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 ELTON JOHN NEWS 

Girl, you'll be a superstar soon
Tuesday, August 17 2004

Elton John tracked Catherine Britt down to record a duet. Not bad for a 19-year-old from Newcastle.

Sitting inside Caesar's Palace Colosseum in Las Vegas on August 6, 2004, Catherine Britt was mesmerised by the onstage performance from Elton John and still pinching herself because he had personally invited her and her mum Anne to the show.

During the performance, Elton began playing the introduction to his song "Tiny Dancer", dedicating it to a new-found friend from Australia and telling the audience she would one day be a "superstar".

"As soon as he said Australia I put my hands over my mouth and tears just starting pouring down my face it was so emotional," said Britt. "I had no idea he would do it, it blew my mind, it was so cool."

Britt's name first came to the attention of Australians when she was linked to Sir Elton. The 19-year-old, who grew up in the Newcastle suburb of Kahibah, was already well known in Tamworth, where her talents had been flagged among some of country music's hottest new artists.

But after some of her early recordings were handed to Elton during a visit to Australia, he showed a genuine interest in her career. Elton is famed for encouraging younger performers all over the world, but this time it wasn't just rhetoric.

The pair met in the US earlier this year to record the duet "Where We Both Say Goodbye", which will be released among fresh tracks on Britt's new album, due out early next year (and yet to be titled).

It's not hard to guess that meeting with Elton in a US studio to record a song with him was the greatest moment in Britt's career so far. But she describes it as absolutely nerve-racking.

"Could you ever feel comfortable around Elton John, I don't know," said Britt, speaking over the phone from Nashville, where she is now based permanently.

"I mean, he makes you feel comfortable and he makes you feel like you should be there with him, but even just looking at him freaks me out. He's so animated, he's so amazing and talented. Just being in the same room I want to get down on my knees [in worship]," she said.

As for recording the duet itself, Britt said she was thrilled with the final result, but was almost overcome by the enormity of the occasion.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but it was awful," said Britt, with a laugh. "It was so nerve-racking. We were singing to each other, he was looking in my eyes and smiling and it killed me. I think you can hear it in the track, the emotion that was going on and how hard it was to stand in a room and sing with Elton John.

"It was quite scary," she said. "But we really had a lot of fun."

Despite the fact Catherine Britt is yet to become a household name in Australia, it looks as though Elton's predictions about her future success are starting to come true.

Her first single, "The Upside Of Being Down", was the most added song on American radio last week, with at least 22 stations selecting her new tune for regular airplay. The track was also being tipped for a top 10 spot on the Billboard country music charts.

The early chart placement (and radio interest) places Britt among the big league of country performers, but she is still prepared to do the hard yards when it comes to performing her music in front of American audiences:

"People who live here don't get to see as much of this country as I've already seen," she said. "And I'm looking forward to getting back on the tour bus."

"I only get in the mood to write songs when I'm down, when I'm depressed or missing home. When I'm happy, I don't want to be sitting at home songwriting, I want to be out. I don't think I've ever written a happy song," she said, with a laugh. "It's funny like that." Britt is likely to return to Australia at the end of the year to spend Christmas with her family, and she's already slated to perform at the Tamworth Country Music Festival next year.

But she will return to the US to capitalise on her early success in the world's toughest country music market.

Related News

  • Elton recorded duet with Catherine Britt
        Monday, April 19 2004 at 10:05:41

  • Elton supports Catherine Britt
        Thursday, July 31 2003 at 04:33:45


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