Record Man
The Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour has grossed more than any other tour in billboard-boxscore history.
.@eltonofficial’s ‘Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour’ is now officially the highest-grossing concert tour of all time.
The tour has grossed $817.9 million and sold 5.3 million tickets over 278 shows so far.https://t.co/nPKJUDkbLo
— billboard charts (@billboardcharts) January 30, 2023
Thus far, Elton and his band have racked up $817.9 million across 278 shows. They aren’t done yet, as there are 51 European concerts scheduled through 8 July.
Elton has been a Billboard heavy hitter for decades. His Greatest Hits LP, which came out in November 1974, had the longest run at #1 on the Billboard 200 for a greatest hits package (ten weeks). Billboard also says Elton has amassed seven No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200. And in 2020, he won the Top Rock Tour category at the Billboard Music Awards.
More recently, on Friday night, Elton and David Furnish attended the Musicares Person of the Year gala. Actually, it was ”persons of the year,” seeing that the honorees were Berry Gordy and Smokey Robinson.
In 2014, Elton teamed up with the latter for The-Tracks-of-my-Tears, which appeared on the album Smokey & Friends.
A year earlier, Elton and Bernie Taupin were feted at the Songwriters Hall of Fame Awards, as was Berry. While Berry got the Pioneers trophy. Elton and Bernie received the Johnny-Mercer-Award, presented by Sting.
The RIAA (Recording Industry of America) is celebrating 100 Diamond Certified songs (for sales of over 10 million units) with a video. The clip starts off with Elton’s Something About The Way You Look Tonight/Candle in the Wind 1997, for which the inaugural award was created.
Elton will belatedly celebrate the 50th anniversary of Honky-Chateau with an expanded release on the 24th of March. There’s currently a preview of two tracks. These are Rocket Man, performed at Royal Festival Hall in 1972, and the Mellow session demo. Album outtakes will appear on both the CD and LP versions, but just the CD will offer eight songs from Elton’s February 1972 concert at Royal Festival Hall. This was the first time he performed the Honky Chateau tracks live.
One fan isn’t impressed. He told this website that there’s ”no 5.1 version, no turntable mat, and no fold insert on the album cover.” In addition, he is sure the bulk of the material has been previously released.
You can share your thoughts as well by joining our group or leaving a message at Eltonjohn.world.
Among the contributors to Honky Chateau was Jean-luc-ponty. He felt good vibes as soon as he walked in, and appreciated being able to improvise.
He ran into Elton some months later, and received another opportunity: to join Rocket Records. The violinist had to turn Elton down, as he was signed to another label.
Elton’s estranged half brother, who is also a songwriter, would obviously like to sign up with a record label. Geoff Dwight has suggested Elton is his ”warm-up act” who has yet to finish playing. ”I feel like Prince Charles waiting for the Queen to die.”
Geoff also told the Daily Mail that Elton’s music is ”not my cup of tea.” He even criticised Elton’s appearance, saying the former Reg Dwight is built ”like a barrel,” while he is ”a stick.” With all of that, we wonder how Geoff can claim he looks forward to getting to know Elton better!
But on to another anniversary . . . . It was on 5 February, 2016, that the album, Wonderful Crazy Night, was released. One number, blue-wonderful, inspired a charity auction.
Elton explained that an earthquake devastated portions of central Italy. So ”as a friend of Ferretti Group and Riva owner,” he was glad to offer support when the group decided to create and auction off a special edition of the Aquariva-Super called Blue Wonderful to raise funds for ”those who need it most.”
The winning bid was 430,000 euros (about $458,000), plus tax.
Elton also performed, which was a wonderful way to kick off the Ferretti Group‘s Private Preview at the Yacht Club de Monaco.
