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Fan report by Mark Giles.

Last week I was lucky to attend the "premiere" of the new musical "Laughter In The Rain " ... The Neil Sedaka Story, which opened in Bromley, Kent in the United Kingdom.

Written by Philip Norman (who wrote the "Elton" biography) and directed by successful theatre producer Bill Kenwright, the musical traces the ups and downs of his life and career of Sedaka and how he started out as a classical pianist at the Julliard School of music, before teaming up with lyricist Howard Greenfield and persuing a successful rock'n'roll career.

The first half concertrates on these early years, and how The Beatles in 1964 "took over" the music scene in the USA and the singer/songwriter style lost favour with the public. The second half concentrates on his decision to move to the UK and re-emerge as a singer-songwriter, but with a different style. The musical is full of the Sedaka hits in order including "Oh Carol," "Breaking Up is Hard to do," "Amarillo" and 1970's classics "Standing on the Inside," "Solitaire."

In the early Seventies, when forming Rocket Records, Elton went to see Sedaka, and asked him if he'd join the label. This resulted in two albums "Sedaka's Back " & "The Hungry Years" (named "Overnight Success" in the UK), and Sedaka had two US number ones with "Laughter in the Rain" & "Bad Blood" (Elton contributed backing vocals).

During the musical a rather nervous "Elton" dressed in a light grey suit, a large grey flat hat, Watford tie and big glasses, is seen nervously asking Sedaka if he'd join Rocket "as he was such a big fan of his". Elton then plays piano whilst they sing "Bad Blood." The musical ends around this time with a medley of rousing hits.

Although not mentioned in the musical the link with Elton continued with Elton's band (Davey, Dee & Nigel) performing on some of Sedaka's albums in the mid 1970's, and in 2007 Sedaka was honoured with a tribute in New York's Lincoln Center ... Neil Sedaka 50 years of hits which was a benefit for the Elton John Aids Foundation.

Sedaka was present at the "premiere" of the musical , and at the end of the show came on stage and performed that first Rocket Records number one "Laughter In the Rain.

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No matter how the rest of the world responded to Kara DioGuardi's post-Big Mike breakdown on March 10, 2010, you'd think she would have gotten a sympathetic reception from the women on "The View." No such luck.

"They were so wacky last night," Joy Behar said of the "American Idol" judges on March 10, 2010's show. "They were flirting. They were fighting. They were crying. ... All sorts of wacky stuff was going on." Elisabeth Hasslebeck called the judges' antics an "emotional mess."

Through all this, guest Elton John sat silently, until Sherri Shepherd asked him what he thought of DioGuardi's suggestion that a young fellow like Aaron Kelly couldn't possibly have enough life experience to put across a song like Lonestar's "I'm Already There." "It's so hard for the contestants," Elton said. "I mean, A) They're on television, live. B) They're trying to do the best they can in the two minutes they're given."

But then Elton, whose name has been bandied about as a potential replacement for the departing Simon Cowell, revealed himself to have been nearly as transported by Big Mike Lynche's performance as DioGuardi was. He said, "The difference between Big Mike and the other boy that was singing [Tim Urban] is that Big Mike has the most God-given voice. I mean the other guy's got a nice voice. But Big Mike -- I've only seen a small clip of it -- is like Luther Vandross. He's like the voice of an angel."

"But will he be the 'American Idol'?" asked Behar. "Why not?" said Elton. "Ruben Studdard was."

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If you ride the subway in New York City, or have even just ventured outside these past few weeks, it's been nearly impossible to miss the posters touting the Broadway opening of "Next Fall," a drama about an older atheist and his hot hard-core Christian boyfriend.

Emblazoned on each ad are the words/imprimatur, “Elton John and David Furnish present ..." which is why New York Magazine was a bit shocked when, at the reception for the show on March 10, 2010, they learned that Elton had only just seen "Next Fall" for the first time that evening.

"Yeah, I [produced] it without seeing it,” Elton told New York Magazine. “I did it completely blind!” He explained that he first became aware of the show when David went to see it at Playwrights Horizons with The Reader director Stephen Daldry. "He phoned me up after coming out of the theater and was just raving about it," said Elton. "They decided it was going to come to Broadway, and they said, 'We need help as far as getting exposure, since none of the cast are household names. Would you be prepared to lend your name?' We said, 'Yeah, and if you need us to put up some money, we'll do that, too.' Because we think it's a fantastic project."

With his Billy Elliot still running strong, and another stage project in development with "Next Fall" playwright Geoffrey Nauffts, Elton is now a bona fide Broadway producer. "Yeah, never thought that would happen!" he laughed, than mused about what perk he should demand. "Maybe I can get a senior-citizen pass and get in free to matinees or something."

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Elton John and David Furnish attended the March 10, 2010 performance of Geoffrey Nauffts' "Next Fall", set to officially open at the Helen Hayes Theatre on March 11, 2010.

As previously announced, Elton and David are part of the show's producing team. Also in attendance were Loraine Bracco, Bobby Cannavale, Kate Clinton, Edie Falco, Milos Forman, Whoopi Goldberg, Donna Karan, Lou Reed, Sherri Shepherd, and Urvashi Vaid. The cast and guests celebrated the show's transfer to Broadway at the Royalton Hotel.

"Next Fall" focuses on two gay men with religious differences, over the course of their five-year romantic relationship. The production, which originated Off-Broadway last year, features Patrick Breen, Maddie Corman, Sean Dugan,Patrick Heusinger, Connie Ray, and Cotter Smith.

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On March 8, 2010, former “American Idol” producer Nigel Lythgoe told Showbiz 411 that he still thinks Elton is the best choice to replace Simon Cowell.

“He’s absolutely it,” said Lythgoe, who also said he thinks Ellen DeGeneres is still warming up and has yet to show her full potential. And he misses Paula Abdul. “She was the glue that held it together, wasn’t she?” he said wistfully.

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An anti-abortion activist and gubernatorial candidate from Carrollton was arrested by Atlanta police on March 10, 2010 for allegedly making threats against Elton John.

Neal Horsley was taken into custody in Carrollton by members of the Atlanta police fugitive squad and U.S. Marshal's office, according to Carrollton police. Horsley was booked into the Fulton County Jail, charged with terroristic threats, criminal defamation and using the Internet to disseminate threats.

During a hearing on March 11, 2010 morning at the jail, Magistrate Judge James Altman set bond for Horsley at $40,000 on all three charges. Altman said as a condition of his bail, Horsley must remain at the home of his son, Nathanael Horsley of Gainesville. The younger Horsley is acting as his father's attorney.

Elton, a part-time Atlantan, raised the ire of Horsley in February 2010 when he told an interviewer that he believed that Jesus was a homosexual. Horsley, 65, responded with an Internet diatribe on "Why Elton John Must Die."

A video posted on YouTube shows Horsley protesting outside Elton's Peachtree Road condominium with a large sign proclaiming, "Elton John Must Die." Horsley for several years has operated Web sites listing the names of doctors performing abortions and with links to Web cams showing patients entering abortion clinics.

A federal appeals court ruled in 2002 that a Web site run by Horsley condemning abortion doctors can be held liable in a civil suit because it amounted to illegal threats, not free speech. Horsley has established a gubernatorial campaign office in Carrollton but has not yet filed any paperwork with the state Ethics Commission to run for governor in 2010.

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Next Fall received rave reviews off Broadway and when Broadway.tv recently interviewed the cast, no one knew that only a few days later Elton John would be announced as a producer for the show.

During Broadway.tv's exclusive interview with Phil Berk who is the President of the Hollywood Foreign Press, they discussed how Hollywood has had such a big impact on Broadway. Berk argued that the current economics of Broadway dictate a big name is needed to star in a show to be successful.

Some worried, that while "Next Fall" told a very strong and important story, the show may not get deserved attention and audiences because of the lack of household name star power. Elton John fixed this issue by becoming involved with "Next Fall", something Broadway.tv thinks is very noble and kind, of one of the most successful music artists in the world.

On March 11, 2010 Broadway.tv had the chance to interview Elton. Watch the video to see why he wanted to be a producer for "Next Fall".

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As the buzz continues for that big Elton John concert in Youngstown, OH on May 1, 2010, fans are being warned to be smart when shopping for their tickets.

Online scams have been popping up claiming to have tickets for sale to the upcoming show at the Covelli Centre. Truth of the matter is, tickets are not on sale yet, so beware of any site that purports to have them now. Some have the prices marked up considerably, going for more than $1,000 a pop.

Tickets officially go on sale this Friday, March 12, 2010.

Also see Elton John Tour News.

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Keyboard magazine interviewed Kim Bullard at one of the recent Elton John/Billy Joel shows.

Click here to see the video interview.

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Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie's celebrity friends - including Elton John and Rod Stewart - have been giving him regular pep talks to help him overcome his addiction, which has seen him enter rehab numerous times, most recently in January 2010.

Ronnie is quoted by The Sun newspaper as saying: "Now I know everyone's behind me, I'm desperate to give up for good. Mick calls me every few days."

The rocker, 62, is also said to be determined to stay sober for his new girlfriend, Brazilian beauty Ana Araujo, 30, and has so far been clean for two months. There are even rumours the couple could marry later this year and friends say she has been a positive influence in keeping Ronnie from drinking.

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Elton John and David Furnish hosted the 18th Elton John AIDS Foundation (EJAF) Academy Awards Viewing Party and raised $3.7 Million for the fight against AIDS.

Presented by Chopard, Jo and Raffy Manoukian and Neuro Drinks, the EJAF Viewing Party continues to be the leading fundraiser on Oscar night in Hollywood. The evening began with a cocktail reception, dinner and viewing of the 82nd Annual Academy Awards, followed by a very exciting live auction and high voltage performance by the iconic Grace Jones.

Throughout its 18 years, the event has hosted some of the biggest stars in film, television and music. This year was no exception with celebrities such as Adam Levine, Alan Cumming, Allison Iraheta (American Idol), Apolo Ohno, Betty White, Chace Crawford, Christina Hendricks, Cory Monteith (Glee), Debi Mazar, Eric & Janet McCormack, Gina Gershon, Hayden Panettiere, Heidi Klum, J.C. Chasez, Jason Mraz, Jeremy Piven, Joaquin Phoenix, John Waters, Josh Groban, K.D. Lang, Kimora Lee, Lea Michele (Glee), Liam Hemsworth, Matthew Morrison (Glee), Michelle Rodriguez, Milla Jovovich & Paul W. S. Anderson, Miley Cyrus, Nicole Richie & Joel Madden, Ricki Lake, Rob Lowe, Ryan Kwanten, S. Epatha Merkerson (Law & Order), Sam Trammell (True Blood), Selena Gomez, Serena Williams, Sharon & Kelly Osbourne, Simon Cowell, Slash, Tim Allen, Victoria Beckham, attendance.

Guests arrived for the 18th annual Elton John AIDS Foundation Academy Award Viewing party to a custom-built tent adorned in hues of red and tangerine, a decor inspired by designer Antony Todd’s travels. Chef Wayne Elias of Crumble Catering prepared an exquisite five-course meal including dishes such as Risotto Carnaroli with saffron liquorice and king prawns and “Wahoo” with black olives, pine nuts, fresh herbs and stewed lentils.

As is tradition, immediately following dinner, auctioneer Jamie Niven of Sotheby’s led the evening’s live auction. Items auctioned included a Lisa Jack contact sheet of a portrait sitting of now President Barack Obama which was taken at Occidental College in 1980. This rare piece sold for an astounding $60K. Guests also had the opportunity to bid on a private tennis lesson given by legendary tennis pros Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf, which sold for $70K and the costume that Elton John wore during his performance with Lady Gaga at the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards. The costume sold for $30K. A fantastic 48″X48″ William Claxton piece, “Chet Baker (Piano), Hollywood, 1954,” was sold for $90K. The lucky winner of this photograph also got to take home Claxton’s Nikon F 35mm Camera as well as the “Jazz Life” trade edition book. Guests also had the chance to bid on a watch from the Elton John Watch Collection designed by Caroline Gruosi-Scheufele. The dazzling limited timepiece was sold for $90K.

Other auction items included an incredible photograph by Robert Mapplethrope called “Grace Jones, 1984″ which was sold for $85K and surprised his guests with the opportunity to bid on a 7-day stay for 10 people in Elton’s home in Windsor or Nice and the winners of this bid will also be able to experience the wonderful dishes cooked by Elton’s personal chef. The 7-day stay was sold for $140K.

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Victoria Beckham, Heidi Klum, Miley Cyrus and Simon Cowell were among the celebrity guest who stepped out for Elton John’s 18th annual AIDS Foundation Oscar party on March 7, 2010, but one guest was more special than the others – Betty White.

“Betty White is my Guest of Honor,” Elton told Access Hollywood before his big event held in West Hollywood. “I want to meet a legend and she is a legend!” And he even had a special place at his party for the Hollywood superstar. “She’s sitting on my right hand side,” he sad. “I’m so thrilled that she’s coming.”

Elton explained the two had already bonded pre-party, via phone, over their shared love of canines. “We communicate because she has a charity for dogs and I love dogs, so I made a contribution to her charity and thought, you know what, instead of just writing letters, I want to meet you, so I invited her to this,” he explained.

And photos from inside the bash showed the two sharing close moments. Elton, in blue glasses, hugged and kissed Betty who was in a dress in a similar blue shade.

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Elton John and David Furnish have played host to some of the world's top stars at Hollywood's biggest Oscar viewing party.

The couple's Aids fundraiser has become a staple for all those without an invite to the ceremony itself and this year's guest list read like a who's who guide to the entertainment world's biggest names.

Representing the Brits were the likes of Victoria Beckham, Mel B, Amanda Holden, Sharon and Kelly Osbourne, Katie Price and Simon Cowell. "I'm so blown away this year, it's fantastic," Elton said ahead of the celebrations. "It's our stable fundraiser for the whole year, this is by far the most important, it gets us the most publicity and it raises the most money. It's hard work because you have to walk around shaking hands with everyone but when we go home and it's all finished we've met people and we've seen great entertainment close up."

Elton added he and his partner were always anxious that the night should go perfectly. "It's something we look forward to but we're also a bit wary of as it's your baby and you want it to go well. "The best part is when you go home at night and you think 'we did a good job'."

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Superstars Elton John and Santana will perform live at the 2010 Dubai World Cup at Meydan on March 27, 2010, it has been announced.

The 15th running of the Dubai World Cup also marks the official launch of the world’s largest integrated racing facility, the Meydan Grandstand and Racecourse. And to mark the occasion, Meydan has signed up two of the music world's biggest names to provide the entertainment at the close of the racing action.

The dual headliner concert is expected to start after the last race at about 10.45pm. They are the latest music stars to appear at Meydan - Sting performed at the latest race meeting held on March 4, 2010.

Mohammad A Nasser Al Khayat, commercial director of Meydan, said: “It is fitting that we have two legendary performers, Elton John and Santana, closing the 15th Dubai World Cup here at Meydan. They are iconic, inimitable and extremely dynamic entertainers. The concert will serve as a wonderful way to cap off an unforgettable night for all our guests, partners and the people around the world.”

Frank Gabriel Jr, CEO of the Dubai Racing Club added: “We have world-class horses, jockeys and trainers on one of the world’s most anticipated race days with $26m in prize money at stake over eight races. Add to that an amazing facility like Meydan, and with both Elton John and Santana to close the 15th Dubai World Cup and Meydan’s official launch – this will be the event of the year.”

Gates at Meydan Racecourse will open from 2pm for the races. Dubai World Cup Apron Views tickets start from AED350, and exclusive Dubai World Cup Golden Circle tickets for up close access to the concert arena start at AED600. Tickets are available from March 8, 2010 from Virgin Megastore, Box Office and TimeOut.

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Elton John has invited the Olympic gold medal winners to his Oscar-viewing party this year.

Construction of the massive marquee, home to one of the biggest parties in Hollywood, has begun March 3, 2010 in the grounds of the city's Pacific Design Center for what looks set to be another massive fundraising event for the singer's charity.

Scott Campbell, the director of the Elton John AIDS Foundation, said this year's guest list promises to be pretty impressive. "It's a great list and it brings together a diverse group of people, including this year's three Olympic medal winners," he said. "We have a very loyal group of core friends - everyday people and people in the media and entertainment world who come together."

Following tradition, after the stars finish watching who wins this year's Academy Awards, Elton will take to the stage to perform a special set with a musical guest. This year he'll be performing with Grace Jones.

But fundraising is at the event's heart, explained event producer Virginia Fout. "You have an Elton John hosted event which, as we all know, Elton wants to be beautiful elegant and nice... but you're also raising money for charity so you have folks that have paid a lot of money to sit and have dinner for a good cause."

The five-course menu includes a spring vegetable compote, risotto carnaroli with saffron liquorice, a choice of either New York steak or Wahoo with black olives and stewed lentils, and for desert a 'crispy milk chocolate bar with a bitter chocolate glaze, meringue sticks and apricot coulis'.

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A former Watford Observer journalist wants Hornets fans to add a personal touch to his new book covering the most famous era in the club’s history.

"Enjoy The Game" has been written by Lionel Birnie and tells the story of Watford in the 1980s when current chairman Graham Taylor and Elton John steered the club into the top flight of English football for the first time, finished runners-up behind Liverpool, qualified for Europe and helped secure the Hornets’ sole appearance in an FA Cup Final.

The 304-page hardback, limited edition publication will go on sale for £18.99 this summer, but Lionel is offering supporters prepared to commit to buying the book in advance the chance to become a patron and have their own individual message published in a dedicated chapter.
Lionel explained: “This can be a dedication or message personal to you (up to 150 characters) and can be of any nature, as long as it’s clean and decent. You could make a dedication to a friend or loved one, or thank Graham and the boys for all the memories, it’s up to you, but it’ll be your own little piece of history for no extra cost.”

The book is based on the recollections and anecdotes from those who were involved – from Taylor and John Barnes to Luther Blissett and Nigel Callaghan – although there is one key exception. “The only notable person missing is the man who financed it all, the person without whom it would not have been possible, Sir Elton John,” said Lionel. “I hammered away at his representatives, and Graham Taylor did all he could to try to make it happen for me, but unfortunately I got the feeling that Sir Elton is very well protected by his agents and that I didn’t get further than the front desk. If Sir Elton happens to read this, there’s still time to get his take on events – just.”

Although it would have been logical for a book covering a period in the club’s history to be presented in chronological fashion, this is not the case. “I couldn't present each interview as a stand-alone chapter because people’s memories overlap,” the author said. “It would have become repetitive very quickly, so I have attempted to weave together the outstanding source material to tell the story of the key events from the 1980s. Of course, we have to wind back to the summer of 1977 when Graham Taylor was appointed, to give the subsequent tale some context, rather than land in January 1980 and take it from there.

“I’ve tried to let the players and management tell the story from their perspective, allowing their anecdotes and recollections to carry the reader along. It’s been on my list of things to do since completing Four Seasons [the story of Watford from 1997 to 2001] with Alan Cozzi in 2001,” Lionel said of his motivation for writing Enjoy The Game. I first went to watch Watford in the early 1980s and I think that those first impressions leave an indelible mark on you. I feel very fortunate, spoilt even, that my introduction to the sport and the club came during such a rich period.

“I was a child when Watford enjoyed all that success and although I’m familiar with the stories, I felt there was a book in it. My criteria is always ‘would I want to read that?’ “I’ve loved writing it, so hopefully people will enjoy reading it.”

For further details on how to become a patron of "Enjoy The Game," visit www.lionelbirnie.com, but space is limited and messages will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.

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She met him on a flight home to Oklahoma. Cecelia Cole invited Elton John to a late barbecue supper in 1972 and the next time he came to town he and his bandmates came over.

Check out the video about this story.

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The bishop of Piraeus, Seraphim, has written to Queen Elizabeth II of the UK to complain about recent comments by Elton, in which he claimed that Jesus Christ was a “compassionate, super-intelligent gay man who understood human problems.”

Elton made the comments in an interview with US Parade magazine, sparking outrage from church organizations in America and other countries. Now Seraphim has called on worshippers in Greece to make their anger known to Queen Elizabeth and Britain’s Foreign Office over what he termed the “unacceptable and absurd” comments made by the artist.

The bishop said Christians around the world are expecting the Queen to respond to Elton’s comments by stripping him of his knighthood. Seraphim also wrote to Britain’s ambassador in Athens, David Landsman, to express the “deep pain and bitterness” caused by the comments.

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Review by Stephan Heimbecher

The new book from Del Newman takes the reader on a trip down memory lane sharing fascinating insights into the life of an orchestral arranger who has worked with all the big names in the music industry.

I have to admit that the name Del Newman didn't immediately ring a bell for me. It was some 30 pages into the book that I learned that besides Cat Stevens, Rod Stewart, The Beatles, Charles Aznavour, Roger Daltry, Peter Frampton, Diana Ross, Paul Simon, Neil Sedaka, Chris de Burgh, Dave Stewart and many others, Del has also worked with Elton John.

After meeting Elton first at a music publisher's recording session with singer Linda Peters in the early Seventies, Del was later asked to orchestrate tracks from the album "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" as Paul Buckmaster was indisposed at the time. The tracks he worked on are "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road", "Sweet Painted Lady", "I've Seen That Movie Too", "Roy Rogers", "The Ballad of Danny Bailey" and "Harmony". The following year Del was also responsible for the orchestra arrangement for "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me", the last work he did for Elton.

Del's narrative style takes you right back to the early Seventies into the the recording studio The Chateau. He sucks you right into the scene, making you feel like being part of the event, being there with Elton and the band in the middle of the recording session. Along the way Del shares some anecdotes about Elton's generosity and working with producer Gus Dudgeon. Del makes you feel like a friend that he is sharing this stories with over a glass of beer or two.

As the book is basically structured in chapters which deal with a particular artist or band, the reader gets to learn a lot of personal and less known things about many of the big names of the music industry in the Sixties, Seventies and Eighties. A fascinating and enthralling trip with Del acting as your tour guide.

But it was long before those personal and almost intimate descriptions of working with the stars that I mentally bonded with Del just after reading the three pages of his prologue. Despite the fact that I wasn't even born at the time Del was diving into the world of orchestral arrangements, I can very much relate with his comments about the way the music business worked back then compared to today. Del is very outspoken about his personal opinion and even his stories about working with all those different artists, which - in his words - "were a mixture ranging from saints to sinners", are frank but miles away from kiss-and-tell.

A must-read for every true music fan this book is the "Access all areas" pass for everyone that always wanted to know how the music business works - or used to work.

The book is available online from Apex Publishing.

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Alberta Ballet fans looking to buy tickets to their new show featuring the music of Elton John got a scare March 1, 2010 morning.

No sooner did tickets go on sale March 1, 2010 for "Love Lies Bleeding," the new ballet inspired by the songs of Elton John, than they went off again.

It turns out that so many buyers logged on at the same moment, they crashed the Alberta Ballet’s website. “We were quite confident for it, that the system was going to work,” said Robin Wortman, the ballet’s interim director of marketing and sales. “(But) you never know until the gates open, what it’s going to be like.”

If you weren’t able to access the Alberta Ballet website, you’re not too late. There are still tickets available for the shows, which open May 6, 2010 in Calgary and May 11, 2010 in Edmonton.

While the ticket-buying surge temporarily crashed the website, tickets were always available over the phone (780-428-6830) or in person at box offices in Calgary and Edmonton (11120 82nd Ave.). By midday March 1, 2010, the website was up and running.

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Be the first to take advantage of this very special offer. Order by March 11, 2010 for performances through April 4, 2010.

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“There was never a tour booked this summer!” says Billy Joel, responding to Internet claims that he pulled the plug on a summer tour with Elton John.

He continues, “Obviously, this has the smell of a really juicy story: ‘Why did they cancel? Did Billy and Elton have a fight? What’s going on?’ The truth is, there’s nothing going on. I had made up my mind a long time ago that I wasn’t going to work this year.”

Though the duo are currently performing together on their recurring Face to Face tour, these shows — which swept up the West Coast, and continue until March 11th in Buffalo — are make-up shows, rescheduled from canceled 2009 dates.

Billy insists that rumors about 2010 summer tour were leaked by insiders at certain venues around the country. He explains, “There were a couple stories that came out that we were supposed to play Wrigley Field and Fenway Park, and I think Pittsburgh was mentioned. Booking agents hold real estate. They like to research what’s available when, to see if they can put together a series of dates. Then they’ll come back to the artist and say, ‘Look, if you wanted to, you could play such and such and such.’ These rumors probably came from somebody at one of those venues who had to be a big shot and call the local newspaper and say, ‘Hey, Billy and Elton are going to play here this summer.’”

Elton even perpetuated the story himself. In a recent interview, he was quoted saying, “Billy just wants to take a year off. I’m so disappointed because when we came to Wrigley Field last year, it was like playing in the church of baseball.” Billy responds, “Elton and I don’t really sit down and discuss our future plans with each other. We see each other backstage and we hang out and kibitz and talk about music and life. When Elton did that interview, he’d just found out from his booking agent that I wasn’t going to be working this summer, and therefore Elton’s quote puts a spin on it that I’d changed my mind all of a sudden, or suddenly decided to cancel the tour, which is nonsense. There was never a tour booked!”

Before their February 22, 2010 show in Denver, Billy approached Elton about his comments to the press. “When I saw him backstage, I said, ‘Elton, what were you told about this supposed summer tour?’ He goes, ‘Well, I just found out you weren’t going to be working this year, and I was heartbroken because I was looking forward to doing it.’”

In his statement to the press, Elton also seemed to convey that their hugely successful Face to Face tour — which has brought in big crowds since 2004 — would be ending for good in Albany. “We’ll probably pick it up again,” says Billy. “It’s always fun playing with him.” He insists there is no bad blood. In Denver, their conversation ended thusly: “Elton said, ‘Are you mad at me?’ I said, ‘No, I’m not mad, I just want to clarify what’s going on here.’ Everything’s fine.”

Billy says the thought of retirement looms in his mind, but he’s always drawn back to the stage. “I see pictures of myself onstage, and I look at them and say, ‘There has to be some kind of mandatory retirement age for doing this gig,’ and then I watched the Super Bowl and saw the Who and I figure, ‘Well, I guess there is no mandatory retirement age.’ ‘I hope I die before I get old,’ — that went out the window. It’s always possible that I’ll tour again, whether it’s with Elton or on my own. I love my job. For now I’m going to stop, but I won’t sit around for the rest of my life and rot.”

Billy claims last year was a rough one. “There was an incident with my daughter that was very shocking,” he says of daughter Alexa’s suicide attempt. “I got divorced. I worked a lot. I promised myself more personal time this year. I’m going to Italy, and I’ll probably go to Paris. I’ll probably take my boat to New England and hang out on the coast. I’ll ride my motorcycle. I’ll just be a bum.”

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Legendary entertainer Grace Jones will perform for guests at the 18th annual Elton John AIDS Foundation Academy Award Viewing Party. The gala event, which will take place March 7, 2010, at the Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood, has brought some of the most iconic musicians to the stage over the years, but none as theatrical as the incomparable Grace Jones.

“Grace Jones is not only an amazing performer, but a dear friend and a fellow activist in the fight against HIV/AIDS,” says Elton. “Without a doubt, Grace will put on a show for our guests that will have them talking for years to come. It is an absolute honor to have Grace as part of this evening that means so much to the Foundation.”

Ms. Jones’ first album, Portfolio, released in 1977, resulted in a string of dance-club hits that transformed the international club scene. Her following albums “Fame” and “Muse” generated considerable success in the market and solidified her as a major recording artist. Jones later adapted to the emerging New Wave music to create a different style for herself. This resulted in the acclaimed albums “Warm Leatherette”, “Nightclubbing” and “Living My Life.”

Equally known for her roles in the fashion, art and film communities, Jones has established a presence that has stood the test of time. Born in Jamaica and raised in Syracuse, New York, she began her career as a successful high-fashion model. Starring roles followed in such films as the James Bond blockbuster “A View to a Kill”, “Conan the Destroyer” with Arnold Schwarzenegger and the vampire thriller “Vamp.”

Jones took the art world by storm when she became the muse to famed artists Andy Warhol and Keith Haring, resulting in an iconic series of portraits by Warhol and Hiring’s famous series of body paintings. With her dramatic visual makeover created in partnership with Jean-Paul Goode, Jones starred in the concert special “A One Man Show” and created a persona that has intrigued fans and established her as an international entertainment icon.

Lucky guests at this VIP affair will be taking in this great performance while sipping custom-made Neuro cocktails and have the option of a NeuroSonic to get them through the glamorous evening and A NeuroBliss to celebrate when their favorites win on Oscar Night.

Follow the Elton John AIDS Foundation on Facebook.

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Montash Music has released an album with ten recordings from the late Guy Babylon.

Many of us only knew Guy as the keyboarder in Elton's band for many years. However, Guy had a lot more talents, some of which you can discover by listening to this collection.

1. Las Vegas Twister
2. Babylon Bleu
3. She Is
4. Petrushka
5. Marine Venus No Ocean
6. Friction
7. Kip Keno
8. Rosanne
9. Barth
10. Whoo Shoo

You can download these track from iTunes.

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