Crystal.
Elton will be appearing at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California, for three shows next month. He has another engagement in the city as well: On the 5th of November, Elton will be entertaining guests at LACMA‘s (Los Angeles County Museum of Art) Art+Film Gala, which will honour artist Helen Pashgian and filmmaker Park Chan-Wook.
Elton himself is being honoured . . . by J. Strongwater. The company is also saluting the Rolling Stones and the Beatles. The limited edition Elton John Rock-Box is set with over 6,000 individual Swarovski crystals, hand-enameled and finished in 14K gold. It features the singer’s red piano, harking back to his Red Piano residency in Las Vegas, which ran from 2004 through 2009. The feathered headpiece is reminiscent of his 1978 Muppet Show appearance.
The Rock Box is not for people on a budget. Nor is a red Ferrari 365/4 Daytona that is now on the market: It was previously offered by Silverstone Auctions and was owned by Elton from 1973 until 1975.
The Almeida Theatre in London, England, will soon be premiering Elton and Jake Shears‘ Tammy Faye musical. Many of the performances (running from the fourteenth of October through the third of December) are now sold out or have limited availability. It’s worth checking for more info, as you might still be able to get tickets.
A recent Meal Ticket mentioned that Bernie Taupin was at the opening weekend of the Country Music Hall of Fame‘s Western Edge exhibit in Nashville, TN.
Aubrey Miller, from the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, shared some details about the show. It includes Nudie Cohn‘s tailored suits for clients ranging from Michael Nesmith to the Flying Burrito Brothers. Elton wore an iconic Nudie suit to promote Rocket Man, although this is not on display.
Aubrey said that EJW readers might like to know that one of Elton’s old opening acts, the Dillards, have artefacts in the exhibition as well. In fact, Rodney Dillard was among the opening event’s performers.
Elton, who has called the Dillards‘ 1968 album, Wheat Straw Suite, one of his favourite recordings, invited the band to open for him during a North American tour.
Rodney said that Elton was very gracious. ”You know, a lot of people when you open for them, they say, ‘Well, you don’t do this and you’ll do that. But he just let us go.”
The 80-year-old also remembers Elton joining them in a singalong at the end of one concert. And it is believed that touring with Elton helped bring the
Dillards‘ Roots and Branches album to a wider audience.
Lewis Capaldi has said he’d like to form a supergroup with three other singer-songwriters: Elton, Ed Sheeran, and Niall Horan.
The 26-year-old told The Zach Sang Show that he and his piano player have a huge list of possible band names. His favourites are ‘Pleasure Kit’ and ‘Rock and Roll Los Angeles 1966.’ ”
• This may remind you of what Rod Stewart wrote in his 2012 memoir. The singer said that he once considered forming a supergroup with Elton and Freddie Mercury. They would have gone with Nose, Teeth & Hair, ”a tribute to each of our remarked-upon physical attributes.”
Charlie Puth, one of Elton’s collaborators on last year’s album, The Lockdown Sessions, has said that his friend was critical of his earlier work.
Elton told him his 2019 songs were not good. The younger performer was teaming up with far too many people and needed to ”get back to working with yourself and a select few because that’s how your music sounds most genuinely you.”
Charlie is grateful for the comments, even if they were harsh, because they prompted a change for the better. His new album, Charlie, has just been released.
Britney Spears is also grateful to Elton. On Instagram, she thanked him for giving her confidence and ”believing in me to do such a cool song! Hold Me Closer went top 10 on the Billboard charts and #1 on the iTunes charts!” She posted a couple of images which made it look like she was standing on top of her singing partner’s piano. The shot of Elton is actually from his 2021 Brit Awards performance. You’ll recall that he sang the Pet Shop Boys‘ It’s a Sin
with Olly Alexander.
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