Search for young lad to play Elton John starts

Sir Elton John and his partner David Furnish are hunting for an aspiring young actor who could play the role of the singer and confidently play the piano like the glitzy musician in the biopic called 'Rocketman'.

The producers behind the upcoming flick, which will chart the highs and lows of the 66-yaer-old singer's glittering career and pre-fame days when he was just Reg Dwight, want applications from musicians between the ages of six and 10, the Daily Express reported.

The casting notice reads that Reggie is a shy boy from Pinner, London, whose life is transformed when he is first put in front of the piano as a five year old.

It further says that his immense talent leads him to the Royal Academy of Music and later, as he pushes his awkward, insecure, younger self to one side, to a desire to be a rock 'n' roll legend as he renames himself Elton John.

The brief for the film states that the film is a fantasy inspired retelling of Elton's story where reality is skewed by excess world and choreographed musical sequences.

Blur - Blur song confused Elton John

Blur - Blur song confused Elton John

Blur left Sir Elton John confused with a song about his penis.
The Britpop group - comprising singer Damon Albarn, bassist Alex James, guitarist Graham Coxon and drummer Dave Rowntree - included the ballad 'Sir Elton John's C**k' on their 'Blur 21' box set, which was released last year and Alex admits he was embarrassed when the 'Rocket Man' hitmaker asked him about the track.
He said: ''I bumped into Sir Elton and he said, 'What's all this I hear about you and my c**k?'
''I didn't know him well enough to tell him the proper answer.''
The 43-year-old musician claimed the track was given the name because it was ''too sentimental''.
He added to the Daily Star newspaper: ''We wrote this song but realised it was too sentimental. One of us muttered, 'That's Elton John's c**k.'''
Alex has been playing bass with Florence + The Machine, New Order's Bernard Sumner and Dexys as well as working with Blur, and he recently revealed that taking a break from his family life on a cheese farm has been a welcome change.
He said: ''Going on stage is such a rush. The travelling is exhausting but it's a huge fountain of energy up there.
''Besides, I've got five kids, so it was nice to just sit around in dressing rooms.''
 

Elton John thrills crowd at Sun Dome

Rock royalty rocked the house Friday night at the official reopening of the USF Sun Dome.

Sir Elton John brought the love – and the hits. Lots of them.

The capacity crowd went wild from the moment the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer took the stage dressed in a black sequined jacket and rose colored glasses and launched into an energetic "Saturday Night's All Right (For Fighting) and "Bennie and the Jets."

The British rocker gave fans a trip down the yellow brick road of a spectacular career that includes 56 Top 40 hits and seven consecutive No. 1 albums.

John, a young 65, appeared energetic and in his element as he showcased ferocious piano skills and a voice unaffected by time, stopping only occasionally to interact with fans and take a few sips of water.

"He sounds amazing," said Anthony Arena of Tampa. "What a show. What a legend."

Flanked by his veteran five-piece band and four back-up singers, John moved seamlessly through the 150 minute show bringing the audience to its feet again and again on hits like "Bennie and the Jets," "Levon," "Philadephia Freedom," and "Tiny Dancer."

Fans joined in a sing-a-long on "Crocodile Rock" and when John beckoned for the crowd to move into the empty space between the front of the stage and the front row seats, he rewarded them by spending several minutes signing autographs, shaking hands and giving high-fives.

He even thanked fans for buying tickets to the show during these hard economic times.

Croatian cello duo "2Cellos" wowed the crowd as the opening act that included a stunning version of the late Michael Jackson's "Smooth Criminal." The duo also appeared on stage with John for several numbers.

And if there were any questions about sound issues at the renovated Sun Dome, they are in the past. Concert-goers raved about the sound.

But if Mars is no place to raise a kid, Fowler Avenue is no place to get stuck when you are tying to make a show at the Sun Dome.

There were officers directing traffic and many patrons were still parking cars or walking in when the headliner took the stage.

Madonna Dedicates Golden Globe

Madonna - Madonna Dedicates Golden Globe-Winning Song To Elton John

Madonna has moved to end her longrunning feud with Sir Elton John by dedicating her song Masterpiece to the rocker during a concert in France earlier this week (begs20Aug12).
The Material Girl has kept a dignified silence throughout the one-sided war of words with the Rocket Man legend, who has taken several swipes at the star over the last few months.
John took aim at the singer after she beat him to the Golden Globe for Best Song in January (12) when Masterpiece, her track from her period film W.E., won the honour.
He then branded Madonna a "fairground stripper" after she exposed her breast on stage during her Mdna tour.
But the pop superstar chose to take the higher ground during a concert in Nice on Tuesday (21Aug12) by dedicating the song to her most famous critic, telling the crowd that she "forgives" him for his constant criticism.
She said, "I want to dedicate this song to a Mr. Elton John. I know he's a big fan of it, and I know he's a big fan of mine. And you know what, I forgive him. You gotta start somewhere."

Sir Elton John

Sir Elton John & David Furnish designed candles; Exclusively at Holt Renfrew

Renfrew, Sir Elton John, David Furnish and NEST Fragrances have partnered to create a unique limited edition candle to benefit the life-saving work of the Elton John AIDS Foundation. To celebrate the launch, Holt Renfrew is proud to announce that Sir Elton John and David Furnish will make a public appearance at Bloor Street Saturday, September 8, at 11:30 a.m.

The scented candles, created exclusively for Holt Renfrew, are available in two scents - Jardin de Fleurs, a beautiful floral blend, and L'Orangerie, a citrus-based fragrance - the three-wick candles are packaged in white or orange glass vessels. A portion of proceeds from sales of the $50 candles will support the Elton John AIDS Foundation. Holt Renfrew's goal is to raise $100,000 for the life-saving work of the Foundation, which is observing its 20^th anniversary this year. Since its inception in 1992, the Elton John AIDS Foundation has raised more than $275 million for HIV prevention, stigma reduction, treatment, care and service programs in 55 countries worldwide.  The candles will be available through holtrenfrew.com on August 24 and in Holt Renfrew stores across Canada September 8.
"David and I were thrilled when Holt Renfrew invited the Elton John AIDS Foundation to participate in their growing charitable initiative program, which connects customers to charities through fashion and builds awareness for great causes," said Sir Elton.  "Partnerships like this really do make a difference and help bring important messages - like ours - to the general public," added David Furnish.  "The $50 price point is great, because it allows people to make a tangible difference for a reasonable cost.  We are very proud of the end result."
"Holt Renfrew is very proud to partner with Elton John, David Furnish and NEST Fragrances on this exceptional candle, in support of this exceptional cause,"  says Alexandra Weston, Holt Renfrew's Director, Brand Strategy.
"Sir Elton John and I have been working together for many years to create beautiful scented candles, which he adores, to raise funds in support of the critically important work being done by the Elton John AIDS Foundation," says Laura Slatkin, NEST Fragrances Founder and CEO.  "I am extremely proud of my latest collaboration with Sir Elton and David Furnish - particularly in the year in which the Foundation celebrates its 20th anniversary - and I applaud Holt Renfrew for their efforts in bringing awareness to and raising money for such a tremendously worthwhile cause."
Renfrew: There's no place like Holts! Celebrating a 175-year heritage, Holt Renfrew is recognized worldwide for its inspired shopping experience. Once a purveyor of fashion to Her Majesty Queen Victoria, Holt Renfrew began in 1837 as a modest hat shop in Quebec City. Over the years the brand developed and expanded across Canada. In the 1930's Holt Renfrew began exclusive accounts with some of the best designers in Europe and in 1947 hosted Monsieur Christian Dior when he launched his "New Look". After many years of foreign ownership Holt Renfrew was bought in 1986 by W. Galen and The Hon. Hilary M. Weston. Under their ownership Holt Renfrew has become Canada's destination for luxury retail. Holt Renfrew has 2,300 employees with nine stores across the country in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Montreal, Quebec City, Ottawa and Toronto (Bloor Street, Sherway Gardens and Yorkdale Shopping Centre).
About the Elton John Aids Foundation The Elton John AIDS Foundation (EJAF) was established as a nonprofit organization in the United States in 1992 and as a registered charity in the United Kingdom in 1993 by Sir Elton John. Together, both entities have raised more than $275 million for worthy programs in 55 countries around the globe since inception. Today, the Foundation is one of the world's leading nonprofit HIV/AIDS organizations supporting innovative HIV prevention programs, efforts to eliminate stigma and discrimination associated with HIV/AIDS, and direct care and support services for people living with HIV/AIDS. The U.S. organization's current grant-making priorities target HIV prevention programs throughout the United States, the Americas, and the Caribbean; HIV prevention and care services for highly marginalized and vulnerable populations; and HIV/AIDS prevention education and the promotion of sexual health for adolescents.
About NEST Fragrances NEST Fragrances (NEST) is a leading manufacturer of luxury home fragrances, personal care products and fine fragrances. Founded and owned by Laura Slatkin, who has a long-standing reputation as a leader in the luxury fragrance industry, NEST is well-known for its luxurious scented candles, diffusers, room sprays, soaps and lotions, and other essentials for body, rooms and environments. NEST's client list currently includes more than 75 prestige companies in the fashion, beauty, retail and home fragrance industries, all of whom turned to NEST to develop their own exclusive lines of home fragrance and personal care products. In 2008, Slatkin launched her own home fragrance and personal care collection, NEST Fragrances, which won the 2009 FiFi Award for Interior Scent Collection of the Year. NEST draws on decades of experience in the fragrance industry with a special expertise in designing, developing, producing, distributing and marketing home fragrance collections that capture each client's unique brand image and style.

 

Elton John-Madonna feud continues

Elton John-Madonna feud continues: the Rocket Man calls the singer a 'fairground stripper' 

 

Elton John is at it again, lobbing insults at Madonna. Besides the rather one-sided nature of the feud, the real loser is the public, because he's just not a clever fighter. He's that cantankerous old man who will complain to anyone who will listen and, being Elton John, he has a rather big megaphone, but most of what comes through is a big ol' yawn.
In an interview with music journalist and personality Molly Meldrum that aired Sunday, John, just as easily as he name-drops — Katy Perry, Rhianna (we get it, E.J., you're famous) -- serves up some mean dishes for Madge.
It's unclear from the way the video interview is edited exactly what starts John on his Madonna rant, but rant he does: "She's such a nightmare. Sorry. Her career's over, I can tell you that. Her tour's been a disaster and it couldn't happen to a bigger (bleep)."
John loves Lady Gaga, he assures us, saying "she's the real deal." Gaga is on Team John a) as godmother to his son Zachary and b) because Madonna criticized her for peeling from "Express Yourself" for Gaga's own "Born This Way." Madonna has "been so horrible to Gaga," John notes. This is the same Madonna he says "looks like a —  fairground stripper."
What's actually horrible are John's insults. They aren't smart, or witty, they're just angry. The two used to be friends, which makes this soap operatic battle seem all the more sophmoronic. John comes across as the high school kid who got dissed by the prettier, more popular girl, and, it turns out, Madonna's also better in the composure department.
True, Madonna wasn't silent about Lady Gaga peeling from "Respect Yourself" for her "Born This Way," but she was at least clever about it. In an interview with ABC's Cynthia McFadden, Madonna calls the song "reductive," which, well, it is. (When McFadden asks if that's good, Madonna responds, "look it up." Who can't support someone who loves her dictionary?)
During the last significant round in the rather one-sided battle, Carson Daly attempted to make his mark on the 2012 Golden Globes red carpet by pitting John-Donna against one another in parallel to their respective nominees for Best Original Song, Madonna for "Masterpiece" and Elton John for his contribution to "Gnomeo and Juliet." (Which, in itself, sounds like a punch line.) Daly relays John's assessment that she didn't have a chance — actually, John said "Madonna hasn't got a —  chance" -- of winning, and Madonna simply replied, "OK, well, may the best man win."
After Madonna won, John's husband David Furnish hit Facebook, and he wasn't quite so diplomatic. Like John, he was reactive and cranky.
Good fights come down to intelligent moves, and Madonna has more than a slight edge here. After Daly mentioned he was just talking to her "buddy" Elton John, Madonna (in a greenish dress) replied, "Was he wearing a green dress?"
Poor John, whatever color he wears, is left with lame duck insults such as telling Meldrum, "if Madonna had had any common sense she'd have made an album like 'Ray of Light,' stayed away from the dance stuff and just been a great pop singer." The sad truth is that if John had any smarts, he would quit quacking about Madonna and concentrate on his own career.

 

Compassion can help defeat AIDS, Elton John tells conference

"I have just been to the AIDS quilt and I have seen so much love for the dead," said John, after visiting the National Mall in Washington, where panels of the AIDS Memorial Quilt, created to honor victims of the disease, stretch between the Washington Monument and the U.S. Capitol. "What we need is more love for the living."

The singer, whose Elton John AIDS Foundation gives away $18 million a year, spoke at AIDS 2012, an international gathering of more than 21,000 researchers, activists and policymakers. John and others applauded a message by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who set a goal "for a generation that is free of AIDS."

Yet the best science in the world is useless if it doesn't reach poor people, John said. "Maybe you think I'm naïve," he said at the conference. "Maybe you think I'm off my rocker. Here I am telling an audience of 7,000 global health experts that you can end AIDS with love."

Yet he noted that landmark American legislation to provide AIDS relief to developing nations was based, fundamentally, on caring for other people. "Thanks to all this compassion, all this love, more than 8 million people are on treatment.…

"Thanks to people who have chosen to act, who have chosen to care, we can see an end to this epidemic, but it's going to take a lot more compassion to get us there, a hell of a lot more."

John noted that "shame and stigma" prevent many people from getting help and "from protecting themselves in the first place."

He added, "We have inexpensive and accurate take-home tests for HIV. But we can't convince people to get tested if they think their lives don't count.…

"Millions of people around the world feel ashamed because of who they are. They feel subhuman, worthless, like they don't matter at all."

John described his recovery from cocaine addiction, and how he was inspired by the young AIDS activist Ryan White to get clean. "I felt that shame before and it almost killed me," John said. "It's killing people all around the world. We have to replace the stigma with compassion. "

Others conference speakers agree.

Phill Wilson, founder of the Black AIDS Institute, said some of the risky behavior seen in today's young people stems from a lack of love, and a sense of hopelessness.

"When you have young men who have been denied love their entire life, they will give anything to be loved, including their lives," Wilson says.

Families can help to turn the AIDS epidemic around, Wilson says, simply by supporting their children. Young people who feel accepted and respected are more likely to form healthy relationships, Wilson says.

"People ask me, 'What is the most important thing we can do to help young black gay men?' and 'When do you begin AIDS prevention?' " Wilson says. "My answer to both is the same. You start the first time you hold that child to your breast after they're born. You start every time you tell them you love them, when you remind them they are valuable. When you remind them that there is someone who has their back, that they are not alone."

John also called on the USA to address its own HIV epidemic. More than 1.1 Americans are infected with HIV.

"Do you want to end the epidemic in America? Then show some compassion for those who can't afford treatment," John said in his speech.

"Show compassion for those with HIV in Washington, D.C., most of whom are poor and black. Americans has shown so much love for those living with HIV in the developing world. If Americans wanted to show compassion for those living with HIV here at home, then it could do so in a heartbeat."

In an interview with USA TODAY, John said he also had a message for young people being bullied. These kids need to get support, he said, so that they won't feel so alone.

He said he's been heartbroken to hear of kids committing suicide because of bullying. "Look, if you're being bullied, the Internet is not the place to go," John said. "Reach out to another human being."