MARCH 25, 2018

Elton Celebrates his 71st Birthday

The past year since Elton’s 70th has been another exciting and non-stop trip around the sun. Over the past 12 months, Elton has:

Given 90 performances across 22 countries. Highlights include…

★  Elton performing his classic song Daniel with folk icon Joan Baez during the Elton John AIDS Foundation Summer Ball in England.

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Elton and Joan Baez at the EJAF Summer Ball. (Photo: Greg Williams)

★  A dedication to the passing of his musical hero Fats Domino on October 24, when he played Blueberry Hill in Las Vegas.

★  Elton’s GRAMMY Awards appearance with Miley Cyrus, trading verses with her on Tiny Dancer. "She's amazing! Boy, is she talented," he said on a recent appearance of The Talk. "I don't think I've ever met such a professional person in my life."

Watch Elton and Miley's duet on YouTube
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Gotham Hall for the launch of the 'Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour' (Photo: Matt Baron)

★  The Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour announcement at Gotham Hall in New York City (simulcast to locations in Los Angeles and London and live streamed on YouTube), complete with an incredible virtual reality film, Elton's solo performances of Tiny Dancer and I'm Still Standing, and interview and Q+A led by CNN anchor Anderson Cooper.

★  Elton sitting in with Greta Van Fleet for two numbers – their You’re The One and his own Saturday Night's Alright (For Fighting) – during his 26th annual Academy Awards Viewing Party in Los Angeles on March 4.

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Released 'Diamonds' – Elton’s ultimate greatest hits collection.

★  Issued in a 2-CD version, a 2-LP vinyl version, and a 51-song 3-CD deluxe box set.

★  Diamonds has already been certified Gold in the UK, giving Elton his 31st Top 10 album in the UK.

★  Fans around the world have commented on the superb sound quality – thanks to remastering engineer Bob Ludwig – and album packaging.

Achieved his 46th UK Top 20 hit.

★  Step Into Christmas, Elton's holiday single from all the way back in 1973, returned to the charts on both sides of the Atlantic. It broke the UK Top 20 when it placed at #19 on December 21, 2017, eventually peaking at #11.

Released videos for three of his iconic hits.

★  Rocket Man, Bennie And The Jets and Tiny Dancer, finally received their well-deserved official videos, thanks to The Cut supported by YouTube.

Read more about The Cut

The winning video for 'Rocket Man', by Majid Adin

Been involved with two films.

★  Elton appeared, to rave reviews, as an exaggerated version of himself in Kingsman: The Golden Circle. Spoiler alert: Elton gives new meaning to the phrase "The bitch is back!"

★  Sherlock Gnomes, the sequel to Rocket Pictures' extremely successful Gnomeo & Juliet (2011), has just been released in the US and other countries. The animated feature, directed by Kung Fu Pand'as John Stevenson and featuring the voices of James McAvoy, Emily Blunt, and Johnny Depp, will be opening in the UK on May 11. Elton music, new and old, can be heard in the film...including a new song, Stronger Than I Ever Was, sung by Mary J. Blige.

Delivered 51 installments of 'Elton John’s Rocket Hour'.

★  The hour-long show appears weekly on Apple Music Beats 1 Radio.

★  Along with playing his favourite current and vintage music selections, Elton interviewed Sam Smith and Kingsman: The Golden Circle director Matthew Vaughn.

Read more about Rocket Hour
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Received the Harvard Foundation for Intercultural and Race Relations Humanitarian Award.

★  In November, Harvard University honoured Elton with the Peter J. Gomes Humanitarian Award for his work with the Elton John AIDS Foundation.

Elton's 71st year is shaping up to be even better already, with...

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The release of 'Revamp' and 'Restoration' on April 6th.

Revamp sees Elton and co-writer Bernie Taupin’s best-loved songs reinterpreted by some of contemporary music’s most vital talents: P!nk & Logic, Coldplay, Alessia Cara, Ed Sheeran, Florence + The Machine, Mumford & Sons, Mary J. Blige, Q-Tip & Demi Lovato, The Killers, Sam Smith, Miley Cyrus, Lady Gaga, and Queens of the Stone Age.

Restoration finds Elton and Bernie's songs covered by many of today's premiere country artists: Little Big Town, Maren Morris, Vince Gill & Don Henley, Brothers Osborne, Miranda Lambert, Chris Stapleton, Lee Ann Womack, Kacey Musgraves, Rhonda Vincent & Dolly Parton, Miley Cyrus, Dierks Bentley, Rosanne Cash & Emmylou Harris, and Willie Nelson.

The US broadcast of 'Elton John: I’m Still Standing – A GRAMMY Salute' on April 10.

★  The two-hour tribute, recorded live at the Madison Square Garden Theatre in January, will air at 9 p.m ET/PT on CBS. The show features:

The Bitch Is Back – Miley Cyrus
Candle In The Wind – Ed Sheeran
Daniel – Sam Smith
I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues – Alessia Cara
Your Song – Lady Gaga
Rocket Man – Little Big Town
Border Song – Christopher Jackson & Valerie Simpson
Don't Go Breaking My Heart – SZA & Shawn Mendes
Mona Lisas And Mad Hatters – Maren Morris
We All Fall In Love Sometimes – Chris Martin
My Father's Gun – Miranda Lambert
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road – Kesha
Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me – John Legend
Bennie And The Jets – Elton John
Philadelphia Freedom – Elton John
I'm Still Standing – Elton John & Ensemble

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The 'Elton John Gucci Line' arriving in stores during April and May.

★  The designer, who will be outfitting Elton during his Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour (see below), has come up with a variety of items inspired by the singer's iconic product artwork and stagewear of the past.

Please join us in wishing Elton a very happy birthday... and many more to come!