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| ELTON JOHN NEWS |
| Elton John and band performed in Perth on May 10, 2008 Sunday, May 11 2008 |
Following is the complete set list of the Perth show on May 10, 2008.
| Elton John: 'I won't make another album' Friday, May 9 2008 |
Elton John has revealed that he may not release another album, BBC 6 Music reports.
Speaking after a recent performance in Austria, he said: "I don't know if I'm ever going to make another record again at the moment. I have no plans to do another album as such. I am so busy touring and doing shows and promoting musicals and producing films - I would like to make another record but I don’t know when or where or if I am gonna make one."
Elton's last album, The Captain & The Kid, was released in 2006.
| Book your tickets for the Munich show now! Friday, May 9 2008 |
We have secured a block of tickets for the “Red Piano” show in Munich show on November 22, 2008 for attendees of the fan convention. This will be seats in the best category.
Please book your tickets early! Elton hasn't performed in Munich in six years and tickets for this event are selling fast. We have reserved a block of 100 tickets, however, unsold tickets might be taken away from us anytime to make them available for public sale.
| Elton John to perform at Coronation? Thursday, May 8 2008 |
According to an article by Michael Field on the New Zealand Dominion Post, Elton John and Mick Jagger are part of the King’s special guest list for the Coronation. No official word has been received on their attendance or whether they would perform.
An impromptu performance by either star will be a huge spectacle and will certainly lift the Coronation to a different plane. Both artists will have plenty of fans in the Kingdom.
The Coronation will cost around $6 million but Government sources say this could double because some of the 22 sub-committees are well behind schedule and there is only $1 million left from the original $6 million budget. This means that more funding will be required.
The Kings robes and uniforms for some of the officials are rumoured to cost nearly $1 million from the UK. All efforts are being made to ensure the Coronation resembles the Coronation of the Kings and Queens of Europe. This will certainly put Tonga on the map and provide huge coverage through the BBC who have been given exclusive rights to cover the Coronation.
The Tu’ipelehake addressed the nation on May 7, 2008 outlining the planning and the preparations for the Coronation. He asked the people to work together and help the sub-committees. The venue of the Coronation which will be the Saione Church of the Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga in Kolomotu’a. The church is being extensively renovated for the Coronation.
| Happy Birthday to us! Thursday, May 8 2008 |
The international Elton John Fan Club Hercules, also known by its internet domain eltonfan.net, has been serving the Elton John community since 1988.
Founded as Rocket Fan back on May 8, 1988 with a focus on German-speaking fans, the club has soon turned into a worldwide organization with Elton admirers from all over the planet.
In 2008 we are celebrating our 20th anniversary, and we do so with pride as 20 years are a long time for a fan club to survive, even more so “under same management”. So we would like to celebrate this achievement in 2008, and we would like to celebrate with you - the fans of Elton John and supporters of our fan club.
The website twenty.eltonfan.net has been set up to inform you about the latest news and events related to the 20th anniversary celebrations. One of the highlights will be a fan convention at which we are looking forward to welcoming many fans/supporters of today as well as of the past.
For the past five years Hercules has been offering all of its services on eltonfan.net free of charge. The site is maintained on a voluntary basis, however, there are costs involved in hosting the site on a high-speed and reliable server. If you like the services provided on eltonfan.net and if you feel like supporting this website, we would be grateful if you would make a small donation.
With this we would like to thank Elton for his persistence and everlasting presence, the management and record company for their support, and last but not least the fans for their loyalty.
| No room at Inn for Bob or Elton Wednesday, May 7 2008 |
The Bein Inn is a landmark on the road in and out of Glenfarg in Perthshire. In recent years it has also become known for its car park, which has spaces specially reserved for Bob Dylan and Sir Elton John.
Visitors would often respectfully leave the spaces free, not daring to park in the slots marked out for the music legends, or would ask for special permission to leave their car in the areas reserved for the stars.
However, it now appears there is no room at the inn for either - because they have had their parking privileges removed. Managing director Michael Kenny explained: "It's only ever been tongue in cheek in the hope that they would either come... or come back. Legend has it - and as far as I'm concerned it's only legend - that a long, long, long time ago, before they were famous, they did at one stage of their careers play here.
"But the new owners, they'd like to take it forward in a different direction and don't want to do music, so they decided the past lies in the past."
However Mr Kenny admits guests have been wondering why the spaces have been removed. "If they saw a car parked in the space they would obviously come in and ask if Sir Elton John was in," he said.
"Some of the rooms have been named after them, so they tend to ask: 'Are they in residence?' - much like the Queen at Balmoral. People come in and say: 'But you can't take those spaces away from those guys'."
Peter Dickson, from Mundell Music, was one of those who created the special car parking spaces a couple of years ago. He said: "We thought it would be a nice idea that when Elton John and Bob Dylan passed they'd actually have places reserved for them. The fact they've gone now is a bit of a pity, because when Elton John comes to play McDiarmid Park in June, he now has no official car parking space in Glenfarg."
However, Mr Kenny admitted that the inn might be prepared to reconsider its decision if there was a public outcry.
| Sir Elton, the FEC, and you Wednesday, May 7 2008 |
When Elton John performed at a Radio City fundraiser for Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton’s (D-N.Y.) candidacy in April 2008, neither the entertainer nor the campaign likely foresaw the legal implications.
But for Elton, the ensuing hue and cry brought to mind another theme from “The Wizard of Oz”: When it comes to federal campaign finance law, “we’re not in Kansas anymore.”
Because Elton is not an American citizen or green card holder, he was prohibited from making contributions to federal campaigns. Luckily for everyone involved, a Federal Election Commission (FEC) spokesman quickly confirmed that foreign nationals may volunteer their personal time and services. Still, the incident reminds us of the many restrictions that lobbyists and their clients face when volunteering for federal candidates — the extent to which they may use corporate or partnership resources and the paperwork they must file when raising money.
Before considering each of these issues, one must first understand the difference between contributions, which are extensively regulated, and volunteering, which is generally unrestricted. Federal law imposes various limits on how much individuals, partnerships (including some limited liability corporations, or LLCs) and political action committees (PACs) may contribute to federal candidates and parties. And it outright prohibits contributions from certain other sources (such as corporations, labor unions and foreign nationals). Those limitations apply to non-monetary, “in-kind” contributions as well.
Accordingly, if Sir Elton were to give away a thousand copies of his greatest hits CD to induce donations to the Clinton campaign, he would be making an illegal “in-kind” contribution as a foreign national. Moreover, the CDs’ fair market value likely would exceed his individual contribution limit. On the other hand, if he were to voluntarily write a song honoring the campaign (“My gift is my song, and this one’s for you”), that would be fine by the FEC, even if that song goes platinum and earns a small fortune. If readers feel confused at where volunteering ends and where “in-kind” contributions begin, just re-read the last sentence of the first paragraph.Related News
Thursday, April 10 2008 at 07:29:44
Friday, March 28 2008 at 08:22:19
Monday, March 17 2008 at 07:30:22
| Davey gets a kick out of football Tuesday, May 6 2008 |
As the final preparations are being made for Elton John's forthcoming gig at Darlington Arena, David Roberts of The Northern Echo speaks to his long-serving guitarist Davey Johnstone.
Davey Johnstone has only been back in the UK for a few hours, but he's already settling down to enjoy one of the other great loves of his life, besides music - namely football. After spending the past 26 years living in California, the Edinburgh-born musician admits that the one thing he misses is football and so is looking forward to watching the Arsenal versus Everton game on TV.
"I'm a massive soccer fan. You get some matches in America, but not many, I don't think there ever will be," he said. "Beckham's there now, but the only difference is he's being paid a lot of money to play there. I've had to become a big basketball fan instead."
Davey met Elton John in the early Seventies through Bernie Taupin when he was asked to play acoustic guitar on an album of Bernie's poetry put to music. Davey was then asked to play on Elton's "Madman Across the Water" and was invited to become a permanent member of his band in 1972.
During his career he has worked with a number of different artists including Alice Cooper, Meatloaf, Rod Stewart and The Who. A testament to the strength of the relationship he has with Elton John is that in more than 30 years of playing together, Davey has never been on the receiving end of one of Elton's infamous tantrums.
"He's simply the most talented of all the people I've ever worked with," Davey said of Elton. "He's such a great musician. He loves guitars, but he couldn't play one if you paid him." Davey admits that the pressures of almost constant touring can take their toll, but when they go out on stage it more than makes up for it.
"We've been together so long now and have got such a big catalogue that the concerts are never the same. 'Rocket Man' is always a really good song to play, as we change it every night. Sometimes it can go on for 15 to 20 minutes. I also enjoy playing a lot of the earlier stuff."Related News
Tuesday, May 6 2008 at 06:03:21
| Elton adds second Anchorage show Tuesday, May 6 2008 |
Loah McCoy's boss gave her an impossible task at work Monday morning: Go to Sullivan Arena and pick up some Elton John tickets.
Like so many others, McCoy came up empty, despite a display of multitasking that deserves recognition in her next job review. She stood in line for more than an hour, calling Ticketmaster on her cell phone all the while. She was about 50 people away from the box office when an arena employee came outside to tell the crowd that Elton's May 28, 2008 concert was sold out.
Tickets to see the Rocket Man went about as fast as an actual rocket. It took just 58 minutes for fans -- and would-be profiteers who later posted their tickets for sale online, generally at prices higher than face value -- to snatch up about 7,000 tickets.
About four hours after the sellout was announced, a second concert was scheduled for May 30, 2008. Tickets for that show go on sale on May 12, 2008, and don't be surprised to see another feeding frenzy.
The 58-minute sellout shattered the previous record for fastest Sullivan sellout. The old mark was held by Aerosmith, according to Sullivan officials. The hard-rock band's 1998 concert sold out in two hours, 37 minutes.
About 60 people spent a night wrapped in sleeping bags and slumped in lawns chairs to improve their odds of paying $58.50 to $118.50 to see Elton. "It was cold. It was long. It was a lot of fun," said Kathy Jackman of Palmer, who arrived at 2:30 p.m. Sunday and left with six tickets shortly after 10 a.m. Monday. "People brought heaters, coffee, food, you name it."
A number of people, frustrated in their attempts to buy tickets through Ticketmaster, joined the line after 10 Monday. "My husband went online at 9:59 and he couldn't get through, so he sent me here," said Kim Kampen, who was hoping to buy tickets for her parents and her husband's parents.
Also see Elton John Tour News.
| Happy Birthday, Davey! Tuesday, May 6 2008 |
Davey Johnstone turns 57 on May 6, 2008.
On behalf of the visitors of eltonfan.net and all Elton fans around the world, we would like to wish him a Happy Birthday.
Davey will be back on stage with Elton in Singapore on May 7, 2008.
| Elton sang at Sir Alan Sugar's 40th anniversary Monday, May 5 2008 |
Elton John played at Sir Alan Sugar's lavish 40th wedding anniversary party on May 4, 2008.
"The Apprentice" boss has paid Elton £250,000 to entertain guests in a marquee the size of a football pitch in his back garden.
Sir Alan has thrown the money-no-object bash, set in the idyllic grounds of his £5million Essex mansion, to celebrate 40 years of marriage to his wife Ann. Sixties superstars Frankie Valli And The Four Seasons, a favourite band of Sir Alan's, also played a set at the party.
A party source said before the event: "Sir Alan has spared no expense for the party - it's going to be very impressive. Alan and his wife Ann are still very much in love, and this is a great opportunity for them to share their anniversary with the people closest to them."
| Bid on a Meet & Greet with Elton in Las Vegas Sunday, May 4 2008 |
The auction includes two tickets to a June 2008 Red Piano Evening Performance at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, a Meet & Greet experience for you and your guest with Elton John either before or after the performance.
100 per cent of the final sale price will support Liberty Hill Foundation. The Liberty Hill Foundation partners with innovative and effective Los Angeles grassroots organizations to combat poverty and injustice. Together, they help transform the City of Angels into a place that promises safety, equality and opportunity for everyone who lives here. Their motto is Change, not Charity. Charity is important, but their dollars go the next step organizing, advocating, creating change for the long term.
The auction closes on May 11, 2008. See eBay for details.
| Elton John and band performed in Ischgl on May 3, 2008 Saturday, May 3 2008 |
Fan report by Peter Bucek. Photos by Mireille Mölbert.
Elton John played to a crowd of 20,000 skiers and boarders at 2,320 meters in a mountain top arena. It was Elton's second appearance in concert in Ischgl. He was the first big star to feature in Ischgl's Top Of The Mountain concerts in 1995. Other big names to have followed his lead since that first appearance have included Lionel Richie, Bob Dylan, Sting, Rod Stewart, Tina Turner, the Sugababes, Pink and The Pussycat Dolls.
I absolutely forgot about the 660 km of driving to ski center Ischgl, and I also forgot about three and half hours of waiting in front of the piano, when Elton finally came on stage. The beautiful place, good weather and the starting hour of 1.00 pm was a good reason to make great photos.
The concert was shorter, maybe because Elton said after the first song that "This show will be shorter because it´s little bit could here".
During "The Bitch Is Back" Elton was caughing a lot inbetween singing the lyrics. He also wiped his nose sometimes, but only during that song.
The show was fantastic, Elton looked happy till the moment when band returned to play encores. Elton was standing on the bench, Nigel began druming, but the other band members looked like they did not know if to return to the stage or not. From my point of view I saw Guy Babylon running back to the stage from backstage already. Elton was turning to the audience but by his hand's gestueres I recognized that he was little bit upset about this little stage mistake.
Then he turned to the crowd and started to play "Don´t Let The Sun Go Down On Me". After this song the band members again looked like thay didn´t know if to stay or not. But then they grudgingly went off the stage and Elton played "Your Song" solo. The band members would remain unintroduced during the show.
Nine out of song were up-tempo, which was great in regard of enjoying pure rock´n´roll this day in the snow. As up-tempo songs I also count "Levon" (with fantastic ending session) and "Bennie And The Jets".
I enjoyed my "first row profit" with often visual concatct with Elton, who was always making some funny grimaces.
The slope way from stage to my parking took me about 25 minutes of skiing. This was my first concert, during which I had cap on my head, I was in winter anorack, training suit and I also had apline-skiing boots on my feet.
Following is the complete set list of the Ischgl show on May 3, 2008:
| Elton John die-hards camp out for tickets Friday, May 2 2008 |
Elton John mania is sweeping across Vermont. Tickets to his concert on July 21, 2008, at the Champlain Valley Expo will only go on sale on May 2, 2008, but fans are camping out overnight since April 30, 2008 at ticket outlets to make sure they get a good seat.
Wearing boas, colorful hats and glasses, these Sir Elton groupies say sleeping outside is a tiny sacrifice, and one they're glad to make to see the performer they call a living legend.
"Why Elton John? He's so flamboyant, he's a show person," said Colchester resident, Tracy Lamphere. "I can't afford to go to Las Vegas to see him. It's worthwhile...it's Elton John!"
Some fans were willing to give up sleep to get their seats. "Actually, I worked all night at the hospital and I haven't slept yet, and I'm going to have to work tomorrow, too," said Essex Junction resident, Becky Ladue. "Hopefully I'll get some sleep tomorrow after I get tickets!"
Those tickets range from $70 to $130 plus service charges. They go on sale at 10 a.m. on May 2, 2008 at the Flynn Theater box office in Burlington, and at Copy Ship Fax Plus in Essex Junction. The camped-out fans could have saved themselves some trouble by going to the FlynnTix Web site, but they say camping overnight will itself be an experience to remember.
| Hercules Fan Convention - register now! Thursday, May 1 2008 |
The Hercules Elton John Fan Club will be hosting a fan convention to celebrate its 20th anniversary in 2008. The event will take place in Munich, Germany, from 21-23 November 2008 and will coincide with Elton’s “Red Piano” show in Munich which takes place on 22 November 2008.
More detailed information about the fan convention is now available. You may also register for the event as well as book your hotel for Munich and order tickets for the "Red Piano" show in Munich on 22 November 2008.
Please use the registration form (Word form - PDF) to register by 8 July 2008. Registration after this date will be possible, but cannot be guaranteed as the event will be limited to a maximum of 100 attendees. Please note that we reserve the right to cancel the event in case we will not receive at least 50 registrations by the above mentioned deadline.
| Le Roi Lion (The Lion King) wins Moliere Award for Best Musical Thursday, May 1 2008 |
The Moliere Awards — the French equivalent of the Tony Awards — were presented April 28, 2008 at the Folies Bergere.
The big winner of the night, according to Variety, was the the French production of "The Lion King, Le Roi Lion", which picked up three trophies. The Disney musical snagged prizes for Best Musical, lighting (Donald Holder) and costumes (Julie Taymor, who also directed).
Le Roi Lion opened at the lavishly renovated Theatre Mogador, Paris, October 4, 2007. The Elton John-Tim Rice musical is performed in French. Lyrics and dialogue have been adapted by Stéphane Laporte, who earned a Molière nomination for his work on the French adaptation of "Fiddler On the Roof" two seasons ago. Stage Entertainment France, a subsidiary of Stage Entertainment, produces the show.
"The Lion King" originally opened at Broadway's New Amsterdam Theatre November 13, 1997. Directed by Julie Taymor — who became the first woman to ever receive a Tony Award for Best Director of a Musical — the musical has become an international hit with productions playing all around the globe. In fact, the Elton John-Tim Rice musical has won over 30 major awards. Those include six Tony Awards, including one for Best Musical; eight Drama Desk Awards; six Outer Critics Circle Awards; two Sir Laurence Oliviers; the Evening Standard Award for Best Theatrical Event; and three Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Awards.
Le Roi Lion offers performances Tuesday-Friday evenings at 8 PM, Saturdays and Sundays at 3 and 8 PM. Tickets, priced €25-€99, are available by calling +338 20 88 87 86. Visit www.leroilion.fr for more information.
| Elton John to perform in Alaska Tuesday, April 29 2008 |
Elton John will perform at the Sullivan Arena on May 28, 2008. The show is part of his 2008 tour, "Rocket Man: Number Ones."
Tickets will be available starting at 10 a.m. on May 5, 2008. The price will range from $56.50 to $116.50, including the municipal surcharge. "This will be the biggest thing we've had here in recent memory," said Joe Wooden, regional general manager of SMG of Alaska Inc.
He noted that this would be Elton's first performance ever in Alaska and that, in addition to the Anchorage show, Elton would also perform at the Carlson Center in Fairbanks the following night.
In a recent interview with Larry King, Elton expressed an interest in performing in all of the U.S. states where he had not yet appeared and mentioned Alaska specifically. (Vermont and Delaware were the other two.)
Maybe Elton is reading eltonfan.net after all as we already reported back in August 2007 that there were a few US States missing so far (see 'Sick City, isn't it a pity').
See Elton John Tour News for a complete list of Elton's upcoming performances.
| Columbus Gay Men's Chorus to present "Rocket Man" Tuesday, April 29 2008 |
The Columbus Gay Men's Chorus (CGMC) wraps up its 18th season with a spectacular tribute to the music of Sir Elton John.
No keyboard, sunglasses, or costume change will be safe when CGMC pulls out all the stops in this musical extravaganza!
"Elton John is one of the most recognizable musical talents of our time. To have the opportunity to present a concert entirely comprised of his masterpieces is a delight for the members and staff of the Columbus Gay Men's Chorus. This show will be pure fun for both singing and audience members alike, and it is an honor for us to pay tribute to not only a musical icon, but a gay icon as well," said David Monseur, CGMC's Artistic Director.
Join CGMC for Elton John favorites like Candle in the Wind, Philadelphia Freedom, I'm Still Standing, and of course Rocket Man, among so many other classics. For those who haven't had their fill of Rocket Man after the show, CGMC will be recording selections from the concert for the production of their latest CD, which will be available this summer.
Matthew Arnold, Executive Director for CGMC, is enthusiastic about the final compilation this season: "We have created many wonderful musical moments this season, from our performances of Joy! in December, to our beautiful collaboration with ProMusica in March. What a way to end this season, with a concert and CD full of moving and exhilarating music, dedicated to this one-of-a-kind superstar."
Rocket Man
When: Friday, June 20 and Saturday, June 21, 2008; 8pm
Where: Capitol Theatre, Vern Riffe Center, 77 S. High St., Columbus
Tickets: Ticket prices: $25-$29. Available at www.cgmc.com
Formed in 1990, the Columbus Gay Men's Chorus maintains the vision of its founding members to foster increased recognition, understanding, and acceptance of gay men, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgender persons. CGMC is a non-auditioned chorus open to all people regardless of vocal talent, musical abilities, race, gender, religion, age, physical abilities, sexual orientation or economic means. The members of CGMC are equally dedicated to performing vocal music of the highest quality for its audiences and to maintaining an atmosphere of camaraderie, support and respect for its diverse members. During each performance and public appearance, they seek to live their mission of "Voices Raised, Lives Changed."
| Elton John donates $60.4 million to charities Monday, April 28 2008 |
Elton John has been touring relentlessly for years. He continues to perform with the same passion that has made him a household name for decades. He also is one of the richest British music millionaires, according to the Sunday Times newspaper.
The paper reported that Elton earned $470 million in 2007. That puts him eighth on the list of British millionaires. The amount he made, however, pales in comparison to the amount he has donated.
Elton has donated $60.4 million to charities for Aids, medicine, children, and music in the past twelve months. The money he has donated has gone to help all of these causes, and along with the money, Elton has given assistance to many charities.
“I have always felt that I have a moral responsibility not only to donate money in a personal capacity but also to motivate other people to do the same,” Elton says.
“He regards it as a case of there but for the grace of God go I,” says Robert Key, director of the Elton John Aids Foundation. “He gives very much on a personal level. So, because a lot of his girlfriends have been affected by breast cancer, he sends a lot of women for treatment, and pays the cost.”
Joining him on the list of British millionaires were singers Mick Jagger at number nine, and Madonna and husband Guy Ritchie, at number six. Paul McCartney, who recently settled a bitter divorce with ex wife Heather Mills, was third on the list. He was reported to have made $1 billion.
| © 1997-2008 by HERCULES International. Hercules is not affiliated with Elton John`s management or the Elton John Aids Foundation. |