jolie quando desejaram
adotar crianças dessas regiões.



Mesmo diante de todo o avanço econômico que tem empolgado os
brasileiros, a realidade por aqui não é diferente. A lei não proíbe, mas também
não admite de forma expressa a adoção por casais homoafetivos, o que leva
ainda alguns juízes a negar-lhes a habilitação conjunta.

Assim a solução que vem sendo encontrada por quem só deseja
concretizar o sonho de ter uma família com filhos é simplesmente gestá-los. Se
seus, se adotados ou fertilizados em laboratório, não importa, muitos querem
ter direito à convivência familiar.

O fato é que Estado não pode esquecer que tem o dever de cumprir o
preceito constitucional de dar proteção especial, com absoluta prioridade, a
crianças, adolescentes e jovens. E, se o caminho da adoção é obstaculizado
sobra um contingente de futuros cidadãos a quem é negado o espaço de
felicidade almejado por todos: o direito um lar doce lar.

Elton John said in a statement that Donna Summer was more than the Queen of Disco

Disco Queen Donna Summer dies at 63

Elton John said in a statement that Donna Summer was more than the Queen of Disco

"Her records sound as good today as they ever did. That she has never been inducted into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame is a total disgrace especially when I see the second-rate talent that has been inducted," he said. "She is a great friend to me and to the Elton John AIDS Foundation and I will miss her greatly."

THE 5TH ANNUAL WHITE TIE & TIARA PARTY TO BENEFIT THE ELTON JOHN AIDS FOUNDATION IN ASSOCIATION WITH CHOPARD JEWELERS. THE EVENT WAS HELD AT SIR ELTON JOHN'S HOME IN OLD WINDSOR, BERKSHIRE, ENGLAND.PIC SHOWS: (L-R) DONNA SUMMER, BARRY MANILOW, & SIR ELTON JOHN.

This is the website of my friend, Vilma Noel

http://www.vilmanoel.com/englishversion/ 

Vilma has an extensive resumè of sculpture, painting, engraving, jewelry design and has attended various conferences and workshops of sculpture, watercolors and oil painting.
The work of Vilma Nöel can also be found in private collections in United States, Japan, Holland, Germany, Belgium, Canada, Egypt, Greece, Switzerland, England, Italy, France, South Africa and Brazil

Sir Elton John greets the 'Rocket Men'

Sir Elton John greets the 'Rocket Men'

This video was specially recorded during Sir Elton John's Million Dollar Piano Show in Las Vegas, on 17 April 2012, 40 years to the day after his single Rocket Man was released around the world.

Continuing the celebration of ESA astronaut André Kuipers' music in space, British rock legend Sir Elton sent a special message to ESA, André and the crew of the ISS on the 40th anniversary of this classic song.

Sir Elton said, "When I was a boy Dan Dare was a comic book hero, and space travel just a romantic idea, not a reality. I was 14 years old when Yuri Gagarin became the first man in space; my songwriting partner Bernie Taupin was just 11. Bernie and I did not meet until 1967, and two years after we met, Neil Armstrong became the first man to step on to the moon.

"Our generation was smitten with the glory and excitement of space travel. 'Rocket Man' - and indeed 'Dan Dare' on the Rock of the Westies album - came from those boyhood dreams of travelling beyond the stars and looking back on Earth.

"Not long after the Rocket Man single was released, my band and I were invited to the NASA headquarters in Texas and shown around by Al Worden, Apollo 15 command module pilot. It was thrilling to find that real astronauts liked our song, Rocket Man, which was about an imaginary astronaut.

"Now, 40 years later, it's amazing to hear from the astronauts at the European Space Agency that they like the song and that it has been on the playlist on the International Space Station. I send my best wishes to ESA and all the crew, and my thanks for keeping those boyhood dreams alive."

André said, "This song has been an inspiration to many people who are interested in space, and especially those who wanted to become astronauts, including myself. It is certainly one of the most played songs here on the ISS, and we know it will accompany more astronauts into space in the future."

Rocket Man appeared on Elton John's album Honky Château, released also 40 years ago next week, on 19 May 1972.

Video copyright ESA/Rocket Music
Rocket Man written by E. John and B. Taupin
Music and concert excerpts, courtesy Rocket Music
Video produced by ESA/J. Makinen

Elton John foi vaiado durante seu show no Caesars Palace

Elton John foi vaiado durante seu show sexta-feira no Caesars Palace após repetidamente perder a paciência e jogando um copo de fezes e água em todo o estádio.

              Durante uma de suas explosões no Coliseu, o Rocket Man explodiu, dizendo "alguém na minha equipe de produção será (bleeping) demitido", um espião nos bastidores disse ao Jornal Revisão.

             "Ele fez um idiota de si mesmo", disse a fonte.

             O vencedor de seis Grammys começou seu show de 20 minutos depois e terminou 25 minutos mais cedo, de acordo com a fonte.

           Ajudantes eram vistos limpando a água após cada uma das explosões de John. Vaia surgiu após a quarta vez que ele jogou o copo de água.

             Sua birra pode ter sido gravada. O show estava sendo filmado por quase uma dúzia de câmeras. A dançarina postou um tweet no seu Twitter dizendo que ela estava gravando um vídeo com a lenda.

             Depois de cantar o final, "The Circle of Life", João deixou o palco imediatamente, de acordo com a testemunha ocular.

             "Nem uma palavra para o público ou um agradecimento à banda", disse ele.

      - NORM CLARKE, Vegas Confidential

ELTON JOHN BOOED AFTER LOSING TEMPER DURING SHOW

ELTON JOHN BOOED AFTER LOSING TEMPER DURING SHOW

http://www.lvrj.com/columnists/normclarke/breaking_news/ELTON-JOHN-BOOED-AFTER-LOSING-TEMPER-DURING-SHOW-151240035.html?ref=035

          Elton John was booed during his Friday show at Caesars Palace after repeatedly losing his temper and throwing a stool and water glass across the stage.

             During one of his outbursts at the Colosseum, the Rocket Man exploded, saying “somebody in my production team is (bleeping) fired,” a backstage spy told the Review-Journal.

            “He made an ass of himself,” said the source.

            The 65-year-old six-time Grammy winner started his show 20 minutes later and ended it 25 minutes early, according to the source.

          Stagehands were seen mopping up water after each of John’s outbursts. Booing erupted after the fourth time he threw his water glass.

            His tantrum may have been costly. The show was being filmed by almost a dozen cameras. A dancer posted a tweet on her Twitter feed saying she was shooting a video with the singing legend.

            After singing the finale, “The Circle of Life,” John left the stage immediately, according to the eye witness.

            “Not a word to the audience or a thank you to the band,” he said.

     --NORM CLARKE, Vegas Confidential

Sad world of Lev, Ukrainian orphan Elton John tried to adopt

I’m still stranded
Sad world of Lev, Ukrainian orphan 
Elton John tried to adopt


THE little lad Sir Elton John tried to adopt is now living a grim life in a rundown tower block — a world away from the singer’s palatial lifestyle


full article in:
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/4312910/Elton-John-orphan-Lev-Ageyeva-is-still-stranded-after-star-failed-to-adopt-him.html

Elton John perdeu contato com ucraniano que quis adotar

Elton John perdeu contato com ucraniano que quis adotar, diz jornal


http://ego.globo.com/famosos/noticia/2012/05/elton-john-perdeu-contato-com-ucraniano-que-quis-adotar-diz-jornal.html

O cantor tentou adotar Lev Ageyeva, hoje com 3 anos, quando este ainda era um bebê.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/4312910/Elton-John-orphan-Lev-Ageyeva-is-still-stranded-after-star-failed-to-adopt-him.html

Elton John, que tentou adotar o ucraniano Lev Ageyeva ainda bebê, nunca mais fez contato com a família da criança depois de ter sua tentativa frustrada, segundo matéria publicada pelo site do jornal "The Sun".
Segundo a avó do menino, Yulia, o cantor nunca mais procurou o menino, hoje com 3 anos, desde que ela se tornou sua guardiã legal em fevereiro de 2011.
Ao ter seu pedido de adoção negado, Elton John chegou a declarar que "nunca desistiria de Lev".
Atualmente, Lev - que vivia em um orfanato - mora com a avó e com o irmão, que é HIV positivo, em um bairro de subúrbio da cidade de Mariupol.
Yulia contou ao "The Sun" que perguntou se Elton John gostaria de ser o padrinho de Lev e nunca teve uma resposta de volta. Ela também falou que em novembro último, quando o artista se apresentou na capital Kiev, tentou contato com ele, mas não conseguiu.
Elton John e o companheiro David Furnish são pais de Zachary, 1 ano e 5 meses, nascido por meio de uma mãe de aluguel em Los Angeles.

Elton John dedicates 'Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me' to Adam Yauch

Elton John dedicates 'Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me' to Adam Yauch at a recent concert in Las Vegas.

Elton John kept the memory of Adam Yauch alive at a concert recently. Playing a piano, the English singer paid homage to the late Beastie Boys member by dedicating his performance of "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" to him.

Elton delievered the tribute when performing at the Million Dollar Piano concert which took place at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas. In his dedication, he remembered seeing the Beastie Boys on stage at the Greek Theater, Las Vegas in 2007.

"I had the time of my life. They were incredible," he recalled before adding, "It's so sad to leave behind the wife and the daughter. And to his family, we send our love and condolences."

In addition to saluting MCA, Elton mourned the loss of Dick Clark and The Band's Levon Helm.

Elton John's London music fest called off
http://music.msn.com/music/article.aspx?news=724549

April 29, 2012, 6:50 AM EST
WENN
A music festival set to be headlined by Elton John in London this summer has been called off.
Find: Who is rumored to play Elton John in a biopic?
Pride House was to be held on Clapham Common in the British capital during the Olympics to raise awareness of homophobia in sports. However, the event has been axed after a number of sponsors withdrew support, and organizers at PAPA Projects admitted the idea was "no longer commercially viable."
Check out msnNOW: The social trends people are talking about

A spokesperson for PAPA Projects says, "While the Olympics presents many great opportunities for event organizers, there have been numerous complexities surrounding the availability of talent, sponsors and resources."
Elton John and his partner David Furnish are believed to be pushing to help find another venue for the event.


Elton John’s décor

http://bibliolore.org/2012/04/28/elton-johns-decor/



When Elton John returned to London in 1991 after six weeks in an addiction recovery center it was essential to establish a new home that was free of associations with his former compulsive behavior. He rented Queensdale Place, fell in love with it, and bought and completely redecorated it with Biedermeier furniture and Regency and Neoclassical artwork.

Over the years Sir Elton’s passion turned to collecting photography and contemporary art, and in 2003 he decided that Queensdale would be the perfect context for exhibiting and enjoying his new collection. The auction of his former collection is documented in Elton John and his London lifestyle: London, Tuesday, 30 September 2003 (London: Sotheby’s, 2003).

Eike Batista quer Elton John no Brasil em 2013 no Rock in Rio

Eike Batista: bilionário compra 50% do Rock in Rio?

Eike Batista quer Elton John no Brasil em 2013 no Rock in Rio

http://whiplash.net/materias/news_839/154339-rockinrio.html

O bilionário brasileiro Eike Batista possivelmente está adquirindo 50% da marca Rock in Rio. A compra  deve ser anunciada de maneira oficial amanhã, 11 de maio, em uma entrevista coletiva no Rio de Janeiro.
Em conversa com a coluna "Gente Boa", do jornal "O Globo", Eike confessou que adora o festival e acha que ele pode ser usado para melhorar a imagem do Rio no mundo.



Para a próxima edição, o bilionário disse que gosta muito do Coldplay e que traria a banda para o festival, junto de Elton John e Madonna. Até agora a única atração confirmada é o show conjunto do Sepulturacom o grupo francês de percussão Tambours du Bronx.

Fonte: Eike Batista: bilionário compra 50% do Rock in Rio? - Novidades (Notícia) http://whiplash.net/materias/news_839/154339-rockinrio.html#ixzz1uYDocN4L

Elton John comes full circle for area ballet star in Love Lies Bleeding

9:10am Tuesday 8th May 2012 in News

Elton John
Ticket still on sale for Elton John's Taunton gig




9:10am Tuesday 8th May 2012 in News
http://www.thisisthewestcountry.co.uk/news/9686002.Ticket_still_on_sale_for_Elton_John_s_Taunton_gig/?ref=rss

TICKETS are still on sale for Taunton’s biggest gig of the year – Elton John at the County Ground this summer.
Elton and his band will bring their unforgettable live show back to the town for one special night on Sunday, June 3.
The reserved seating-only event will see Elton supported by special guests 2CELLOS, who will open the show.
Classically-trained musicians 2CELLOS have performed together since January, 2011, and have become internet sensations, landing a major record deal and management contract while under Elton’s wing.

Band members Luka Sulic and Stjepan Hauser joined Elton John and his band last summer as they toured the world.
Bringing the concert to Taunton will involve two 35-tonne cranes to lift the stage, six trucks to carry it and eight trucks for production equipment, such as sound, lights, video and wardrobe.
Some 40 crew members will be on the road, and putting the stage together once it reaches the County Ground will involve 60 people. Crews will be at the County Ground for five days preparing the venue, during which time 1,000 meals will be served, including 150 evening meals on the day of the concert.
Once the event begins, 44,000 watts of power will be needed to run the show, which will involve 9,000m of cable, 50 speakers, 40 mics on stage and two pianos.
Elton’s last Taunton gig in 2006 saw around 21,000 people pack the County Ground stands and seating on the pitch.Elton previously told the County Gazette: “Five years ago I played the County Ground and it was a fabulous event – a warm summer evening and a great Taunton crowd who certainly knew how to have fun – so I hope you’ll all come back to the County Ground in June and we can carry on with the party.”
For tickets call             0844-847 2441       or            0871-2310835      .






How to Request Funding
Open Call for Proposals
http://ejaf.org/how-to-request-funding/ 

The Elton John AIDS Foundation (EJAF) is pleased to announce an open request for proposals beginning May 1, 2012.
Organizations must complete an online Letter of Intent (LOI) by Friday May 18, 2012.  All LOIs will be reviewed by EJAF, and organizations approved to submit a full application will be notified in June, with full on-line applications due in July.  All full applications will be reviewed by EJAF and funding decisions will be communicated to applicants in December 2012.

Please note that if you are requesting renewed funding for a project supported by EJAF in 2011, you will need to fill out a different form. All organizations making a renewal request should contact EJAF staff for more information.

For this 2012 funding round, as in previous years, EJAF invites LOIs from any proposed project that is aligned with posted EJAF grant-making priorities, which include HIV programs focused on gay men’s health and rights, African American health and rights, youth mobilization for sexual health and rights, syringe access and harm reduction, post-prison community re-entry, and scale-up of quality HIV programming in the Southern U.S., Puerto Rico, Latin America, and the Caribbean.

Unsolicited proposals should request no more than $50,000 for activities during calendar year 2012.

Please also note the following parameters for all applicants and funding requests:
• EJAF will generally fund only one proposal per organization.
• EJAF will not fund grants to individuals or for-profit institutions, conferences or meetings, or infrastructure costs.
• Any charitable (not-for-profit) organization located in the U.S., Canada, the Caribbean, and Central and South America may apply for funding by the Elton John AIDS Foundation.  (Potential applicants in Africa, Asia, and Europe should apply to our sister Foundation in the UK.)

If you have any questions or need assistance with this application process, please contact Matt Blinstrubas at matt.blinstrubas@ejaf.org




Elton John comes full circle for area ballet star in Love Lies Bleeding
May 8, 2012By Mike Ross

 

http://www.gigcity.ca/2012/05/08/elton-john-comes-full-circle-for-area-ballet-star-in-love-lies-bleeding/ 

Consider the Six Degrees of Elton John in Alberta Ballet’s production of Love Lies Bleeding, at the Jubilee Auditorium Thursday through Saturday.
The ballet is based upon the life and music of Elton John, who is being played by dancer Kelley McKinlay, who grew up in Fort Saskatchewan, where he did not hang out with the hockey kids, who might’ve said something like “ballet ain’t fer lads!” which is exactly what the coal miner dad said before he saw the light in Billy Elliot, which was recently made into a musical by – you guessed it – Elton John.
“That’s a great segue right there,” says McKinlay with a laugh.
Like musical theatre, modern dance has invaded the mainstream with a vengeance. Shows like this are part of the reason. McKinlay says he was first exposed to Elton John’s music through Disney, which firmly fixes his age (29) because most (older) Elton John fans wouldn’t necessarily cite Disney as their seminal Elton John moment. Only well after the Rocketman racked up all those classic hits – many of them reinterpreted in Love Lies Bleeding – did he become One With Disney.
“I was a huge fan of Disney,” McKinlay says, “so it was hard not to know some Elton John songs. Even now. Maybe it’s because we’ve done this ballet, but it seems like everywhere you go they’re playing Elton John. He touched so many different generations.”
Television dance shows have had a huge impact on the popularity of modern dance – for fans and dancers alike – and if you’re expecting McKinlay to dump on So You Think You Can Dance? and its ilk, you’d be wrong.
He says, “There are so many dancers who bad mouth all those shows, saying it’s a joke, but I’m sorry, but how can it be? You’re getting people interested who would never in their right mind come to see a dance show. The fact that you’re exposing people to it is huge. Education is the biggest thing. I grew up in Fort Saskatchewan. Fort Saskatchewan is a tiny town. It’s a hockey town, and that’s OK. I was never friends with any of the hockey guys in school, but when I left and was in the papers all the time and travelling the world, I was getting all these e-mails from people wanting tickets.”
The guy from Cats said pretty much the same thing – as an eyewitness to young hockey dudes lining up for their first exposure to musical theatre and digging Cats unironically. This sort of thing would’ve been practically unheard of 10 years ago.
On the flip side, So You Think You Can Dance? means more fame and more work for people who actually know they can dance. McKinlay – who’s alternating the lead role in this production with Yukichi Hattori (who performs Thursday and Saturday; McKinlay performs Friday) – brings up the case of Sabrina Matthews, who worked with the Alberta Ballet before scoring a gig on So You Think You Can Dance Canada. She’s one of the most sought-after choreographers in the world.
To the question of how to dance the life of Elton John (if you think it’s hard to write about music, try dancing about architecture, to paraphrase Frank Zappa), McKinlay says that while the music and choreography in Love Lies Bleeding is always exactly the same, the true magic lies in the individual interpretation. People have observed that his and Hattori’s version “could not be more opposite,” McKinlay says. “It’s all done through movement, and people say body language is sometimes louder than words. And I think that’s a huge reason to why telling a story of a superstar through movement has been such a success, why people connect with the narrative so much. It reads so, so well.”
Love Lies Bleeding, which ends Alberta Ballet’s current season, plays Thursday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m. in the Jube. Click here for tickets.

ELTON JOHN Updated Rolling Stone '500 greatest' list stays old-school

ELTON JOHN
And his band, plus special guests


http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/whatson/eltonjohn



AT THE GREAT YORKSHIRE SHOWGROUND, HARROGATE
TUESDAY 5 JUNE 2012

LIMITED EDITION PREMIUM PACKAGE* TICKETS £100

A LIMITED NUMBER OF TICKETS HAVE BEEN GENEROUSLY DONATED BY SIR ELTON HIMSELF TO RAISE FUNDS FOR
THE SHEFFIELD INSTITUTE FOR TRANSLATIONAL NEUROSCIENCE (SITraN)
SITraN is leading the way in research into neurological illnesses such as Motor Neurone Disease and Parkinson’s Disease. With an ageing population, these diseases are affecting more and more people. By the age of 80, one in four people will have a neurological illness.

SITraN was the result of a major fundraising campaign by concerned individuals which led to a gift of £10 million – the largest philanthropic gift since the foundation of the University in 1905. We were delighted that Her Majesty The Queen opened the new institute in November 2010.

But there are still some key pieces of equipment needed – specifically a DNA sequencing machine, which costs nearly £400,000.

If you would like to see Sir Elton and help us with our cause, please do purchase tickets for the event. Tickets are priced at £100 each and the package includes:

• A premium ticket for the concert
• Transport from the University of Sheffield to and from Harrogate (optional)
BUY TICKETS NOW

Provisional timings (subject to change):

Gates/doors 3.00pm
Support 5.05pm
Interval 5.35pm
Elton John 6.00pm
Show finishes approximately 8.50pm
BUY TICKETS NOW

SITraN, opened by Her Majesty the Queen in November 2010, is leading the way in research into neurological illnesses such as Motor Neurone Disease and Parkinson’s Disease. For more information on SITraN go to: http://sitran.dept.shef.ac.uk/

Updated Rolling Stone '500 greatest' list stays old-school

The Beatles are seen during "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" album cover shoot: Ringo Starr, John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison. (AP)

WASHINGTON - If you believe Rolling Stone's 2012 list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/500-greatest-albums-of-all-time-19691231 bands just aren't making the kind of music they used to make.

In updating its 2003 list, Rolling Stone added 30 albums, while displacing 30 from its 500 greatest.

The top 10 remain the same:

Beatles -- "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band"
Beach Boys -- "Pet Sounds"
Beatles -- "Revolver"
Bob Dylan -- "Highway 61 Revisited"
Beatles -- "Rubber Soul"
Marvin Gaye -- "What's Going On"
Rolling Stones -- "Exile on Main Street"
Clash -- "London Calling"
Bob Dylan -- "Blonde on Blonde"
Beatles -- "White Album"
With four of the Beatles' albums in the top 10, some might question whether the Rolling Stones list skews too far toward its older readers.

The 2012 list includes three Kanye West albums -- "Late Registration," "The College Dropout," and "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy."

Radiohead makes the list twice, for "Amnesiac" and "In Rainbows."

Lil Wayne "Tha Carter III" joins the list, as does the late Amy Winehouse's "Back to Black."

Albums that slipped off the list include Beach Boys "Sunflower," David Bowie's "Changesone," Elton John's "Elton John" and Madonna's "Music."

Open Call for Proposals The Elton John AIDS Foundation

Open Call for Proposals The Elton John AIDS Foundation

http://grantfundingjournal.blogspot.com.br/2012/05/open-call-for-proposals-elton-john-aids.html

 Open Call for Proposals The Elton John AIDS Foundation (EJAF) is pleased to announce an open request for proposals beginning May 1, 2012.

 Organizations must complete an online Letter of Intent (LOI) by Friday May 18, 2012. All LOIs will be reviewed by EJAF, and organizations approved to submit a full application will be notified in June, with full on-line applications due in July. All full applications will be reviewed by EJAF and funding decisions will be communicated to applicants in December 2012. Please note that if you are requesting renewed funding for a project supported by EJAF in 2011, you will need to fill out a different form. All organizations making a renewal request should contact EJAF staff for more information. For this 2012 funding round, as in previous years, EJAF invites LOIs from any proposed project that is aligned with posted EJAF grant-making priorities, which include HIV programs focused on gay men’s health and rights, African American health and rights, youth mobilization for sexual health and rights, syringe access and harm reduction, post-prison community re-entry, and scale-up of quality HIV programming in the Southern U.S., Puerto Rico, Latin America, and the Caribbean. Unsolicited proposals should request no more than $50,000 for activities during calendar year 2012. Please also note the following parameters for all applicants and funding requests: • EJAF will generally fund only one proposal per organization. • EJAF will not fund grants to individuals or for-profit institutions, conferences or meetings, or infrastructure costs. • Any charitable (not-for-profit) organization located in the U.S., Canada, the Caribbean, and Central and South America may apply for funding by the Elton John AIDS Foundation. (Potential applicants in Africa, Asia, and Europe should apply to our sister Foundation in the UK.) If you have any questions or need assistance with this application process, please contact Matt Blinstrubas at matt.blinstrubas@ejaf.org

Caped Crusader, Rick Wakeman in the 1970s foreword by Elton John

“Caped Crusader, Rick Wakeman in the 1970s” foreword by Elton John. Friday, April 27, 2012 http://www.assistnews.net/Stories/2012/s12040143.htm

 Release of my Rick Wakeman book, Update on my sister Ruth, and Front Page Radio A Special Message from Dan Wooding By Dan Wooding Founder of ASSIST Ministries LAKE FOREST, CA (ANS) --

Dear ANS friends: Norma and I send to your all our warmest greetings and thank you for all your kind prayers and support and we especially welcome our many new subscribers to ANS. We trust that you will be both blessed and challenged by the many stories that you are receiving into your inbox several times a day. “Caped Crusader” book released Book cover It has been an exciting week for me with the news that the Gonzo Media Group has just released “Caped Crusader, Rick Wakeman in the 1970s,” my latest book with a foreword by Elton John.

 This is the authorized biography of my dear friend Rick Wakeman, who is arguably the world’s greatest rock keyboardist, and is lavishly illustrated with dozens of photos from Wakeman’s extraordinary career which includes the time it took off when he joined the folk group, Strawbs, in 1969, and played on three of their albums, and later rose to greater heights during his times with the British super group, Yes, and wowed the fans around the world with his incredible performances.

 Wakeman has produced over 100 solo albums that have sold more than 50 million copies and you can an incredible solo by him by going to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDsvZGM1vD8

 I was the first journalist to ever write a story about Rick Wakeman. It occurred more than 40 years ago while I was working on a local newspaper in Ealing, West London, the Middlesex County Times, at which my dear colleague, Michael Ireland, also worked as a reporter. I was looking for stories for the paper and had just called in on a shop called the Musical Bargain Centre in South Ealing Road, and it was then that I heard someone playing amazing keyboards at the back of the store.I waited until he had finished and then talked with him.

That person was Rick Wakeman and he told me that he was then a student at the Royal College of Music in London and was also doing sessions with different musicians. He told me had had just played piano on and arranged Morning Has Broken for Cat Stevens and also played Mellotron on Space Oddity for David Bowie. Both went on to become number 1 hits in both the UK and the USA.

 Elton John, Dan Wooding and Rick Wakeman

 Rick told me that he had never been interviewed before, so I wrote up the story for the paper and we became best friends. He invited me to his home in Northolt and I sat there spellbound as he played for me on his home piano. I had never heard anything like it. I shared with him a little about my background, explaining to him that I was born of missionary parents in Nigeria, and it was then that Rick told me that he was also a Christian and had been baptized at South Harrow Baptist Church and, at that time, was also a Sunday School teacher there.

 As his career blossomed, I went on to write his authorized biography, and this latest one, which contains some updates, has been reissued and slighly updated, along with Elton John’s foreword, and the three of us even had our picture taken together at Brentford F.C. for the back cover of the book. Rick and I have remained close friends for all these years and he has also performed several concerts for ASSIST in the United States. I have been asked about the title, well that comes from the fact that the blond figure of Wakeman would wrap his glittering shimmering cape around his giant frame and head on stage at arenas around the world to start another incredible performance on his battery of electronic keyboards. And, even today, the “Caped Crusader” continues to push back the limits of music with his extraordinary talents. The purchase a copy of “Caped Crusader” just go to:

http://www.amazon.com/CAPED-CRUSADER-Rick-Wakeman-1970s/dp/1908728302/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1335474883&sr=1-1

GUY HOBBS x ELTON JOHN AND BERNIE TAUPIN

GUY HOBBS x ELTON JOHN AND BERNIE TAUPIN - 

DOC: http://www.entlawdigest.com/2012/04/30/eltonJohn.pdf

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF ILLINOIS, EASTERN DIVISION
GUY HOBBS, an individual,  )
)
Plaintiff, ) Case No.
)
v. )
) PLAINTIFF DEMANDS
ELTON JOHN a/k/a SIR ELTON HERCULES ) TRIAL BY JURY
JOHN, an individual, BERNARD JOHN )
TAUPIN a/k/a BERNIE TAUPIN, )
an individual, and BIG PIG MUSIC LTD., )
a foreign business organization, form unknown, )
)
Defendants. )
COMPLAINT
Plaintiff, GUY HOBBS, by and through his attorney, Daniel J. Voelker of the Voelker
Litigation Group, complains against Defendants, ELTON JOHN a/k/a SIR ELTON HERCULES
JOHN, BERNARD JOHN TAUPIN a/k/a BERNIE TAUPIN,  and BIG PIG MUSIC LTD., as
follows:
I.  JURISDICTION AND VENUE
1. This action is brought, and subject matter jurisdiction lies within this Court,
pursuant to 28 U.S.C. Sections 1331 and 1338.  This Court has federal question jurisdiction in
this matter in that Plaintiff seeks damages and injunctive relief against Defendants named herein
under Sections 501 through 505 of the Copyright Act of 1976, 17 U.S.C. § 101, et seq.  This
Court has pendant jurisdiction over any claims asserted herein which arise under state law,
including, without limitation, claims seeking the imposition of a constructive trust and the
performance of an accounting, in that such claims flow from a common nucleus of operative
facts.2
2. Venue lies within this Court pursuant to 28 U.S.C. Sections 1391(b)(2)-(3),
1391(c), 1391(d), and 1400(a) in that a substantial part of the acts and omissions giving rise to
Plaintiff’s claims occurred in this District.  In particular, on information and belief, the corporate
defendant, Big Pig Music Ltd., among other things, carried (and carries) out substantial, ongoing
business activities in this District, and a substantial part of Defendants’ acts and omissions in
exploiting the musical composition at issue that give rise to Plaintiff’s claims for copyright
infringement occurred in this District as well.
II.  PARTIES
3. Plaintiff, Guy Hobbs (“Hobbs”), is an individual who resides in  Cape Town,
South Africa, and is a citizen of South Africa.
4. On information and belief, Defendant, Elton John a/k/a Sir Elton Hercules John
(“John”),  is, and at times relevant hereto was, an individual residing in Windsor, United
Kingdom, and Atlanta, Georgia.
5. On information and belief, Defendant, Bernard John Taupin a/k/a Bernie Taupin
(“Taupin”), is, and at all times relevant hereto was, an individual residing in Santa Ynez,
California.
6. On information and belief, Defendant, Big Pig Music Ltd. (“Big Pig”), is a
foreign business organization, form unknown, with its principal place of business located in
London, United Kingdom.
1
                                             
1
Defendants, John, Taupin, and Big Pig, are sometimes collectively referred to herein as
“Defendants.”3
III.  FACTS COMMON TO ALL CLAIMS
7. Hobbs is an award-winning freelance photojournalist. He was born in Australia,
but raised and educated in the United Kingdom.
8. After three years of studying photography at Salisbury Art College in the United
Kingdom,  Hobbs took his first job as a photographer on a Russian  cruise ship,  the  Taras
Shevchenko, at the beginning of 1982. While on board the Russian cruise ship, Hobbs became
romantically involved with one of the Russian waitresses.  Their relationship occurred during the
height of the Cold war.  The Russian crew could not leave the cruise ship, but Hobbs had the
freedom to travel anywhere he wanted.
9. Before leaving the Taras Shevchenko in the Spring of 1982, Hobbs was inspired
by his experiences with the Russian waitress to write a song in his cabin called “Natasha,” which
consists of wholly-original material.  The song centers around an impossible love affair between
a Western man and a Russian  woman  during the Cold War. “Natasha”  was, and is, a
copyrightable matter under the laws of the United States.
10. In April 1982, Hobbs transferred to a Greek ship.  After a year at sea, he moved to
London for two years.  On May 10, 1983, Hobbs registered his copyright of  “Natasha” in the
United Kingdom  through the process proscribed by the United Kingdom Intellectual Property
Office.  In addition, he attempted to find someone to compose music to accompany his lyrics, but
could never connect with the right person.
11. Based on information he found in a quarterly magazine called “The Songwriter,”
which came out on or about September 1, 1984, Hobbs also forwarded the lyrics to “Natasha” to
several music publishers of male solo artists, asking them to consider publishing his lyrics and
assist him to connect with singer/songwriter collaborators. Big Pig was one of the music 4
publishing companies to which Hobbs sent his lyrics.  At that time, he believed that Big Pig was
an independent publishing company.  He was unaware that Big Pig’s sole purpose was to publish
only the songs written and composed by John and Taupin.
12. On November 11, 1983, Hobbs again registered his copyright of “Natasha” in the
United Kingdom, along with four other lyrics he had written.
13. In October 1984, having had no success with his  lyrics,  Hobbs returned to his
career as a photojournalist. He traveled  to Africa to commence a series of photo essays for
international geographical magazines like GEO in Germany. He lived and worked in Africa for
the next  ten years. Hobbs then owned his own photo agency, World Focus Features, in
Johannesburg, South Africa, for a few years. In the early 2000’s, Hobbs started a manufacturing
and distribution company in Cape Town, South Africa.
14. In 2001, Hobbs came across the written lyrics of “Nikita” for the first time in a
song book. “Nikita” involves an impossible love between a Western man and an East German
woman during the Cold War.  When  Hobbs read the lyrics,  he was shocked by  the  many
similarities between the lyrics of “Nikita” and “Natasha.”
15. Since 2001, Hobbs has been consistently communicating with John, Taupin and
their attorneys demanding compensation for the unauthorized use of his lyrics for “Natasha.”
16. Hobbs registered a copyright for a collection of his lyrics entitled “Guy Hobbs
Lyric  collection 1 (1982-2010),” which included the song “Natasha,” on  January 13, 2011
(Registration Number PAu3537361).
17. John is an immensely successful solo artist who has recorded numerous Top Forty
hit songs and has achieved global stardom over the past 45 years. That success is based largely 5
on John’s collaboration with Taupin on over 30 albums to date, which have sold more than 250
million records.
18. On information and belief, Big Pig is owned entirely by John and Taupin and was
created to publish and promote their music.  At all times at issue in this Complaint, Taupin wrote
poetical lyrics, independent of and usually in a different location to John.  Then, John would
rework those lyrics into suitable song structures and compose a catchy melody. In late 1984 and
early 1985, Taupin’s and John’s creative process was under considerable strain because the two
were struggling to produce enough songs to fill two albums.
19. One of those  two  albums,  Ice on Fire, contained the song “Nikita,” and was
released in late 1985.  According to the copyright application, John and Taupin created the song
in 1985.
20. On information and belief, the song “Nikita”  has  appeared  (and continues to
appear)  on over 200 other albums, including compilation John albums and cover versions by
other artists.
21. There are significant similarities between Hobbs’ composition, “Natasha” and
John/Taupin’s composition “Nikita”.
22. On information and belief, both John and Taupin copied and incorporated
substantial, original portions of Hobbs’ “Natasha” in their musical composition, “Nikita.”
23. On information and belief, both John and Taupin were aware of, participated in,
and contributed to the exploitation of the lyrics of “Natasha” in the United States of America,
including in this District, through sales of albums, CDs, digital downloads, radio and television
airplay, and otherwise. 6
24. On information and belief, John and Taupin have earned millions of dollars in
revenue through their exploitation of “Natasha” and continue  currently  to actively exploit the
lyrics worldwide, including in this District, through sales of CDs, radio and television airplay,
and otherwise.
25. On information and belief, John’s and Taupin’s musical composition and sound
recording of “Nikita” was a top ten hit in most countries worldwide.  “Nikita” is John’s third
most popular solo hit of his entire career, according to the average rankings of the major global
charts.
26. In 1986, John and Taupin received the prestigious Ivor Novello Award for
“Nikita” as the “Best Written Song of the Year.”
27. On information and belief, Big Pig copyrighted the musical composition entitled
“Nikita.”  The Certificate of Registration for “Nikita” is identified as “PA0000267371 / 1985-11-
18.”  The authorship on the application for words and music lists John and Taupin.
28. John and Taupin never sought or obtained Hobbs’ permission to copy, duplicate,
perform, or otherwise use his lyrics  to  “Natasha” in their musical composition and sound
recording of “Nikita.”
29. John and Taupin’s copying, duplication, use, performance, and exploitation of
“Natasha” in their musical composition and sound recording of “Nikita” constitutes infringement
of Hobbs’ copyright of the lyrics of the song “Natasha.”
30. John and Taupin’s infringing acts are willful, deliberate, and committed with prior
notice and knowledge of Hobbs’ authorship and copyright.  At a minimum, Defendants acted in
reckless disregard of Hobbs’ authorship and copyright.7
31. On information and belief, each Defendant earned and received tens of millions of
dollars and other valuable benefits and consideration from their use of Hobbs’ lyrics “Natasha”
in their composition “Nikita”.
COUNT I
(COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT AS TO
“NATASHA” – AGAINST ALL DEFENDANTS)
32. Plaintiff repeats and realleges Paragraphs 1 through 31 of the Complaint as
Paragraph 32 of Count I of the Complaint as though they were fully pled herein.
33. Hobbs is, and at all relevant times has been, the sole owner of the copyright of the
lyrics “Natasha.”  As such, Hobbs is entitled and authorized to protect his  lyrics against
copyright infringement, including the enforcement of copyright actions.
34. On information and belief, since at least 1985, John and Taupin infringed, and are
currently infringing, upon Hobbs’ copyright of the lyrics to “Natasha,” including use of the lyrics
in Hobbs’ composition  “Natasha” in  John’s and Taupin’s musical composition and sound
recording of “Nikita” and causing the same to  be  publicly distributed in retail stores, on the
internet, by digital download, through radio and television airplay, and otherwise, including in
this District.
35. Hobbs did not authorize John or Taupin to copy, reproduce, perform, or use the
lyrics  in Hobbs’ composition  “Natasha” in their musical composition or sound recording of
“Nikita” or at all.  Defendants did not seek or obtain any permission, consent, or license from
Hobbs for the copying, reproducing, performing, or using the lyrics in Hobbs’ composition
“Natasha” in the composition or recording of “Nikita,” or in any uses thereof that were made or
authorized by John or Taupin, or at all.8
36. Defendants’ infringing acts alleged herein are willful, deliberate, and committed
with prior notice and knowledge of Hobbs’ authorship and copyright. At a minimum,
Defendants acted in reckless disregard of Hobbs’ authorship and copyright.
37. Hobbs is also entitled to recover his attorneys’ fees and costs under 17 U.S.C.
Section 505.
COUNT II
(CONSTRUCTIVE TRUST – AGAINST ALL DEFENDANTS)
38. Plaintiff repeats and realleges Paragraphs 1 through 37 of the Complaint as
Paragraph 38 of Count II of the Complaint as though they were fully pled herein.
39. By virtue of their wrongful conduct, Defendants  have  illegally received money
and profits that rightfully belonged to Plaintiff.
40. Therefore, John, Taupin, and Big Pig are involuntary trustees, holding the gross
receipts from the product sales and revenues of “Nikita” to the extent attributable to “Natasha”
and attributable to the infringement of Hobbs’ copyright therein.
41. Defendants hold the moneys and funds referenced in Paragraphs 38 through 40
above on behalf of and subject to a first and prior lien against all others and in favor of Plaintiff.
On information and belief, Defendants hold this illegally received money and profits in the form
of bank accounts, real properties, and personal property that can be located and traced.
42. Hobbs is entitled to the remedy of a constructive trust in view of Defendants’
wrongful infringement of Hobbs’ copyright of “Natasha.”9
COUNT III
(ACCOUNTING – AGAINST ALL DEFENDANTS)
43. Plaintiff repeats and realleges Paragraphs 1 through  42 of the Complaint as
Paragraph 43 of Count III of the Complaint as though they were fully pled herein.
44. Under 17 U.S.C. Section 504, Plaintiff may recover any and all profits of
Defendants that are attributable to their acts of infringement.
45. A balance is due from John, Taupin, and Big Pig, and each of them, to Hobbs for
misappropriation of profits and gross receipts arising from or attributable to their copying,
reproducing, performing, and using Hobbs’ lyrics in his composition “Natasha” in John and
Taupin’s musical composition and sound recording “Nikita.”
46. The exact amount of money due from Defendants is unknown to Plaintiff at this
time and can be ascertained only through an accounting. Plaintiff seeks an order from this Court
directing Defendants to provide Plaintiff with an accounting and payment of the amount due as a
result of the accounting, plus interest.
PRAYER FOR RELIEF
WHEREFORE,  Plaintiff,  GUY HOBBS, respectfully requests judgment against
Defendants, ELTON JOHN a/k/a SIR ELTON HERCULES JOHN, BERNARD JOHN TAUPIN
a/k/a BERNIE TAUPIN, and BIG PIG MUSIC LTD., and each of them, jointly and severally, as
follows:
1. That this Court  enters judgment against Defendants, Elton John a/k/a Sir Elton
Hercules John, Bernard John Taupin a/k/a Bernie Taupin, and Big Pig Music Ltd., and each of
them, that Defendants have: (a)  infringed  Plaintiff’s rights in the copyright  of the lyrics
“Natasha” under 17 U.S.C. Section 501, and that the infringement by Defendants, and each of 10
them, was willful; and (b)  otherwise injured the business reputation and goodwill of Hobbs
through the acts and conduct set forth in this Complaint;
2. For the damages suffered by Plaintiff as a result of the infringement complained
of herein, as well as disgorgement of any profits from Defendants attributable to their
infringement, including the value of all gains, profits, advantages, benefits, and considerations
derived by Defendants from and as a result of their infringement  of  Plaintiff’s copyright of
“Natasha”;
3. In the alternative, if Plaintiff so elects, in lieu of recovery of his actual damages
and Defendants’ profits, for a 17 U.S.C. Section 504(c) award of statutory damages against
Defendants, or any of them, for all copyright infringements (willful or otherwise) involved in this
action as to each work in question;
4. That Defendants, and each of them, and each of their respective officers, agents,
and employees, and all persons acting in concert with them, be enjoined preliminarily, during the
pendency of this action, and permanently thereafter, from falsely marketing, advertising, and
promoting “Nikita” as a song written by John and Taupin;
5. That this Court  enters an order pursuant to 15 U.S.C. Sections 503 and 509
mandating the impounding of all infringing copies of “Nikita” and any other materials prepared
by Defendants containing any copies of the musical composition or sound recording of “Nikita”
or any portions thereof;
6. That this Court declare, adjudge, and decree that John, Taupin, and Big Pig, and
each of them, have been and are involuntary constructive trustees, holding the gross receipts
from the copying, reproduction, performance, and use of “Nikita” to the extent attributable to 11
“Natasha” or their misuse of the protectable interests of Plaintiff in “Natasha,” and that John,
Taupin, and Big Pig, and each of them, hold all such monies and funds on behalf of and subject
to the first and prior lien against all others and in favor of Plaintiff;
7. That John, Taupin, and Big Pig, and each of them, be required to account for and
pay over to  Plaintiff all gains and profits derived from or attributable to the copying,
reproduction, performance, or use of the lyrics in Plaintiff’s composition “Natasha,” or any other
uses of all or part of this song, made or authorized by John, Taupin, or Big Pig, or any of them,
in any format, media, or market, in connection with the musical composition and sound
recording of “Nikita”;
8. For reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs of suit incurred herein; and
9. For such other and further relief in favor of Plaintiff as this Court deems just and
proper.
Respectfully submitted,
GUY HOBBS,
Plaintiff
By: /s/ Daniel J. Voelker
                   One of His Attorneys
Daniel J. Voelker, Esq.
VOELKER LITIGATION GROUP
311 W. Superior Street, Suite 500
Chicago, Illinois 60654
T:  (312) 870-5430
F:  (312) 870-5431
dvoelker@voelkerlitigationgroup.com
www.voelkerlitigationgroup.com
Dated:  April 26, 2012