Unbelievably hard. The band has gone through several lineup changes, but Nigel Olsson, Davey Johnstone, and Ray Cooper have been members (albeit not continuously) since 1970, 1971 and 1973 respectively. As they prepare to kick off their Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour, we spoke with Johnstone about his crazy life playing alongside Elton and what fans can expect from the upcoming tour. The touring concert business has literally ground to a halt and will be one of the very last businesses to return to operations. This amount makes him the highest-paid performer in Vegas. Brian Ives // Managing Editor, Beasley Media. Every time I walk out on that Garden stage, I think back to that show." The living legend has left a lasting impression on generations of fans across the globe. We want to make a more rock-y kind of pop album, which wasHonky Chteau. Couple find note in chimney that reveals their 290,000 house was 100 times cheaper 50 years ago. Yeah, lets go there. How was life different at the Caribou Ranch in Colorado where you recorded Caribou and Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy? [15][16][17][18][19] In January 2022, the tour had resumed and the dates for 2020 and 2021 were rescheduled to 2022 and 2023. Common figures for working musicians might be between $500 - $1000 per week for a tour. It was a summer day in 1975 and we had Rufus, Joe Walsh and the Beach Boys on the bill. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. He knows what works, whats gonna work best. Heres another song that benefits from the older Eltons more aged voice (and the bigger budget orchestra). This song feels a bit out of place on Tumbleweed Connection, as its a bit less country and more orchestrated; it was originally intended for Elton John, and might have fit in a bit better there. Its a very special event. And so therefore they go, Well, what the fuck happened? I think John Lennon said it best. John has been earning large sums of money since the 1970s, then in 1992, he and Taupin signed a $39 million dollar twelve-year contract with Warner Bros. Records. Elton John's most substantial income stream is his ability to sell millions of albums each time he puts a new one out to the public. But musically, the biggest influence on the song was the Beach Boys. How did you wind up co-writing I Guess Thats Why They Call It the Blues with Elton? Elton John performs "Bennie and the Jets" during his Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour stop at the Fargodome on Saturday, March 19, 2022. They were his touring guys. Elton John Net Worth, Biography, Age, Wife, Height, Weight, and many more details can be checked on this page. When Guy unexpectedly passed I was like, Holy shit, what are we going to do? Elton called me up and said, Well, Im completely gobsmacked and shocked by this whole thing and Im sitting here in tears, but the reality is that we have to carry on. What are we going to do? What do you think of it? Elton John just enjoys being surrounded by beautiful fresh flowers and felt that his boyfriend deserved to be spoiled with an abundance of them on that particular day. Blue Moves came after years of Eltons chart dominance. The comments below have been moderated in advance. Davey joined The Elton John Band in 1971 and they have performed 3,800 times down the years. See Also Her spare time is spent anywhere the sun happens to be shining. But the great thing is that both Kim Bullard and Matt Bissonette came through like gangbusters. We got [keyboardist] James Newton Howard and background singers. And, sales figures be damned, this is the definitive version of Candle In The Wind.. How hard was it to keep playing after losing [keyboardist] Guy Babylon and [bassist] Bob Birch? The band has gone through several lineup changes, but Nigel Olsson, Davey Johnstone, and Ray Cooper have been members (albeit not continuously) since 1970, 1971 and 1973 respectively. One half of the chateau was a studio, the other half was where we all lived. They were great songs with great structures and he was willing to listen to my suggestions. Sir Elton and Mr Furnish, 58, last week flew back to Britain from Los Angeles on a private jet. Elton never said, Well, how about you play this? or What about playing that? Hed never tell me to play a part. Sir Elton Hercules John is a British singer, pianist and composer. Of these musicians, Babylon remained a member of the band for the longest amount of the time, being in the group from 1988 until his death in 2009, whereas the other members left at some point before the end of the 1980s. In 2012, Rod Steward signed a $50,000,000 contract for 18 shows in Las Vegas at the Colosseum, Caesars Palace. We came up with all these different things. I knew Matt from his brother Greg. When not working with Elton, Olsson has taken up the role of a session . Since 1989, Sting has released . Fans are quick to snatch up his new music, and he continues to generate millions of dollars each time he records a new tune. Its a great dinner story now. Over the next few years, guitarist Johnstone and percussionist Cooper also joined the band, forming the band's classic lineup. But it just didnt make sense to do that and to do the kind of tour were doing right now as well. Musical director, Guitars, Backing Vocals. Theres a few bits of ear candy and different things where the audience will feel, wow, this is really special, cause thats what it is. I remember thinking, God, what am I doing up here? Murray and Olsson rejoined the band in 1980, starting with 21 at 33. The 200 Greatest Singers of All Time A couple of weeks later I got a call saying, Elton would like you to join his touring band of [bassist] Dee Murray and Nigel Olsson. And, for sure, some radical, very, very high-end technology which is something that weve been working on with great people. Nigel Olsson: Drums, vocals. I kind of went, OK, Ive got to listen to this guy. Although he cant play guitar, he obviously loves guitar. The sudden death of the keyboards player Guy Babylon, aged 52, of a suspected heart attack has prompted Sir Elton John to describe him as "one of the most brilliant . As of 2023, Elton John's net worth is estimated to be $500 million. It was just a difficult period in Eltons life. John returns at 8 p.m. July 18 at Comerica Park. Believe it or not, this was his first ever solo #1 hit single in England (hed previously topped the charts with Dont Go Breaking My Heart with Kiki Dee). We just used all our tools and what came to us as being, This is a great idea.. He started his career in a pub nearby his house and finally made a band with his friends in 1962. Yes, we know that Madman Across The Water is the title track of Eltons 1971 album, but the more famous version isnt necessarily the best version. Had Elton never become a star, theres a good argument to be made that he and Bernie Taupin could have picked up their bags, head out of England and gone to Nashville, and written country songs. This wasnt Time for a new album, write some lyrics. This was: Heres my soul crying out to the world. Elton and Bernies faithful fans who were paying attention were rewarded with one of the best collections of songs the pair have ever unleashed. And it was perfect for the Elton/Dee Murray/Nigel Olsson trio on the 17-11-70 live album. Elton John is one of the most recognizable and highly esteemed entertainers of our time. The fans would go crazy if you did something like a Tumbleweed Connection show. John and his band toured across the UK and Europe (including gigs at Liverpool and Watford) throughout early 2022, and did three consecutive gigs at Dodger Stadium in late 2022. I just came up with an intro and a riff that made sense to the aggression and the kind of dark side of that song., Then we got into doing crazy stuff on it, like using a bottle opener on the guitar and sound effects, like Nigels Mini Cooper starting up outside the Chateau. I have been blessed to be in the corporate social responsibility (CSR/ESG) industry for the past 30 years. All Rights reserved. The same kind of thing evolved, though. Id have to take the band in again and do a whole other set of tracks. Nigel Olsson (born 10 February 1949) is an English rock drummer, who is best known for his affiliation with Elton John. In a sense it is strange, but my only real concern as the musical director and the guy who puts the band together is to make sure everybodys on point with what theyre playing and that we dont just diss our audience. Weve got snowmobiles. How did you actually meet Elton? This lineup first appeared on disc on the 1975 album Rock of the Westies, but all left the band by either the late 1970s or early 1980s respectively. Weve had some wonderful fucking players over the years, amazing players. He and Olsson backed John during his landmark concert in New York City's Central Park before more than 400,000 fans on the Great Lawn on 13 September 1980, and appeared on The Fox in 1981. He has properties in the US, France and Britain and also owns a 21million yacht Wabi Sabi which sleeps up to 18 guests in eight plush rooms, each with its own en suite. On 2 December 2022 John announced the final leg of the UK tour would be headlining Glastonbury festival in 2023, saying "There is no more fitting way to say goodbye to my British fans". John's excursion will put an exclamation point on one of the more brilliant live music journeys in history. He would bring, say, 15 lyric sheets to a recording session. Legend has it that the someone in the song is Long John Baldry, a blues singer and one-time mentor to Elton (and also the inspiration for the John part of Eltons stage name). Common figures for working musicians might be between $500 - $1000 per week for a . According to their reporting, Elton lost 60 million British pounds (about $75 million in American currency) due to the cancellation of his farewell tour. If youre honest enough to put it out like that, thats what it is. After the massive success of The One and The Lion King soundtrack, Made In England was a bit of a dud, but that doesnt mean you should ignore Believe, one of Eltons best vocal performances. One of Eltons best 80s songs. They first appeared together on disc with John on the album Tumbleweed Connection, which was released that same year. Some of the playing on 11-17-70 is quite incredible, Elton says in the liner notes to To Be Continued. I get depressed sometimes when I hear it because I dont know if I can ever play as well as that again. Born: 1947 United Kingdom. Im not going to go there, but it became pretty crazy. The Mail on Sunday claims that Elton and his husband David Furnish have been left "bereft" because . But even the 1971 version, featuring Eltons longtime guitarist Davey Johnstone, is amazing; this is one of Elton's greatest songs, despite not being a hit single. It was like nobody else. Taupin wrote the lyrics shortly after the death of Freddie Mercury. And, of course, Bernie was there. We all had our own log cabins. Do you think he can do it? And I said, Yeah, I do. So we tried it and it worked, and here we are 18 years later and hes still playing like Nigel Olsson. And I stand by that statement. . It happened very rarely, very, very rarely, I think most famously on the Yellow Brick Road record, which we were cutting three, four songs a day in the studio. Everyone always talks about the disastrous Wembley Stadium show. Elton John brings his Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour to Jacksonville on . All three shows $55 and up. I really think there was some great stuff on it. Ray Cooper began playing with the band as a percussionist in 1973, though he did not become a full-time member of the band until 2016. The only tour you missed was in 1980. He . The Queen singer passed away on November 24, 1991. The early 80s wasnt Eltons best era, and Jump Up! wasnt his most inspired album. Gus said to me, Davey, this is Reg. 313-471-7000 or 313Presents.com. Elton John held a Las Vegas residency known as The Million Dollar Piano. "Warm Love in a Cold World" is . Davey Johnstone was watching Top of the Pops with his father one night in 1970 when a young singer-songwriter named Elton John came onto the screen. Eltons definitive arena-rock epic, it holds up to the other extended-length classic rock jams like Stairway To Heaven, Freebird, Bohemian Rhapsody and Layla. Conceived as two separate songs, they just sound so good together that they became two halves of a greater whole. How fitting! Last summer Sir Elton and Mr Furnish entertained the Beckham family while the yacht was docked in the South of France. I got on great with Bernie and it was wonderful. RELATED: Royals Didn't Want Elton John Singing At Princess Diana's Funeral, New Documents Reveal. What I normally do is take the band in without Elton. What happened there? We would then walk over to the studio, plug in and start running down these songs and recording them. Nigel Olsson reflects on his lengthy career drumming for Elton John, his side interest in auto racing and whether or not he'll retire. And what people think of it really is neither here nor there, because if youre a true artist thats what its gonna be.. When he saw the 164-foot mega yacht called the Wabi Sabi, he handed over a jaw-dropping $26 million and became the proud new owner of a very powerful watercraft. It is estimated that Elton John has generated $352.2 million from album sales alone, inclusive of $38.3 million from The Big Picture, and $112.2 million for his greatest hits album. The various lineups of the band have consisted of both English and American musicians. Johnstone was a folkie guitarist into artists like Bert Jansch and John Martyn, but he was still extremely intrigued by this eccentric young piano player. Now, "Light Upon the Lake," the band's debut album, is one of Sir Elton John's favorite records of the year a metric of success that is surreal, bordering on unthinkable, for the duo . Lets check, How Rich is Elton John in 2020-2021? Olsson helped establish the Elton John sound as the first member of John's band, on drums, percussion and backing vocals. In the song the lyrics This train dont stop there anymore, point out that while other people could play that character, Eltons no longer that guy. Bernie told me he doesnt like [1997s]The Big Picture. As his longtime bandmate, guitarist Davey Johnstone, also pointed out, the Garden holds a special place in the hearts of certain members of the Elton John camp for another reason: "It's where John Lennon played his last live show, in 1974, during one of our concerts," Olsson said."What a night. But as an older man, he had a bit more gravitas, and that helped to make this live version of the song the definitive one. Elton John has acquired such a substantial art collection during the course of his career, that he has often thought of opening a museum so that he may showcase his art pieces to his fans. The singer, now 75, was just a fresh faced 20-year-old when . [7][8], In February 1975, the non-album single "Philadelphia Freedom" was credited to The Elton John Band, along with the single's B-side "I Saw Her Standing There" (recorded live with John Lennon at Madison Square Garden) and the band's 1974 cover of "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" (which also featured Lennon on backing vocals and guitar). We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. "On his final tour in Washington, Jill and I invited Elton to the White House to thank . And every day I miss Guy Babylon and Bob Birch along with Dee Murray, not to mention Gus Dudgeon, Paul Buckmaster, [producer] Steve Brown and all the people that we have lost in this whole thing. Again, none of the albums ever took more than two or three weeks to record the tracks and most of the overdubs. Answer (1 of 5): I don't have any inside scoop on what Elton John pays his backup musicians but, speaking in strictly general terms, most backup musicians are working for wages. 23 dollars 63,42 cents. . Elton John: The Bitch at Peace, At the core is Eltons ability to just pull these amazing melodies out of thin air, one after the other. Davey Johnstone, who had previously played on John's lyricist Bernie Taupin's 1971 solo album Taupin, first appeared on disc with John and his band on the 1971 album Madman Across the Water, after which he was invited to join the Elton John Band as a full member. Maybe he should let Johnstone rock out more often! Its almost prog rock. In 1977, Elton said to us, Thats it. One day he said to me, Listen, Im doing this poetry album with this guy called Bernie Taupin. In the case of that song, I remember saying to him, Elton, you have to put a piano on the chorus. He wants people to show up at the studio and just on the spot come up with some musical ideas that kinda reflect his lyrics. Ive always loved that song, since its so different from everything else in his catalog. Explore Elton John's biography, wiki, net worth & salary in 2023. Nobody was doing that shit in those days, but that is how we recorded. The guitarist reveals how Elton wrote some of his most enduring songs, passionately defends the singer's less-popular works in the Eighties and looks ahead to their final tour. Each of his homes is designed with precision and ooze opulence at every turn, and a number of his homes have been featured in the highly esteemed Architectural Digest. When not working with John, Olsson has taken up the role of a session musician. Current membersElton John - lead vocals, piano, musicBernie Taupin - lyricsDavey Johnstone - guitar, musical director, vocalsMatt Bissonette - Bass Guitar, vocalsKim Bullard - keyboardsJohn Mahon . According to compilers, his fortune rose by 40million from 320million to 360million. 1970 was the year when Elton hit number four on the Billboard 200 charts. A Detroit native, his father Bud was a drummer, mom Phyllis played piano and vibes, his brother Matt is a phenomenal bassist and producer who has touring and recording non-stop with the Elton John Band since 2012, and his sister Kathy is very musical and works in the Los Angeles concert promotion business. And at some point wed have to bring Elton in and be like, Are you ready to do some of these songs you havent done for 40 years? It would be too much. Snubbing the King: Why Don't Big Stars Want to Perform at Charles' Coronation? Picture, if you will, the Beach Boys coming on in the middle of a rare summers day in London where it was beautiful weather, and theyre doing California Girls and Help Me Rhonda and all of this great shit and the audience are going nuts. Wed wake up in the morning, go downstairs and there was a little bare-bones setup with a little amp and a couple of guitars, banjo, mandolin for me, Dees bass amp, a small kit for Nigel and an electric piano for Elton. Sir Elton John performs at Liverpool Arena, Liverpool, England, 14th June 2016 as part of his Wonderful Crazy Night Tour. God. It was such an exciting time. We just know, as soon as we start playing together, its just crazy good. I dont mean just Tumbleweed, I mean deep cuts off various albums that people love. We started having these giant hits again with [1983s]Too Low for Zero and [1984s]Breaking Hearts. How many songs can an arena filled with people identify after just one note? The cancellation of the tour has even resulted in his long-serving band including guitarist Davey Johnstone and drummer Nigel Olsson being laid off until it becomes clear if concerts scheduled for later this year will take place. [3][4][5] Murray and Olsson first appeared together on disc with John on the song "Amoreena" from the 1970 studio album Tumbleweed Connection. When the part came up where he wanted me to play this guitar line, I played it, and it worked great. For his first album of the 1990s, Elton proved that he would still be a viable force in pop music with the title track and first single from The One. Eltons elegant piano playing was the perfect compliment to some of Bernie Taupins most romantic, yet simple, lyrics: When stars collide like you and I/No shadows block the sun/You're all I've ever needed/Oh, baby you're the one.. Down the years, amazing players for 18 shows in Las Vegas residency known as the million Dollar Piano something... 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