Eltonjohn.world congratulates our man for achieving EGOT status. Like his Aida and Lion King collaborator Tim Rice, Elton has won Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony trophies. The Emmy feat took place last Monday night, when Elton-John-Live-Farewell-From-Dodger-Stadium won the Outstanding Variety Special (Live) category.
Elton John Live: Farewell from Dodger Stadium wins the award for Outstanding Live Variety Special at the 75th #Emmys pic.twitter.com/pEqk2DE12O
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) January 16, 2024
President-Joe-Biden was among those taking notice. The U.S. leader said Elton has been ”a tidal wave throughout his career to help people rise up and make hope and history rhyme.”
Sir Elton John has been a tidal wave throughout his career to help people rise up and make hope and history rhyme.
Six Grammy Awards.
Two Oscars.
One Tony.
And now, one Emmy.Congratulations Elton — a singer and songwriter of our time, for all time. pic.twitter.com/xzDLJPx6py
— President Biden (@POTUS) January 16, 2024
He was thinking of A-Night-When-Hope-And-History-Rhyme-in-2022, when Elton performed for an audience of two thousand–including teachers and nurses–on the South Lawn of the White House.
Ruby-Mazur, who designed the cover of the Friends album, weighed in on Elton’s Emmy, too. He was thrilled to hear that ”one of the nicest, most humble and deserving guys” in entertainment was a winner.
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Unfortunately, Elton could not attend the Emmy Awards because he was recovering from knee surgery. So David Furnish and executive producer Ben Winston accepted on his behalf.
Elton quipped that his operation was a ”gentle reminder, perhaps, of a lifetime of jumping off pianos.”
26 January will make it 51 years since Don’t Shoot Me I’m Only The Piano Player was released. The songs were written in just two weeks, and four tracks were captured on the first take. Between that and the release of Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, 1973 was Elton’s ”magic year,” according to Stereophile.
For a portion of the seventies, ”we could do no wrong,” Elton remembered. They were running on momentum and adrenaline, which ”you never really get back,” he told Billboard in 2004.
Gary Osborne has been looking back at his experiences with Elton. On the Greatest Music of All Time podcast, he revealed that some people thought he was Elton’s romantic partner. Actually, they were friends as well as writing partners, and their first collaboration was Shine On Through. Elton performed the number of the Morecambe-And-Wise 1977 Christmas Special.
Readers might remember that Gary was interviewed by Radio Elton John for our podcast Saturday Night’s Alright (For Podcasting) last March and gave insights on first working with Elton, and on the acapella recordings he inadvertently recorded over later on.
Tom Cridland, a designer whose menswear-company has attracted clients ranging from Nigel Olsson to Ben Stiller, hosts the aforementioned ”Greatest Music” podcast. He used to have a drinking problem, and says that learning to play piano–particularly Elton’s songs–helped him recover, as did Elton’s own journey back from drugs and alcohol. Tom recently wrote a book about the process, Million Dollar Addict, and has an EJ tribute show.
Elton himself was inspired by Ryan White. Years after the teenager’s passing, Elton penned a letter to Ryan, which was published by Letters-Of-Note, an online museum of correspondence. Elton wrote that he’d gladly give up his wealth and fame if he could have another conversation with Ryan, an ”epitome of grace,” who changed his life ”and the lives of millions living with AIDS.”
The Childrens-Museum-of-Indianapolis in Indiana has a Ryan White display, with a few items associated with celebrity friends such as Elton and Michael Jackson.
That wraps up this edition of the Elton Blog–except for a couple of announcements. . . .
As you know, BJ Cole, who played on a couple of EJ recordings, was Radio-Elton-John’s latest visitor.
The next guest shall be Caleb Quaye, a former guitar player for the Elton John Band. Later in the day, Caleb is to be at NAMM in Anaheim, California, signing copies of Louder Than Rock, the basis for a documentary of the same name. The book was updated in 2022, and the original copy, written with Dale Berryhill, was published in 2006.
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And next month is the Hillsides-annual-gala in Los Angeles, California, to benefit children. It’s set for 24 February, and one of their favourite supporters is Elton. Just last year, Nigel Olsson, John Mahon, and Elton contributed signed memorabilia to Hillsides‘ auction. Among the names on the 2024 Honorary Committee are Mahon and Olsson, Davey Johnstone and James Newton Howard.
