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 ELTON JOHN NEWS ARCHIVE: November 2016 

Elton John and band performed in Munich on November 25, 2016
Saturday, November 26 2016

Following is the complete set list of the Munich show on Novemember 25, 2016.

  1. Funeral For A Friend
  2. Love Lies Bleeding
  3. The Bitch Is Back
  4. Bennie And The Jets
  5. I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues
  6. Daniel
  7. Someone Saved My Life Tonight
  8. Looking Up
  9. A Good Heart
  10. Philadelphia Freedom
  11. Rocket Man
  12. Tiny Dancer
  13. Levon
  14. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
  15. Have Mercy On The Criminal
  16. Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word
  17. Your Song
  18. Burn Down The Mission
  19. Sad Songs (Say So Much)
  20. Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me
  21. All The Girls Love Alice
  22. I’m Still Standing
  23. Your Sister Can’t Twist (But She Can Rock n’ Roll)
  24. Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting

  25. Candle In The Wind
  26. Crocodile Rock

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Elton John and band performed in Amsterdam on November 22, 2016
Friday, November 25 2016

Fan report by Filip Arijs.

This evening Elton was even more enthusiastic than three days ago in Antwerp. He said it was too long since they’ve been in Amsterdam and reminisced about those wild nights in the Hilton in Amsterdam.

Elton started "Rocket Man" with a very special solo … the band had even a few minutes to get a drink. I recognized some tones of "Take Me To The Pilot" and "Border Song" in it and it was wonderful to hear.

Matt Bissonette’s bass was very prominent in "Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word" and "Burn Down The Mission". The number of guitars Davey played on seemed countless.

Playing all those concerts in this tempo, Elton and his band are in good shape! Even if he plays 25 songs it’s always over too soon. And you always leave with a very happy feeling. Thank you Elton for those wonderful concerts.

Following is the complete set list of the Amsterdam show on Novemember 22, 2016:

  1. Funeral For A Friend
  2. Love Lies Bleeding
  3. The Bitch Is Back
  4. Bennie And The Jets
  5. I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues
  6. Daniel
  7. Someone Saved My Life Tonight
  8. Looking Up
  9. A Good Heart
  10. Philadelphia Freedom
  11. Rocket Man
  12. Tiny Dancer
  13. Levon
  14. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
  15. Have Mercy On The Criminal
  16. Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word
  17. Your Song
  18. Burn Down The Mission
  19. Sad Songs (Say So Much)
  20. Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me
  21. All The Girls Love Alice
  22. I’m Still Standing
  23. Your Sister Can’t Twist (But She Can Rock n’ Roll)
  24. Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting

  25. Candle In The Wind
  26. Crocodile Rock

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Elton denies he'll play pre-inauguration concert for Trump
Thursday, November 24 2016

Donald Trump announced to America that he will be hiring legendary musician Sir Elton John to play at his inauguration this January, in a shameless attempt to pander to the LGBTQ community.

“Elton John is going to be doing our concert on the mall for inauguration, which shows our commitment to gay rights. This will be the first American president in US history that enters the White House with a pro-gay rights stance!” said Trump transition team executive Anthony Scaramucci, somehow without a hint of irony. Donald Trump’s potential administration is already shaping up to be one of the most virulently anti-gay administrations in recent history.

Donald Trump himself has always been against same-sex marriage and has said he would appoint judges who would overturn the landmark Obergefell v. Hodges Supreme Court ruling that legalized gay marriage in the United States. Trump’s vice-president, Mike Pence, is an anti-LGBT religious extremist who tried to divert federal HIV/AIDS funds to pseudoscientific “gay conversion therapy” and signed a bill legalizing discrimination against LGBTQ Americans in the state of Indiana. Trump’s choice for Attorney General, Jeff Sessions of Alabama, has the disgraceful distinction of being both an unrepentant racist and an outspoken anti-LGBT bigot.

So it is absolutely laughable that Trump is trying to paint himself as “committed to gay rights.” Elton John, a staunch Hillary Clinton supporter, must feel the same way, as his spokeswoman told CNN unequivocally that “he will NOT be performing at Trump’s Inauguration!”

Elton’s music was featured prominently at many of Trump’s rallies, (Trump is apparently a huge “Tiny Dancer” fan) which Elton spoke out against earlier this year: “I don’t really want my music to be involved in anything to do with an American election campaign. I’m British. I’ve met Donald Trump, he was very nice to me, it’s nothing personal, his political views are his own, mine are very different, I’m not a Republican in a million years. Why not ask Ted f*cking Nugent? Or one of those f*cking country stars? They’ll do it for you.”

We’re sure those words still apply now.

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Captain Fantastic: Elton John's Stellar Trip Through the '70s
Tuesday, November 22 2016

A new Elton book will be released on March 21, 2017. You can pre-order it today.

In August 1970, Elton John achieved overnight fame with a rousing performance at the Troubadour in Los Angeles. Over the next five years, the artist formerly known as Reginald Dwight went from unheard of to unstoppable, scoring seven consecutive #1 albums and sixteen top-ten singles in America. By the middle of the decade, he was solely responsible for 2 percent of global record sales. One in fifty albums sold in the world bore his name. Elton John’s live shows became raucous theatrical extravaganzas, attended by all the glitterati of the era.

But beneath the spangled bodysuits and oversized eyeglasses, Elton was a desperately shy man, conflicted about his success, his sexuality, and his narcotic indulgences. In 1975, at the height of his fame, he attempted suicide. After coming out as bisexual in a controversial Rolling Stone interview that nearly wrecked his career and announcing his retirement from live performance in 1977 at the age of thirty, he gradually found his way back to the thing he cared about most: the music.

"Captain Fantastic" gives readers a behind-the-scenes look at the rise, fall, and return to glory of one of the world’s most mercurial performers. Rock journalist Tom Doyle’s insider account of the Rocket Man’s turbulent ascent is based on a series of one-on-one interviews in which Elton laid bare many previously unrevealed details of his early career. Here is an intimate exploration of Elton’s working relationship with songwriting partner Bernie Taupin, whose lyrics often chronicled the ups and downs of their life together in the spotlight. Through these pages pass a parade of legends whose paths crossed with Elton’s during the decade—including John Lennon, Bob Dylan, Groucho Marx, Katharine Hepburn, Princess Margaret, Elvis Presley, and an acid-damaged Brian Wilson.

A fascinating portrait of the artist at the apex of his celebrity, Captain Fantastic takes us on a rollicking fame-and-drug-fueled ride aboard Elton John’s rocketship to superstardom.

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Elton John and band performed in Antwerp on November 19, 2016
Sunday, November 20 2016

Fan report by Filip Arijs.

It’s been three years since I saw Elton on stage. That time in Brussels my mom (80 years) was with me. She was so delighted to have experienced it that she said: "If Elton John comes back to Belgium and I’m still alive, I’ll go again" … so it happened once again that I was in front row with my mom … 83 by now and still standing. It’s a pleasure to get old like that. And that’s what I thought about Elton, too. 69 years, but what an energy, what a rhythm, what a voice, what a musician/piano player. 25 songs, one after another for more than two hours and a half! Hello young artists? Eat that!

I searched for the set list from his latest concert, so I knew it was going to be massive. And how it was! Such a lot of uptempo songs. After every single song, the audience in Belgium gave a standing ovations and Elton deserved that. He was great, but so was his band. They had obviously a good time, just like the audience.

Fans were immediate in the right mood with songs like "The Bitch is Back" and "Benny and The Jets". And then the "Blues … that’s why they call it, that’s why they call it, that’s why they call it, that’s why they call it, that’s why they call it the blues…" - heavenly.

One of my all time favourites is "Someone Saved My Life Tonight", so I was glad to hear that again, those powerful drums from Nigel. Elton played also my favourite "A Good Heart" from his new album. We’ve heard a lot of pearls, "Levon" was one of them. Davey had the chance to show what a genius he is on the guitar. It became a wonderful Rock song with an end I’ve never heard before, no one could stand still. This was the very highlight amongst the others.

After "Sad Songs", Elton reminded us of some important persons in his life that had passed away recently: Leonard Cohen, Leon Russel, Sharon Jones and also Daphne, the mother of Bernie Taupin.

"Crocodile Rock" was the last encore, everybody danced, rocked and sang with Elton. Everybody returned home with a happy feeling.

It was a memorable concert. After the show I was so glad I had a ticket for the concert in Amsterdam three days later.

Following is the complete set list of the Antwerp show on November 19, 2016:

  1. Funeral For A Friend
  2. Love Lies Bleeding
  3. The Bitch Is Back
  4. Bennie And The Jets
  5. I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues
  6. Daniel
  7. Someone Saved My Life Tonight
  8. Looking Up
  9. A Good Heart
  10. Philadelphia Freedom
  11. Rocket Man
  12. Tiny Dancer
  13. Levon
  14. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
  15. Have Mercy On The Criminal
  16. Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word
  17. Your Song
  18. Burn Down The Mission
  19. Sad Songs (Say So Much)
  20. Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me
  21. All The Girls Love Alice
  22. I’m Still Standing
  23. Your Sister Can’t Twist (But She Can Rock n’ Roll)
  24. Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting

  25. Candle In The Wind
  26. Crocodile Rock

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Elton sexual harassment lawsuit dropped
Saturday, November 19 2016

A sexual harassment lawsuit filed against Sir Elton John by his former bodyguard has been dropped.

In legal papers filed in March 2016, Jeffrey Wenninger accused the singer of making sexually suggestive comments towards him and groping him.

A representative for Elton confirmed: "The case was withdrawn, with no payment made."

Mr Wenninger, a Los Angeles policeman, worked for Elton from 2002 to 2014. He had accused Elton of three separate incidents - all of which he claimed occurred in the final year he worked for the singer.

Elton's legal team previously described his claims as "baseless".

Related News

  • Trial date set in LAPD officer’s sexual battery lawsuit against Elton
        Friday, August 12 2016 at 11:15:05

  • UPDATE: Elton sued by former bodyguard
        Tuesday, March 29 2016 at 21:09:05


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    Elton John and band performed in Riga on November 15, 2016
    Saturday, November 19 2016

    According to fan reports, Elton had to leave the stage for several minutes due to health problems.

    In the middle of the show in Riga on November 15, 2016, rigt after "Levon", Elton went backstage with what appeared to be heart problems, according to fans that attended the show.

    For the next six minutes the Elton John band continued to play some instrumental blues number (see at 12:00 in the following video), before Elton finally returned apologizing for the incident. He then finished the concert without any further interruptions.

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    Elton John and band performed in Bremen on November 18, 2016
    Saturday, November 19 2016

    Following is the complete set list of the Bremen show on Novemember 18, 2016.

    1. Funeral For A Friend
    2. Love Lies Bleeding
    3. The Bitch Is Back
    4. Bennie And The Jets
    5. I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues
    6. Daniel
    7. Someone Saved My Life Tonight
    8. Looking Up
    9. A Good Heart
    10. Philadelphia Freedom
    11. Rocket Man
    12. Tiny Dancer
    13. Levon
    14. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
    15. Have Mercy On The Criminal
    16. Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word
    17. Your Song
    18. Burn Down The Mission
    19. Sad Songs (Say So Much)
    20. Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me
    21. All The Girls Love Alice
    22. I’m Still Standing
    23. Your Sister Can’t Twist (But She Can Rock n’ Roll)
    24. Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting

    25. Candle In The Wind
    26. Crocodile Rock

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    Leon Russell’s Memorial Service
    Friday, November 18 2016

    Elton will be one of the honorary pallbearers at the memorial service in Tulsa on November 20, 2016.

    Funeral services, open to the public, will be conducted at 1 p.m. CST Friday, November 18, 2016 at Victory Baptist Church, 1777 Tate Lane, Mt. Juliet, TN. Visitation will be private. Mr. Russell will then be transported to Tulsa, OK for a memorial service on Sunday, November 20, 2016 at 2 p.m. CST at the Oral Roberts University Mabee Center. Doors open at 1 p.m. CST. The memorial service at the Mabee Center is open to the public on a first-come, first-served basis. Special music will be performed by Hanson and John Fullbright.

    In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to PWNA (Partnership with Native Americans), Music Cares or ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty of Animals).

    Active pallbearers for Tulsa will be Steve Ripley, Noland O’Boyle, Skip Graves, Gianny Mueller, Brandon Holder, Beau Charron, Mark Lambert, Jack Wessel and Paul Lee.

    Honorary pallbearers will be Elton John, John Cowan, Sam Bush, Jim Halsey, Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi, Tommy Lipuma, Bruce Hornsby, Kenneth Constantine, Chad Goodner, Bob Britt, Tom Britt, Matt Harris, Taylor Hanson, Willie Nelson, Bill Austin, Johnny Barbis , Harrod Blank, Chuck Blackwell, Bob Stinson, Steve Todoroff, T. Graham Brown, Jerry Dolezar, Jon Howard , Michael Johnstone, Mike Lawler, Mike Graham, Gailard Sartain, Gary Busey, Junior Markham, Jimmy Karstein, David Teegarden, Tommy Tripplehorn, Bernie Taupin, Cameron Crowe and Brian Thompson.

    Related News

  • Leon Russell dies at age 74
        Sunday, November 13 2016 at 14:45:19


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    Sir Elton John’s album
    Monday, November 14 2016

    Say the word “album” in connection with Elton John, and your first thought is of the dozens of music albums he’s released over the years.

    But he’s also assembled a remarkable album of photographs -- a collection Anthony Mason from CBS News is about to share with us:

    Nearly 200 photographs went on display at London’s Tate Modern in early November 2016. The pictures in "The Radical Eye", an exhibition of pioneering images from the 1920s to the ‘50s, all came from the collection of one man: Sir Elton John.

    He began to build his collection, which now includes nearly 8,000 photographs, 25 years ago. It’s now considered one of the most important in the world.

    Many are hung floor-to-ceiling in his 17,000-square-foot apartment in Atlanta. “It’s kind of taken over my life,” he said. “I must buy at least three or four photographs a week. I just bought three this morning.”

    Sir Elton’s passion developed during a period of personal upheaval. In 1990, after selling off his vast collection of art and furniture, he went into rehab for alcohol addiction. When he came out, he replaced it with a new addiction: photography. “I’d never noticed photography as an art form before,” he told Mason. “Even thought I’d had my photograph taken by a lot of great photographers.”

    Had something changed? “Yeah, I’d gotten sober. I was seeing with different eyes. I mean, when you get sober, you see everything in a different context. You have clarity. You have a bit more wisdom, hopefully. The fact that it accompanied sobriety meant what?” Mason asked. “I don’t know. I really don’t. It was like a gift. Like, ‘You got sober. And now, look at this gift I’m gonna give you.’ Because I’ve learnt so much from collecting photography.”

    “What do you think you suddenly saw?”

    “I saw beauty that I’d never seen before.”

    The picture that changed everything for him? Man Ray’s 1932 image called “Glass Tears.” “It was a huge leap,” he said about acquiring it. “It was like a Cape Canaveral leap!” He bought a vintage print at auction in 1993 for almost $200,000 -- a record price for a photograph at the time. He said he wasn’t monitoring the auction when it happened. “No, of course not. I just said, ‘Get it at all costs.’”

    “And when you found out what the cost was, what did you think?”

    “Wow! I thought I’d gone nuts. I thought, ‘Well, f****!’” Elton said. “And everybody in my organization thought I’d gone nuts. But that was a big, big step -- that was the first major step, I think, of getting to be a serious collector.”

    The Tate Modern show features vintage prints made by the artists themselves, including Andre Kertesz’s postage stamp-sized “Underwater Swimmer,” printed in 1917. “You couldn’t believe it was taken in 1917, right? It could have been taken yesterday. And it’s so beautiful,” Elton said.

    There is also Edward Steichen’s portrait of silent film star Gloria Swanson from 1924 (“You can practically feel the lace”); and Dorothea Lange’s Depression-era portrait of a “Migrant Mother” (“It’s a bit like Mona Lisa, I think. Her face, the sorrow, the anxiety. This is like, ‘Am I going to be able to feed my child the next day?’”).

    “I’m not a minimalist, as you know,” Elton said. “You don’t tiptoe into things.

    “No, I don’t. I go for it.”

    “Why is that?”

    “I was born in 1947, grew up when times were quite hard. I just found solace in objects. That may be strange to people, but it wasn’t strange to me. And objects and music kind of got me through the bad times, when I was, you know, collecting. I’ve always collected.”

    And he’ll collect controversial work -- unsettling images, like the photograph of the falling man, taken on 9/11 by Associated Press photographer Richard Drew. It took him two years to acquire it.

    “Why did you want it?” Mason asked.

    “It’s the most beautiful image of something so tragic,” Elton said. “It’s probably one of the most perfect photographs ever taken. It’s not a shot that a lot of people probably would want to hang on their wall. And we’ve never hung it on our wall.”

    “Did you have any reservations about your own interest in it in any way?”

    “No, because this is an historical event. It’s as important as the naked girl running down the road on Vietnam, and I have that. The little boy in Syria recently, just sitting there on the chair? I desperately want that photograph. And we’re trying to get it. It’s just important to have them.”

    His homes in Atlanta, England and Beverly Hills have become galleries for his obsession. But now the Sir Elton John Collection is on a bigger stage. Mason asked, “How do you feel about having a show at the Tate?”

    “I’m honored. I’m very excited. And I’m interested to see what people will feel about it,” he replied. “Because I want people who’ve never seen a photograph before -- because my name might draw them in -- to see, ‘What’s this all about?’ will come away thinking, ‘Oh, I really love this. This is great’ -- like me!”

    Related News

  • Elton’s photo collection to feature in Tate exhibition
        Thursday, March 10 2016 at 08:09:27


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    Elton: Britain is horrible at present
    Monday, November 14 2016

    Elton John admits Britain is "horrible" at the moment. He thinks his home country has become noticeably less tolerant in recent years - and Elton believes Britain finds itself in an unhealthy state of mind.

    He said: "You know, I don't like it here at the moment, to be honest. I don't like the hatred here. It's like David said recently, it's like a boil has been lanced that was there for a long time and suddenly all this hatred has come to the surface. People have been OK about gay marriage and things like that and suddenly they're not. I have never, ever thought this of this country until now."

    "I was always proud to come from here and to live here, because there are different opposing views about everything but it's a pretty civilised place. At the moment, though, it's not, and I don't like it. It's horrible."

    Elton also admitted to feeling pessimistic about the apparent rise in anti-gay rhetoric around the world. He told the Observer newspaper: "I remember going to Moscow when the gay scene was rampant and you'd go to this club in Moscow where nude boys would be swimming though a tank and stuff like that. Then the mayor of St Petersburg started taking books out of libraries and clamping down. It's just extraordinary. We live in very strange times, but there are voices of reason and they need to be heard."

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    Leon Russell dies at age 74
    Sunday, November 13 2016

    It's a very sad coincidence that shortly after we have posted the lastest Elton Fan Survey, which this week is about "The Union", it has been reported that Elton's collaborator on that album, Leon Russell, has passed away.

    Leon Russell died in Nashville at the age of 74, according to his Facebook page. His wife said he died in his sleep. Fans quickly posted tributes to the Oklahoma musician, a Grammy award winner and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer.

    Russell had a heart attack earlier this year and had bypass surgery.

    Born Russell Bridges, he changed his name to Leon Russell after relocating to Los Angeles from his home in Tulsa. He got his start playing in Tulsa nightclubs when he was just 14. Russell’s nearly 60-year career has spanned recording some of the great 1960s music as a Hollywood session musician to his own “superstar” status beginning in the 1970s, to recording and touring with Elton John in this decade.

    Some of his most well-know hits include "Tight Rope," "A Song for You," and "Delta Lady." He performed with many stars over the years including John Lennon, Elton John, Bob Dylan, Ringo Starr, Joe Cocker, and George Harrison.

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    Elton John and band performed in Linköping on November 12, 2016
    Saturday, November 12 2016

    Following is the complete set list of the Linköping show on Novemember 10, 2016.

    1. Funeral For A Friend
    2. Love Lies Bleeding
    3. The Bitch Is Back
    4. Bennie And The Jets
    5. I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues
    6. Daniel
    7. Someone Saved My Life Tonight
    8. Looking Up
    9. A Good Heart
    10. Philadelphia Freedom
    11. Rocket Man
    12. Tiny Dancer
    13. Levon
    14. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
    15. Have Mercy On The Criminal
    16. Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word
    17. Your Song
    18. Burn Down The Mission
    19. Sad Songs (Say So Much)
    20. Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me
    21. All The Girls Love Alice
    22. I’m Still Standing
    23. Your Sister Can’t Twist (But She Can Rock n’ Roll)
    24. Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting

    25. Candle In The Wind
    26. Crocodile Rock

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    Elton John and band performed in Malmö on November 10, 2016
    Friday, November 11 2016

    Following is the complete set list of the Malmö show on Novemember 10, 2016.

    1. Funeral For A Friend
    2. Love Lies Bleeding
    3. The Bitch Is Back
    4. Bennie And The Jets
    5. I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues
    6. Daniel
    7. Someone Saved My Life Tonight
    8. Looking Up
    9. A Good Heart
    10. Philadelphia Freedom
    11. Rocket Man
    12. Tiny Dancer
    13. Levon
    14. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
    15. Have Mercy On The Criminal
    16. Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word
    17. Your Song
    18. Burn Down The Mission
    19. Sad Songs (Say So Much)
    20. Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me
    21. All The Girls Love Alice
    22. I’m Still Standing
    23. Your Sister Can’t Twist (But She Can Rock n’ Roll)
    24. Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting

    25. Candle In The Wind
    26. Crocodile Rock

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    Listen to Elton in Las Vegas with Spotify
    Saturday, November 5 2016

    On October 30, 2016 Elton performed his 150th Million Dollar Piano show in Las Vegas!

    To celebrate this incredible milestone, head over to Elton’s Spotify page now and listen to the Caesars Palace playlist, featuring original tracks of all the songs from his Las Vegas setlist!

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    You won’t believe who’s listening to Maren Morris’ album - she didn’t!
    Saturday, November 5 2016

    Since the debut of her "Hero" album in June 2016, Maren Morris has already caught the ear of one of the biggest superstars in all of music: Elton John.

    Morris tells "Taste of Country all" about the phone call — actually, make that calls — she received from the legend.

    “You know, it’s crazy, but Elton John called me one day,” the singer recalls, adding that the legend told her that he owns her CMA-nominated album, "Hero", on vinyl. “He was just a big fan of the music. That was the most blindsiding one.”

    Funny enough, Morris didn’t answer the call the first two times Elton John called, since she didn’t recognize the U.K. number. When she finally picked up, she didn’t believe it was actually him until she got a text from her manager confirming that the legend was attempting to call her. “But he was so cool, he was so nice,” the rising star says.

    As for whether she asked Elton for any career advice? “No, I was too in shock,” she admits. “I couldn’t even form words except for, like, ‘Thank you.’ It was amazing.”

    Morris made her CMA stage debut with a fierce performance of “My Church” at the 2016 CMA Awards. Backed by the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, the singer had quite the commanding stage presence and was one of the standout performances of the night. She also took home the prize for New Artist of the Year at the 50th annual awards show.

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    EJAF's 15th Annual An Enduring Vision Benefit Gala
    Friday, November 4 2016

    On November 2, 2016, the Elton John AIDS Foundation (EJAF) raised more than 3.15 million at its 15th annual An Enduring Vision benefit gala to support HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment, supporting services, and advocacy programs across the United States, the Americas, and the Caribbean.

    American Airlines, BVLGARI, Fiore Group, Robert K. Kraft, The Lauder Foundation – Leonard & Judy Lauder Fund, Sands Bethlehem, and Steve Tisch served as the Presenting Sponsors of the benefit. The star-studded evening was held at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City.

    As part of the evening's program, EJAF Founder Elton John and Chairman David Furnish presented Enduring Vision awards to two outstanding Foundation supporters – Frank Giustra and Steve Tisch. As a renowned businessman, entrepreneur, and international philanthropist, Frank Giustra has donated millions of dollars to address global poverty, disaster relief, conflict prevention and resolution, health and economic development, and homelessness. Chairman and Executive Vice President of the New York Giants, Academy Award-winning film producer, and philanthropist Steve Tisch has devoted his time and resources to ending the HIV/AIDS epidemic and to significant arts and education programs.

    EJAF also presented its second Founder's Award, which celebrates extraordinary contributions to the global effort to end AIDS, to United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. As Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon championed the launch of the Free & Equal Campaign, an international public education campaign to promote equality and acceptance for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people around the world. He continues to be a vocal supporter for LGBT equality and HIV/AIDS advocacy, declaring LGBT rights as one of the great neglected human rights issues of our time.

    Award-winning producer and popular talk show host Andy Cohen emceed the evening. Grammy-winning singer/pianist Diana Krall took the stage for a mesmerizing performance of jazz standards and original songs. Jeffrey Tambor, the Emmy Award-winning star of the Amazon hit series Transparent, spoke movingly about the importance of advocating for and helping transgender people. Also, throughout the evening, three representatives from organizations funded by EJAF spoke about the impact Foundation funding has had on their lives and work, including Kathie Hiers, CEO of AIDS Alabama, Bamby Salcedo, founder of the Translatin@ Coalition, and Noel Bucknor, a young gay, HIV-positive volunteer worker for Jamaica AIDS Support for Life who turned to EJAF grantee Rainbow Railroad for assistance when he realized his life was in danger and he needed to flee Jamaica to safety in the United States.

    Guest auctioneer Alexander Gilkes conducted a live auction featuring such one-of-a-kind items including an iconic BVLGARI MVSA Necklace in pink gold adorned with precious gemstones presented by Supermodel Jasmine Sanders, lunch with Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen, and art work by Bernie Taupin (Sleeping Beauty), Jose Davila (Untitled Ohhh...Alright...) and Robert Mapplethorpe (Orchid).

    "To truly end AIDS, we must provide more funding for syringe access, more funding for community organizing, more funding to change hearts and minds, and more funding to change unjust laws and policies," said Elton. "That's a tall order, but with your help, we can do it, and we MUST succeed if we want to see the end of AIDS in our lifetime."

    Through the impeccable credibility and reputation attained based on nearly a quarter century of extensive work, EJAF has emerged as a significant leader in the field of AIDS. The Foundation advances public dialogue on critical and controversial issues related to the epidemic and challenges misguided policies and attitudes that block progress in HIV prevention. Proceeds from An Enduring Vision will help support these efforts, as well as EJAF's grant-making initiatives across the U.S., the Caribbean, and the Americas.

    Related News

  • Taupin's art raises $150,000 for Elton John's AIDS Foundation
        Friday, November 4 2016 at 07:00:47


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    Taupin's art raises $150,000 for Elton John's AIDS Foundation
    Friday, November 4 2016

    The piece was created by Taupin especially for the event and reflected the topicality of the Presidential election, featuring the Stars and Stripes wrapped with twine.

    It fetched $150,000, the highest price of the night, with Elton honoring his friend and showing his passion for the arts by bidding $100,000 himself. Charlie and Cynthia Hendon, the Atlanta real estate developers and long time supporters of Sir Elton's Foundation, were the buyers.

    Hendon said after his purchase, "The lyrics of Bernie Taupin helped me through some difficult times in my younger days, I am a devoted fan, and Cynthia and I are really thrilled to own this extraordinary work of art and help Elton's Foundation at the same time."

    Ray Waterhouse, Taupin's New York art dealer, found many at the gala were enthusiastic about Taupin's art. "Bernie Taupin is now recognised as a highly creative artist and his work is taken seriously in the art world. I spoke last night to many art collectors as well as celebrities like Michael Stipe of REM and Diana Krall and they are all admirers," says Waterhouse. Taupin's solo exhibition opens tomorrow November 4, 2016 at his gallery (Waterhouse & Dodd, 960 Madison Avenue New York, NY) and features 27 works.

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  • Major exhibition of works by Bernie Taupin announced
        Wednesday, November 2 2016 at 07:01:41


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    Major exhibition of works by Bernie Taupin announced
    Wednesday, November 2 2016

    Waterhouse & Dodd, the international dealership with galleries in Europe and the USA, is delighted to present Bernie Taupin'sartwork in his first solo exhibition in New York City.

    There is some obvious synergy between Waterhouse & Dodd and Taupin as both gallery and artist have British backgrounds, they have made names in the U.S. while in the U.K., then moved here and embraced the fabric of American culture. Taupin's love and commitment to the U.S. and the stars and stripes is intense, and as a U.S. citizen he no longer regards himself as British. Artistically, he has immersed himself in the vocabulary of American abstract art ever since he was inspired by long visits to New York museums in 1970 and 1971.

    'Antiphona', the carefully chosen title to the show, is Taupin's response to his musical past, and a declaration of his dedication to his current and future life as a visual artist. Most highly creative individuals are capable of inspired work in different artistic fields, but few achieve it; Taupin has.

    Although more known for his hugely successful 49-year collaboration with Elton John, Taupin has considered himself as primarily a visual artist since the '90s, with his work as a lyricist taking a back seat. He believes that his visual art is music for the eyes. In the last 10 years he has exhibited widely with great success, and 'Antiphona' will bring his work to the eyes of a New York audience.

    Bernie Taupin manipulates a wide range of media into abstract works that only hint at narrative and yet are loaded with dynamism. While creating his new body of work, virtually any material was subject to serve in his creative arsenal, including cloth, bubble wrap, wire, and metal.

    For more information or high-res images, please contact Sandra@waterhousedodd.com or call the gallery at +1 (212) 717-9100.

    There are two availabilities for interview on November 3, 2016, please contact Sandra Waterhouse for information. Questions to be restricted to Bernie Taupin's art.

    Exhibition dates: November 4 – 30, 2016 at 960 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10021

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    Elton snatches up iconic Drag Portraits from Magnus Hastings
    Wednesday, November 2 2016

    Elton has never been shy about his love for drag queens. From proclaiming that he would rather see a queen perform than Janet Jackson to duetting with RuPaul back in the ’90s, the “Rocket Man” has always loved his drag.

    Now he has added some drag queen art from Magnus Hastings to his collection. Hastings, the acclaimed photographer who captured classic images of drag queens in his photography book "Why Drag?" posted online that the legendary singer has purchased four of his works featuring Dulce De Lece, Paige Turner, Ginger Minj and Mutha Chucka.

    His post read: “So I am finally allowed to announce that Elton John has bought 4 prints to add to his private collection! so, for those interested ,these are his choices , and I am now represented By Carolyn Kramer at the Jo Hay Gallery… Happy Halloween xx”

    “When I was a child, I was the gayest little boy in the world,” Hastings told The Bay Area Reporter back in September 2016. “I liked to dress as a girl, but as I got older I got shamed out of it by my parents. Which is ironic, because my parents are quite liberal. I’ve become an observer instead of a participant,” he added.

    Hastings work can also be seen on the cover of the new Christmas Queens 2 holiday album and his latest collaboration with Drag Race All Stars 2 winner Alaska.

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    Peabody Essex Museum to exhibit Elton shows
    Tuesday, November 1 2016

    The Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Mass., in November 2016 will present “Shoes: Pleasure and Pain,” an exhibition organized by the Victoria and Albert Museum, London that will explore the creative potential, cultural significance and transformative power of footwear through more than 300 pairs of shoes.

    These will range from elaborate vintage designs to cutting-edge contemporary works by Manolo Blahnik, Christian Louboutin, Jimmy Choo and Prada.

    The exhibition is organized by themes–transformation, status, seduction, creation and obsession–and features shoes worn by high-profile figures such as David Beckham, Elton John, Queen Elizabeth, Queen Victoria, Kylie Minogue and Daphne Guinness, as well as the now infamous blue platforms worn by Naomi Campbell during her runway fall in 1993. Works from the V&A’s shoe collection will be complemented by 110 pairs from PEM’s collection, including historic shoes that pay tribute to New England as a center of shoe manufacture and design.

    “Shoes: Pleasure and Pain” also explores advancements in shoe technology –prompting questions about the future of material, manufacture and gender division in footwear – while celebrating extraordinary examples of historic footwear, ranging from Chinese lotus shoes made for bound feet and 19th-century towering platform Qabâqib from Egypt, to men’s gilded suede shoes and noisy slap-sole shoes worn in 17th-century Europe.

    In the exhibition, examples from famed shoe collectors will be shown alongside a dazzling range of works from PEM’s shoe collection, the largest of its kind in the United States, many never displayed before. The dtatus section of the exhibition raises questions about the role of power and shoes, what someone feels and becomes when putting on a pair of tall boots or a high heel.

    The exhibition also will offer a global perspective on footwear fashion, and track the latest developments in technology that open the possibility of ever higher heels and more dramatic shapes.

    During the run of “Shoes: Pleasure and Pain,” PEM’s shop will be transformed into a shoe emporium offering over 80 shoe designs for men and women. These will represent 20 designers from 15 different countries, from Italy and Germany to Pakistan and Colombia, and include several designs commissioned exclusively for the store.

    The exhibition will makes its U.S. debut at PEM November 19, 2016 and will run through March 12, 2017.

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