The premiere of Elton’s Never Too Late was held in Toronto, Canada, on Friday night. At the event, Elton talked to Variety about music, which is now full of female singers and songwriters he admires. Elton also recalled when former president Donald Trump called North Korea’s Kim Jong Un ”little rocketman.” Elton said it was ”brilliant,” and made him laugh.
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Elton weighed in on politics, too. He loves America, but agrees with former vice president Dick Cheney that the country is in a dangerous place right now. He doesn’t believe in telling others how to vote: everyone has the right to choose and to be themselves, he remarked. Incidentally, Elton regrets not facing up to his own identity. Once he was honest, his life turned around, and he’s now a happy husband and father.
While Elton said the whole point of the documentary is that ”the truth should always be told,” Never Too Late has elicited mixed reactions.
- The Playlist called the flick ”ho-hum,” and more of a promotional vehicle for Elton. The reviewer did appreciate some of the concert footage, like when Elton combined Winifred Atwell and Little Richard‘s ”no-holds-barred piano playing with arena rock pomp.”
- IndieWire found Never Too Late to be unoriginal. They didn’t think telling the same stories again would be that bad if filmmakers had not added contemporary scenes of Elton–doing his podcast, on a video call with his kids, or rehearsing with Dua Lipa. They wanted something more intimate, like Elton interacting with his band or a depiction of how exhausting it could be to tour. That makes sense, although it does get personal when addressing Elton’s difficult childhood and his use of drugs in later years.
- Variety’s writer, on the other hand, thought the old stories were fresh, thanks to the movie’s fine details and ”archivally rich account.”
- People meanwhile, has shared photos depicting iconic career moments from the movie. A couple depict Elton and John Lennon at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
We’re coming up on the 50th anniversary of their concert, held on 28 November 1974. John had agreed to join Elton onstage if their song, Whatever Gets You Thru The Night, hit #1. Yet Elton’s manager, John Reid, wasn’t pleased with the recording. He told engineer Roy Cicala that his client’s piano wasn’t loud enough. Roy stood his ground, pointing out that if they brought the piano up, ”that’s all you’re going to hear on the radio.”
Paul-Andre Vacheron, global marketing director for Ballantine’s at Chivas Brothers, said both entertainers ”are about doing things their way” and while contributing to music culture, have stayed true to who they are.” So Elton and John are joining Ballantine’s True Music Icons collection, which previously featured AC/DC and Queen.
Elton’s design is inspired by his Dodger Stadium shows in 1975, while John’s is from an abstract self-portrait he created. Fans can lift their spirits (pun intended) when the bottles come out on 23 September.
The latest editions to the Ballantine’s True Music Icons collection honour British music legends Elton John and John Lennon https://t.co/0LbU0FhnEK pic.twitter.com/LPbJC2hEQB
— The Spirits Business (@spiritsbusiness) September 4, 2024
Former Elton John Band guitarist Caleb Quaye and director Valerie J. Tucker have received a different sort of recognition . . . from the National Black Film Festival in Houston, Texas. Their collaboration, Louder Than Rock, was named Best Feature Documentary. It is based on Caleb’s autobiography, likewise called Louder Than Rock, and one of the participants is the man who introduced Reg Dwight to Bernie Taupin, Ray Williams.
Both Ray and Caleb have been guests on Radio Elton John World, where there’s a sale ($5 off the usual twenty dollars) on our Platinum plan until 12 September. This includes transcripts and the opportunity to stream all our podcasts since 2022. And on 28 September, the next visitor will be Billy Trudel, a backing vocalist for Elton in the nineties. Before that, he was the lead singer for the short-lived ensemble Warpipes, formed with Bob Birch, Guy Babylon, Nigel Olsson, and Davey Johnstone.
Elton and his musical mates have made a positive impact on the United Kingdom’s economy. LIVE, the voice of the UK’s live music and entertainment business, discovered that in 2023, sold-out tours from the likes of Elton, Coldplay, and Beyonce helped set a record: £6.1 billion, a 17 percent increase from the year before. Another factor was the post-pandemic rush to see live shows again. Of course in Elton’s case, many fans were eager to nab tickets because this was his farewell tour.
