Exxx Marks The Spot.
Elton and Britney Spears are up for a People’s Choice Award: the-collaboration-song-of-2022, for Hold Me Closer. The show is to be broadcast on the sixth of December on NBC and E! at 9 p.m. ET in the States.
Stacker has come up with a list of the 50 most-successful-musical-artists-all-time. Elton is in 11th place. The findings are based on data from the Recording Industry Association of America and the Grammy Awards. The RIAA gives out certifications based on the number of albums and singles an artist has sold, starting with gold albums, which have sold 500,000 copies. Grammy wins and nominations were also considered.
The aforementioned Alamodome concert was the 81st time Elton played the state. A reviewer thought that he was so full of joy and vigour, he might change his mind about this being his final appearance.
A reviewer in Las Vegas, Nevada, also believes we haven’t seen the last of Elton onstage. Since ”a rocker’s gotta rock,” the writer thinks another Vegas residency is possible.
Elton, whose set list at the Allegiant Stadium in Vegas on Tuesday night included Indian Sunset, One Horse Town, and Cold Heart, had two successful residencies at Caesars Palace. The Red Piano ran from 2004-2009, and the Million Dollar Piano ran from 2011-2018.
Regardless of what transpires, one thing that won’t change is Elton’s passion for music. Trax Records, Inc.is one of his favourite places to get records. Years back, you’ll recall, Elton sold a big chunk of his collection to benefit his AIDS charity. He then decided he’d like to have the recordings back, and asked Wax Trax Records‘ owners for assistance. They say Elton, who can chat for hours about music, signs his emails ”Exxx.”
Earlier this week was Halloween, so what better time than to ask about ghosts? A number of musicians are familiar with them. Elton, for instance, is sure that he felt a ghost pressing down on his chest in a Belgian hotel room once, and was too scared to move. He also said during the 2019 Q&A that his Windsor home is reportedly haunted. While Elton never saw an apparition, that wasn’t the case with David Furnish, who was visited by ”a Victorian lady.”
The Chateau d’Herouville, where the Elton John Band recorded, is likewise said to be haunted. Engineer Ken Scott didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary. But producer Gus Dudgeon was sure he saw something in the middle of the night.
• Ever hear of the Soundwaves Art Foundation? Elton is on their wish list.
This organisation was founded by artist Tim Wakefield, who has worked with hundreds of musicians. The aim is to create abstract pieces of art by digitally manipulating, shaping and colouring the sound waves generated in the studio recordings of popular songs.
Performers then autograph a limited number, which soundwavesartfoundation sells for causes like disaster relief and music education. A representative told MT they have not worked with Elton yet, but were ”very close at one point.”
Did you know that Bernie Taupin‘s inspirations have included abstract artists Franz Kline and Hans Hoffman? He didn’t have ”the time or inclination” when he was younger, though, to take it further. Now, however, Bernie is a prolific painter with an art-exhibit in Houston, Texas, through 19 November. Fans will also like to know that he has completed his autobiography, which is expected to be available in September 2023.
• Elton and Tim Rice‘s Aida has been reworked, and the world premiere is to hit the stage on 23 April 2023 at the AFAS CircusTheater in Scheveningen, The Hague, Netherlands. While the songs remain the same, the production has a more contemporary feel.
Aida will then go on to other cities, and there has been talk about a UK-premiere in 2023.
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