Thursday, November 05, 2009

Good news...

Elton John Leaves Hospital

Originally posted Thursday November 05, 2009 09:15 AM EST

Elton John Photo by: Andrew Theodorakis / AP
Elton John Leaves Hospital | Elton John
It's back to the yellow-brick road for Elton John – who left the hospital early Thursday after illness had forced him to cancel a series of concerts.

The singer, 62, was treated at a hospital last weekend in London after suffering from flu and a "serious case" of e. coli bacterial infection, his Web site said.

His spokesman Gary Farrow tells PEOPLE the singer is now "fine."

The hitmaker (I'm Still Standing, Rocket Man) will resume his concert schedule in Oakland and San Jose, Calif., where he will join Billy Joel on Nov. 14 and 17.
Simon Perry

Tuesday, November 03, 2009

Elton cancels shows due to E-coli and the flu...

Elton John Cancels Tour: E-Coli Blamed » Right On Music

Elton John has canceled several shows after suffering from flu-like symptoms and extreme fatigue.

The 62-year-old icon was hospitalized and is being treated for an E. coli bacterial infection and influenza, but told fans,

Dont worry, Im fine.

Johns civil spouse, David Furnish, also came out to reassure fans saying, Hes OK. Hes fine.



Monday, October 19, 2009

Instant Live CDs of The Red Piano Tour



THE ULTIMATE SOUVENIR OF THE ELTON JOHN RED PIANO TOUR!

Exclusive limited edition instant live CDs of selected dates on the Elton John Red Piano tour, only available from Concert Live.

Still as relevant as ever, Elton Johns unforgettable Red Piano Show debuted in Las Vegas in 2004, where it had an unprecedented 5 year run, with over 248 performances and playing to over a million fans. The show now hits the road for a European tour showcasing many of Eltons classic hits from his 30 year career.

Featuring many of his classic hits, Each 3CD live recording is presented in exclusive packaging with bespoke artwork and including a double CD from the performance and an innovative 3rd encore disc. This means fans collecting at-concert will be able to download the end of the concert as soon as they get home, and get their hands on the live CD the moment the show finishes!

Pre-order your CD now and dont miss out on these incredible collectable live CDs of this musical legend's tour.

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Elton on Brandi Carlile's new album.

Elton plays and sings on "Caroline" which can be heard at Billboard.com as well as the rest of the album.



Elton and Ray Setlist for September 24

Wow, what a setlist!

Elton solo

* The One
* Sixty Years On
* The Greatest Discovery
* Border Song
* The Ballad of the Boy in the Red Shoes
* The Emporer's New Clothes
* Rocket Man
* The Weight of the World
* American Triangle
* Skyline Pigeon
* House
* Tiny Dancer
* Original Sin
* Blues Never Fade Away
* Your Song

Elton with Ray Cooper

* Funeral for a Friend/Tonight
* Better Off Dead
* Come Down In Time
* Levon
* Indian Sunset
* I Think I'm Gonna Kill Myself
* Daniel
* Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word
* Take Me To The Pilot
* Carla Etude
* Blessed
* Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me
* Honky Cat
* Crazy Water
* Saturday Night's Alright (For Fighting)

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Elton and Ray Instant Live CDs

* For the first time in almost 15 years, the legendary Elton John and Ray Cooper are reunited on stage.

* The duo will perform together in September and October 2009. Concert Live will record these special shows, creating an instant live CD at all European dates on the tour.

* Each 3CD live recording is presented in exclusive packaging with bespoke artwork and including a double CD from the performance and an innovative 3rd encore disc.

* This means that for the first time ever, fans collecting at-concert will be able to download the end of the concert as soon as they get home, and get the live CD the moment the show finishes!

* This is THE must have live CD for any Elton John fan and these CDs are strictly limited edition, so pre-order now. Just click the image to order your copy.

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

More Elton Instant Live CDs

Elton John and percussionist Ray Cooper perform together in September and October 2009 and once again Concert Live will record these shows and create an instant CD. Concert Live are recording the following dates in France and Italy, mixing these CDs in real time and producing the ultimate deluxe 3CD souvenir set from this tour.

24th September Nantes Zenith
26th September Amneville La Galaxie
27th September Grenoble Palais Des Sports
29th September - Milan Mediolanum Forum
30th September Toulouse Zenith
2nd October Paris Palais Des Congres

Each set will include a double CD from the performance and an innovative 3rd encore disc. This means fans collecting at-concert will be able to download the end of the concert as soon as they get home, and get the live CD the second the show finishes!

The CDs are strictly limited edition and are the ultimate souvenir for any Elton John fan, perfectly capturing the genius of Elton John featuring Ray Cooper on percussion, reunited on stage for the first time in almost 15 years. You can pre-order your live CD now, either for collection immediately after the concert or for home delivery. Simply visit the Concert Live website (www.concertlive.co.uk) and order now to avoid missing out on this exclusive offer.

Go here to view the product page.

Friday, September 04, 2009

Sad News: Guy Babylon has died

Guy Babylon, keyboard played in the E.J. band, died in L.A, Septembe


September 3, 2009
By the Editor/eltonjohn.com


It is with great sadness that we announce the sudden death of Guy Babylon, keyboard played in the Elton John band. Guy died in Los Angeles on Wednesday,
September 2.

Elton, who is on holiday in Nice, France, said the following when he heard the news:

"I am devastated and heartbroken at the death of Guy Babylon. Guy played over 1000 shows with me, and we worked together on The Road To El Dorado, Aida, Billy Elliot, Lestat and Gnomeo and Juliet, as well as on countless albums. "He was one of the most brilliant musicians I ever knew, a true genius, a gentle angel - and I loved him so much. David and I send our deep condolences to Kathy, Max, Ben and Jessica, to Guy's parents, to Kathy's parents and to all his immediate loved ones."

Keyboardist/composer Guy Babylon was born on 20 December, 1956 in Maryland, USA. He moved to California in 1980, six months after graduating from the University of South Florida, and became a respected session musician in Los Angeles.

Over the next number of years, Guy composed music for radio, TV and cable shows,
doing demo work for bands and songwriters, and putting together a home studio in
North Hollywood. During that time he played with acts as diverse as Iron Butterfly and Tavares, and was a member of the band Ashton, which also included future Elton John bassist, Bob Birch.

Guy's career accelerated in March 1987 when he won Keyboard Magazine's Reader
Tape Contest with his entry, Babylon Bleu. Also in 1987, Guy co-wrote and performed on Siedah Garrett's K.I.S.S.I.N.G., which became a Number One dance
hit in the US.

It was also around this time that Guy first met Elton's guitarist and band leader, Davey Johnstone.

More than a year after playing keyboards on a side project of Davey's, Guy got a
call from the guitarist asking if he was interested in playing some live shows as Elton's second keyboardist, joining Fred Mandel. He said he'd be happy to.

Guy's first performance with Elton was for a benefit at the Century Plaza Hotel
in Los Angeles in July 1988, and his first world tour as part of the Elton John Band began two months later in Miami, Florida.

Guy became lead keyboardist on May 26, 1992, and has been the only synth man on
stage since the Walden Woods Benefit Concert in the fall of 1993.

Guy also created musical intros to some of the tour's opening numbers, including
Bennie And The Jets (1989), Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me, (1992) and Pinball
Wizard (1993), and reinterpreted the synthesizer intro to Funeral For A Friend
for the live shows.

Guy's first studio work with Elton was on the 1989 album Sleeping With The Past.
Other albums he performed on since then are The One, Duets, The Lion King, Made
In England, Love Songs, The Big Picture, Elton John & Tim Rice's Aida, Peachtree
Road, The Captain And The Kid and The Red Piano, as well as other one-off
projects.

Guy began writing orchestral arrangements for Elton's material with the song Man, from the album Made In England, and subsequently arranged all but one of the songs on Peachtree Road.

Guy won a Grammy Award in 2001 for his work arranging the stage musical Aida.

He served as the Musical Supervisor, Orchestrator, and Synth Programmer for the
musical Lestat, which opened on Broadway in April 2006, also worked on The Muse,
The Road To El Dorado, Billy Elliot The Musical and Gnomeo and Juliet.



Thursday, August 20, 2009

Elton duets with Brandi Carlile on her latest album...

Elton duets with Brandi Carlile on a track called "Caroline" from her latest album "Give Up The Ghost"...

Friday, July 31, 2009

Billy Joel no longer has the flu, tour back on track...

All systems are go...
The Face 2 Face tour featuring co-headliners Elton John [ tickets ] and Billy Joel [ tickets ], which has been on hold since last week after Joel came down with flu-like symptoms, is ready to roll again.

According to John's official website, shows set for Philadelphia's Citizens Bank Ballpark on Thursday (7/30) and Saturday (8/1) are expected to go on as scheduled.


Monday, July 27, 2009

Billy Joel has the flu....

Several concerts postponed;
The times Union Center in Albany New York has released a statement indicating that there will be a concert delay for a performance scheduled there for Monday July 27th, 2009. This is the second postponed concert in New York during the past week. Promoters for the hugely popular tour of Billy Joel and Elton John indicate that Joels doctors are advising him not to perform because of flu-like symptoms and severe fatigue. On July 24th, 2009, Buffalo New Yorks HSBC Arena had to postpone their scheduled concert as well. The Elton John and Billy Joel Face 2 Face tour has been the nation's top-grossing concert tour for the last two months running. There are 2 more scheduled concerts in Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, PA later next week on July 30th and August 1st. It is unknown whether Billy Joel will feel up to performing by then.


Thursday, July 16, 2009

Elton in Guitar Hero 5

Rolling Stones, White Stripes, Nirvana Songs Join Guitar Hero 5?

7/15/09, 7:00 pm EST

The Rolling Stones, Elton John, the White Stripes and Nirvana are among the highlights in the latest wave of rockers who will have songs features on the upcoming Guitar Hero 5 music video game. For the White Stripes, who provide their Get Behind Me Satan opener Blue Orchid, and Elton John, whose Saturday Nights Alright (For Fighting) will be alright for playing, GH5 marks the first time their songs have appeared on a music video game.



Wednesday, July 08, 2009

The MacDonald Brothers - "Runaway (Do You Love Me)"

"Runaway (Do You Love Me)" - Written by Elton John, performed by The MacDonald Brothers.


Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Instant Live CDs from Elton's 2009 European Tour

Finally Elton is taking advantage of currently available technology and the internet to offer live recordings of his current tour as quickly as possible...

Official 'instant' live recordings of all dates on the forthcoming European tour!




Elton John and his full band are back on the road this June rocking 14 dates across the UK and Europe.

If that's not exciting enough in itself, to celebrate Elton's ongoing success on the road he is teaming up with instant live recording specialists, Concert Live www.concertlive.co.uk to create instant live CDs of all the dates of the tour!

Each concert will be recorded and mixed in real time and deluxe 3 CD souvenir sets will be produced, available for fans to take home within minutes of the final note being played! The 3rd disc of the set will feature exclusive high quality photos taken from the tour.

The CDs are limited edition and are the ultimate souvenir for any Elton John fan, whether you have been lucky enough to get a ticket to the gigs or not!

This is an incredibly exciting production and you can pre-order your live CD now, either for collection after the concert or home delivery. Simply visit the Concert Live website www.concertlive.co.uk and get your order in early to avoid missing out on this exclusive offer.

Pre-orders are live now, click here to get your hands on yours: www.concertlive.co.uk/tour.php?id=77

Monday, June 08, 2009

Billy wins big...Elton loses best score

`Billy Elliot' wins 10 Tonys; `Carnage' best play - Yahoo! News

By MICHAEL KUCHWARA, AP Drama Writer Michael Kuchwara, Ap Drama Writer – 1 hr 43 mins ago

NEW YORK – Broadway's Tonys seemed a family affair this year, with an outpouring of generosity from winners to losers despite the domination of the evening by "Billy Eliot," which won 10 awards, and one actor bringing his wife to the stage to stand by him while he accepted his prize.

"I'd like to congratulate the writers of 'Next to Normal,'" said a gracious Elton John, standing in the middle of cast members and producers after his show, "Billy Eliot," won the best musical prize. "Thank you for accepting us on Broadway. ... We came here at a hard time economically. You opened your hearts and you opened your wallets."

In one of the evening's rare upsets, John lost the award for score to "Next to Normal."

Wednesday, June 03, 2009

So how will Elton's "Billy Elliot" do at the Tonys ?

Lets see, a musical about a young boy living in a coal mining town who is a member of a boxing club and secretly wants to be a ballet dancer? Hmmm.... It's a lock!

Elton will be on hand and performing as well...
Los Angeles Times, CA
Also set to appear is Elton John, who will perform with the ensemble from "Billy Elliot: The Musical," for which the singer is nominated for his score.

Thursday, May 28, 2009

Elton flips on Prop 8

Probably not wanting to be the poster boy for the Prop 8 supporters, Elton now has a much different position on Prop 8 then he did at the end of last year;

"That's just awful," Elton John said in an interview on AccessHollywood.com. "When you see places like Iowa saying yes, there's now five states in America (where same-sex marriage is legal). California is supposed to be a progressive state. It defies logic to me. I'm very disappointed."

After all it was just November 2008 that USA Today had this from Elton;
NEW YORK — Elton John, accompanied by his longtime partner, David Furnish, had some choice words about California's Proposition 8, the ban on same-sex marriage that passed on Nov. 4.

In December 2005, John and Furnish tied the knot in a civil partnership ceremony in Windsor, England. But, clarified the singer, "We're not married. Let's get that right. We have a civil partnership. What is wrong with Proposition 8 is that they went for marriage. Marriage is going to put a lot of people off, the word marriage."

John and Furnish, and their two cocker spaniels, Marilyn and Arthur, were in town for Tuesday's annual benefit for the Elton John AIDS Foundation.

"I don't want to be married. I'm very happy with a civil partnership. If gay people want to get married, or get together, they should have a civil partnership," John says. "The word 'marriage,' I think, puts a lot of people off.

"You get the same equal rights that we do when we have a civil partnership. Heterosexual people get married. We can have civil partnerships."

Friday, May 22, 2009

And the name of the flavor is?

Ben & Jerry’s relaunches limited Elton John flavor

21 May 2009

BURLINGTON, Vt. — After launching a one-week, limited edition flavor to recognize Elton John’s first trip to Vermont, and to raise money for the Elton John AIDS Foundation (EJAF), Ben & Jerry’s has relaunched its Goodbye Yellow Brick Road ice cream flavor.

Fans of Elton John’s music and Ben & Jerry’s ice cream sent hundreds of e-mails and many more phone calls to Ben & Jerry’s Vermont headquarters calling for the return of the popular flavor, which features chocolate ice cream, peanut butter cookie dough, butter brickle and white chocolate chunks.

A portion of the proceeds from the sales of Goodbye Yellow Brick Road will go to support the Elton John AIDS Foundation.


I believe it was called Goodbye Yellow Brickle Road...

Tuesday, May 05, 2009

Elton scores with 15 Tony nominations...

Elton's latest success scores 15 Tony nominations...

Broadway Billy Leads With 15 Tony Nominations

Date: 5 May 2009

Any lingering worries that Americans might not “get” the quintessentially English working-class screen-to-stage hit Billy Elliot are banished once and for all today as the Broadway transfer of the musical dominates the race for the 63rd annual Tony Awards. In the shortlists, announced this morning in New York, Billy Elliot has earned a whopping 15 nominations, more than any other production – its next closest rival, US suburban musical Next to Normal, clocks in with 11 nominations.

Friday, April 24, 2009

Oh Lord!

Thursday, April 23, 2009

"All Things Must Pass"

The Associated Press: Elton John no longer standing on Vegas; ends run
Elton John no longer standing on Vegas; ends run

By OSKAR GARCIA – 8 hours ago

LAS VEGAS (AP) — The Rocket Man bid farewell to the Las Vegas Strip Wednesday after five years and 241 shows at Caesars Palace — but said it won't necessarily be a long, long time before he returns.

Wearing a bright red shirt that matched his piano and a coat emblazoned with "Las Vegas Pirates" on its back and "Captain Elton" on its right sleeve, Elton John rolled through his hits and reflected on his time at the Colosseum, a stage he famously shared with Celine Dion, Bette Midler and Cher.

"The ex-home of Celine Dion ... and now it's the ex-home of Elton John as well," the 62-year-old said. John said later in the show that he'd like to see Dion play the venue again.

"Who are you going to get to fill in our shoes now?" he said. "You've got Bette Midler, you've got Cher. It's gonna be the Village People next."

John initially signed on for 75 shows over three years when his run began in February 2004, but casino officials say the deal was expanded because of demand.

"I really have enjoyed every single moment of this engagement," the five-time Grammy winner said after opening the show with "Bennie and the Jets."

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

This is it!

Elton John's last show is Wednesday

April 21, 2009 11:20 PM

Acclaimed singer, songwriter and performer, Elton John takes final bow at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace for his final performance of his hit show "The Red Piano."

"The Red Piano" was originally booked for 75 shows over three years. Responding to overwhelming demand, the resort accelerated the number of shows presented each year, completing the original commitment in only 18 months. During this time Caesars Palace extended the agreement for an additional 166 shows for a final engagement total of 241.

His final show will be Wednesday, April 22.

Wednesday, April 01, 2009

I didn't know it was a competition

From Reuters...

Billy Joel edges out Elton John in double-header

Tue Mar 31, 2009 5:56pm EDT

By Erik Pedersen

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - On the surface, it always has seemed like a natural pairing: two of the rock era's most successful acts -- piano-based or otherwise -- dispensing hit after hit after hit.

But look a little deeper and the contrasts between Elton John and Billy Joel far outweigh the similarities. And their latest Face 2 Face arena show Saturday at Anaheim's Honda Center again hammered home those differences, even as the packed house cheered the pop feast.

The most obvious is the performing styles. Both men still have a command of their instrument, but their manic stage days are behind them. And that's fine; John turned 62 last Wednesday, and Joel hits 60 in May.

But latter-day John is all about the music, mostly sitting stoically at his piano; Joel's still about the show, his eighty-eight on a rotator so that every in-the-round patron got a good look. John prefers a quiet dignity onstage, only occasionally addressing the audience; Joel is demonstrative, offering some rimshot-worthy shtick.

Basically, John plays to the crowd; Joel feeds off it. So while Sir Elton will never cede the catalog crown, in his stage battle with the kid from Long Island, the latter continues to win the Face 2 Faceoffs.

John's voice for years was one of the most distinctive in rock. He sounded fine Saturday and still can sing with power, but that instantly recognizable bite is gone. He was at his best during the many slow songs, when his pipes weren't forced to keep pace with the music; "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting," for example, was a kitten compared to its beastly original.

So John's solo set was heavy with ballads, which certainly isn't a bad thing. Those irresistible sing-along choruses wrap around often moving verses on topics of joy or pain, cryptic or barefaced, while he piles on the marvelous melodies. Highlights included the mournful "Daniel" and a superbly elongated "Rocket Man."



Thursday, March 26, 2009

Non-Elton: My favorite headline of the day...

Elvis Crespo Accused Of Mile-High Masturbation

Elvis Crespo was arrested in Miami.
March 26, 2009 11:37 AM ET
Merengue star Elvis Crespo is being investigated after a woman said she saw him performing a sex act on an airplane en route from Houston to Miami, according to Miami-Dade County police.

The Grammy winner was masturbating in view of other passengers Thursday, prompting the plane's captain to radio the Miami International Airport's air traffic control tower, the police report said.

Officers interviewed Crespo upon his arrival but did not arrest him. No charges have been filed.

When asked by police at the airport about the accusation, the 37-year-old Puerto Rican singer said: "I don't recall doing that."


EJ the DJ....

A term first coined when Elton would guest DJ at WNEW-FM 102.7 in New York City, Elton did a pseudo guest DJ stint for the Atlanta Journal Constitution in which he talked about the music he is currently listing to;

Celebrating Sir Elton’s 62nd With Fresh Spins | Peach Buzz


4:58 pm March 25, 2009, by Richard Eldredge

In honor of Sir Elton John’s 62nd birthday Wednesday, we opted to celebrate by assembling a new edition of EJ the DJ for Buzz readers.

So what exactly is EJ the DJ?

Well, whenever we have a conversation with the Peachtree Road resident, we ask John, arguably the world’s biggest music fan, to let us in on what he’s currently listening to.

We essentially snatched the idea from the pop star’s decades-long tradition of popping by radio stations here and across the pond to spin his favorite new artists.

As usual, John delivered a diverse batch of tunes and artists, a few of which can’t be instantly obtained in the U.S., even if a multitude of record shops still existed.

First up, Sir Elton is hooked on the single “Walking on a Dream” from Australia duo Empire of the Sun. The MGMT-esque pop pairing is a collaboration between The Sleepy Jackson’s Luke Steele and Pnau frontman Nick Littlemore. The single and remixes can currently be downloaded off iTunes. Empire’s full debut album is due stateside April 21.

“They’ve got a terrific sense of melody,” John told us. “I was just listening to it again this morning.”


Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Happy Birthday Elton!



Monday, March 16, 2009

Elton beats the Beatles...

Well...in this Harris Interactive poll for VisitBritain;
According to a recent survey by Harris Interactive for VisitBritain, the national tourist office for England, Scotland and Wales, one in three U.S. adults listens to British music regularly over any other non-U.S. musical artists. And which British musical artists do they listen to? Forty-eight percent said the Beatles, 49 percent said Elton John, and 41 percent said the Rolling Stones. Hard to believe that Elton John ranked ahead of the Beatles.


Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Akon: Chris Brown is my man!

A guy who "allegedly" simulates rape on stage says he'd work with a guy who "allegedly" beat the crap out of Rihanna...
AP - Akon who has gone through legal woes and bad publicity himself says he'd be willing to work with pop's latest problem child, Chris Brown.


Elton and Billy not playing NYC until 2010?

That's the word from Newsday;
Sorry, Billy Joel and Elton John fans. You will have to wait until next year to come face to face with the "Face to Face" tour in the New York area


As opposed to some new old songs?

Elton John, Billy Joel play same old songs - Reuters
Elton John, Billy Joel play same old songs
Tue Mar 3, 2009 9:51pm EST

By Jeff Vrabel

JACKSONVILLE, Florida (Billboard) - Elton John and Billy Joel's latest tour kicked off to a packed house in Jacksonville, Fla., on Monday, operating under the simple business model: maximized reward, exceedingly minimized risk.

The three-plus-hour event was steeped in hits and nostalgia. The youngest song was the title track from Joel's last pop album, 1993's "River of Dreams."

After a timely spin through "Allentown," Joel's 1982 ballad of economic gloom, Joel said: "Speaking of unemployment, we're just happy you're keeping us in business. We're happy to have a job."

Joel's words rang true, but there wasn't much worry about that: They last toured together in 2003, when they grossed $45.8 million from just 24 shows, all sellouts. Top tickets prices for this tour are similar to those of the 2003 dates: around $175.

"Our ticket prices are the same as you'd see anyone else, but there's two of us," John said in a November 2008 appearance on "The View." "In this day and age, we hope to be getting people value for their money."

Many of the dates on the tour are configured in 360 degrees, significantly boosting capacity in those arenas.

As on previous treks, the two men performed together at the top of the show, with their individual bands for hour-long sets, and then reunited for encores that included John's "The Bitch Is Back," a Beatles medley, and Joel's "Piano Man."

The itinerary, which includes two summer performances at Chicago's Wrigley Field, is still under construction, and will be for some time yet. During his set, John said he was looking forward to "a couple of years" of dates. The tour next visits Tampa's St. Pete Times Forum on Thursday.

(Editing by Dean Goodman at Reuters)


Second Spin: Live In Australia

A second look from the River Front Times...
Maybe it's just because this is my favorite Elton John song anyway, but it was one of the only tracks that didn't seem completely bloated and overblown with the 88-piece orchestra booming behind it.


Friday, March 06, 2009

Bennie is a crowning achievement?

I guess they meant Goodbye Yellow Brick Road...and I agree;

It’s Elton John’s crowning achievement, the very peak of his career. It’s also one of the best double albums ever released, and should no doubt be held at the same level of prestige as other LPs that utilize four sides of vinyl such as Blonde on Blonde from Bob Dylan.


Friday, February 06, 2009

Oh joy!

Elton John For Emenim album?

It’s claimed the wig haired star will appear on Relapse when it’s released this year…

Sir Elton John could feature on the new album by rapper Eminem- according to reports.

The Independent newspaper says the pair were spotted together in a Detroit studio late last year and may have recorded together. A source told them: “He stayed half a week… No one realised the significance, though the Detroit Free Press did mention that Elton had been in town.

“He and Em worked together before, when they did that duet at the Grammys, and had always said that they'd record something original together. Em has huge respect for Elton, and the feeling is mutual.”
Elton John is a long time fan of Shady despite accusations of homophobia leveled at the rapper.

The unlikely friends performed Stan at the Grammys way back in 2001.
The witness told the paper: “Elton really gets his music. Anything they produce will be total dope.

“Some of Em's biggest records have been collaborations with mainstream pop stars – Dido on Stan, for example – and they really don't come much bigger, or more mainstream, than the man with the red piano."

50 Cent and Dr Dre are already confirmed to appear on Relapse when it’s released this Spring.

Friday, January 16, 2009

Sen Coburn is no William Shatner

Senator Settles BCS Bet by Singing 'Rocket Man'



By BEN EVANS – 1 day ago

WASHINGTON (AP) — Forget all those inaugural concerts. The most pressing musical issue in the nation's capital is whether a stone-face senator from Oklahoma will hit the high notes in "Rocket Man" to pay off a college football bet.
Republican Sen. Tom Coburn is slated to serenade Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson of Florida with his very own rendition of Elton John's 1970s classic Wednesday afternoon.
Coburn owes Nelson because the Florida Gators defeated the Oklahoma Sooners 24-14 in last week's BCS title game. Nelson chose "Rocket Man" because he is a former astronaut who flew on the space shuttle Columbia in the 1980s.
If Oklahoma had won, Nelson would have had to sing the title song from the musical "Oklahoma!" It also happens to be the official state song.
Coburn spokesman John Hart said his boss won't wear a leisure suit for the performance but would be ready. He acknowledged the vocal range for "Rocket Man" is a "bit more expansive" than for the song Nelson would've had to sing.
Coburn's singing talents may be untested, but he does have a family pedigree. His daughter, Sarah Coburn, is a nationally acclaimed opera singer who has performed alongside the likes of Placido Domingo.
Coburn, a physician, is best known as a budget hawk who has given Senate Democrats headaches for years by using procedural tactics to block new spending measures.
Nelson spokesman Dan McLaughlin said the senator "is looking forward to settling the wager in good spirit and with a sense of humor."
It's not the first time Nelson has won an unusual football bet with a Senate colleague. Two years ago, he perched on one knee over Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio and counted as Brown tried to do 55 push-ups. The number equaled the total score of that season's BCS title game in which Florida beat Ohio State 44-14.
Brown only made it to 43, and Nelson finished the rest.

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

More EJ & BJ Dates...

Billy Joel and Elton John to play Conseco - News- msnbc.com

Indianapolis - In a big announcement, two music legends are coming to Conseco Fieldhouse together.

Elton John and Billy Joel are extending their concert tour and coming to Indianapolis in May. According to promoters, they'll open on twin pianos and trade vocals on a series of duets. A headlining set by each artist with his own band will follow. The shows will end with an encore featuring both headliners and their backing bands.

The concert is set for Conseco Fieldhouse on May 19th. Tickets go on sale Saturday at 10:00 am.