Ant-Man, Billy Elliot, And Captain Fantastic.
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On the 20th of November, DisneyPlus will present Elton John Live: Farewell From Dodger Stadium (LIVE STREAMED GLOBALLY AND EXCLUSIVELY ON DISNEY+).
The poster has been released, and indicates that the show begins at 11 p.m. ET, 8 p.m. PT. But the special actually kicks off half an hour earlier with a ‘countdown.’ Guest artists are to join in–yet to be announced.
The 20th of November is also when the American Music Awards are to air on ABC in the U.S. There’s still time to vote, and Elton is nominated in two categories. These are Collaboration of the Year for Cold Heart (Pnau Remix) with Dua Lipa, and Favourite Touring Artist.
On Saturday night, Elton took the stage for the final time in Canada. His B.C. Place engagement in Vancouver pulled in a variety of fans. An 81-year-old attended, along with 15 members of his family from across British Columbia. At the other end of the spectrum, an 18-year-old admirer was there. She appreciates Elton’s advocacy for LGBTQ+ people and AIDS victims. And she finds his music to be ”amazing.”
Elton’s recently announced concert at Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado, sold out immediately. The November fourth show is his 15th ever in the city. Overseas, more tickets have been released for the Farewell Yellow Brick Road concert at OrangeTheory Stadium, New Zealand. This is to take place on the 24th of January.
Another date of interest is the 29th of October. That’s when Elton John World’s next podcast can be heard. The guest is music-maker David Scott Crawford, who discusses some of the Elton John connections with his new album, The Penultimate Motel. Tune in at 6 p.m. London time; noon Central time in the States at eltonjohnworld.com or your favourite podcast player app.
From ”penultimate,” it’s on to the ultimate. . . .
Elton became the first artist to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard album chart with Captain Fantastic And The Brown Dirt Cowboy. He did it again five months later, with the release of Rock of the Westies on 24 October 1975.
Among MT‘s favourite tracks (perhaps yours as well?) are Island Girl, Grow Some Funk of Your Own, Feed Me, and Dan Dare (Pilot of the Future).
• Twenty of Elton’s classics are to be the subject of a programme in Joliet, Illinois, later this year. The Joliet Museum will host Great-Moments-in-Vinyl, an evening of songs and commentary, on the second of December. In 2015, GMIV tackled Tumbleweed Connection and Madman Across The Water, and took questions from the audience about Elton and his music.
Ever wonder what the bestselling LP was the year-you-graduated-high-school? So did Stacker. They analysed Billboard data, tracking popular music since before the SoundScan era, to create a tally of the bestselling album from every year going back to 1956. Elton is cited three times: with Goodbye Yellow Brick Road; Elton John’s Greatest Hits; and The Lion King soundtrack.
Elton and Lee Hall‘s Billy Elliot the Musical has proven to be a favourite when it comes to accolades: At the 2009 Tony Awards, with 10-wins, it topped the other contenders. And this past Sunday, the UK Theatre Awards were presented, with the Curve Theatre Leicester‘s Billy Elliot the Musical receiving the trophy for Best Musical Production.
Charlie Puth recently performed bits of his most cherished songs for Howard Stern, including Elton’s Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me. The host thought it sounded like the end of a movie.
At any rate, another EJ tune appears in Marvel Studios‘ official trailer for Ant-Man & The Wasp: Quantumania. In the background is none other than Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. The film is expected to be out on the 17th of February.
• Remember another flick, Under The Volcano, from 2021? Its focus was George Martin‘s AIR Studios Montserrat, where Elton and other rock royalty recorded. MT thought there ought to be a book, and now there is: Island Music: The History of AIR Studios Montserrat, by Brian Sallerson. Use this link to order.
An official music video for the Joel Corry remix of Elton and Britney Spears‘ hit, Hold Me Closer, is now available to watch online. It features the British DJ and producer alongside a group of dancers paying homage to the stars by sporting their various fashion looks throughout the years.
The idea for the duet came from David Furnish. He turned 60 on the 25th of October, so Elton posted happy birthday wishes to his ”husband, soul mate and brilliant manager.”
”I could not love you more,” he added.
Happy 60th Birthday to my husband, soul mate and brilliant manager. I could not love you more ❤️? pic.twitter.com/ugqVEEajbO
— Elton John (@eltonofficial) October 25, 2022
