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Cornflakes And Classics

It was 48 years ago this month (19 May 1975) that the autobiographical Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy album was released. So it seems appropriate that Bernie Taupin, the ”brown dirt cowboy,” has been making news. He is to be inducted into the Rock-And-Roll-Hall-of-Fame later this year. Congrats to the songwriter, who is to be inducted for Musical Excellence, as are Chaka Khan and Al Kooper. Bernie says he’s a bit old to get excited, but is definitely grateful.

The songwriter thinks that it rubbed some people the wrong way when Elton was inducted in 1994, and presented him with his trophy. Elton explained that he wouldn’t be here without Bernie.

In 2011, Leon-Russell was honoured for Musical Excellence. Elton inducted his friend and collaborator on The Union album. The producer was T Bone Burnett. It’s surprising that when Elton came up with the idea, he called T Bone out of the blue, having never spoken with him before.

Nigel Olsson once admitted that he was taken aback when Elton decided to get involved with The Lion King. It was the right move: ABC has estimated that over the years, there have almost 60,000 performances worldwide, seen by about 112 million people. And just this past Saturday night, The-Lion-King played its 10,000 performance on Broadway.

Deadline’s Pete-Hammond told Elton it’s difficult to believe there will be no more tours. Elton confirmed it, but expects to do ”the odd show” here and there upon concluding his tour.

One appearance, for sure, will be at the Emmy Promotion evening in Los Angeles. Elton-John will be calling attention to his Disney+ special, Elton John Live: Farewell From Dodger Stadium.

In related developments,  Disney Original and Disney+ have won the rights to a special documentary. Goodbye-Yellow-Brick-Road-The-Final-Elton-John-Performances-And-The-Years-That-Made-His Legend, which includes unseen concert footage and handwritten journals.

Besides being available to stream on Disney+, the documentary will get a small festival run and limited theatrical release.

While Elton has never won an Emmy, he did perform at the 2013 Emmy-Awards, where he dedicated Home Again to Liberace, the subject of Behind the Candelabra, a cable TV movie which was among that evening’s nominees (and winners, including Michael Douglas, who played the title role). Elton recalled that Liberace would talk about how much he valued his time spent at home.

Some media outlets have reported that Elton got in shape for his farewell tour by walking in his swimming pool. Actually, he started the exercise routine for his bad knees, Elton said on Chris Evans’ Breakfast Show with Sky a few years ago. It was also a way for him to keep active during the Covid lockdown.

Elton explained that after breakfast, he’d walk sideways in the pool, getting up to about six miles a week. This might have been useful when Elton played Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada. We’re thinking of one show when the star pretended to drag himself across the stage because it was so large!

It’s been reported that at least a couple of Elton John Band members are claiming that audiences in America have not been as enthusiastic as those in Europe. The Elton Blog hasn’t seen evidence of this. Perhaps the guys have become more sensitive to their surroundings, seeing that they are nearly at the end of the tour.

So, what have you observed? Or how about sharing memories of an older performance . . . perhaps even as far back as 1970? You’re invited to contact-us with your Concert Feedback.

And if you haven’t entered the latest Eltonjohn.world contest–for a book called Elton John All The Songs by Romuald-Ollivier-&-Olivier-Roubin–there’s still time (through the 31st of May).

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