Elton John Page 5

Singer Elton John has called for a boycott of fashion designers Dolce & Gabbana after they referred to babies born through IVF as “synthetic” in a recent interview with Italian magazine 'Panorama'.

Elton is boycotting Dolce & Gabbana

‘How dare you refer to my beautiful children as “synthetic”,’ the 67 year old wrote on Instagram. ‘And shame on you for wagging your judgemental little fingers at IVF - a miracle that has allowed legions of loving people, both straight and gay, to fulfil their dream of having children.’

Continue reading: Elton John Calls For Boycott Of Fashion House Dolce & Gabbana Over IVF Comments

Since 1992, EJAF (Elton John AIDS Foundation) has raised over 321 million USD to help combat AIDS/HIV. One of the biggest events on EJAF's calendar is that of the Academy Awards Ceremony - for the last 23 years, Sir Elton John has hosted a special Academy Awards viewing party, in which celebrities from all areas of the entertainment industry come together to watch the Oscars, whilst raising money for the foundation. This year was no exception.

Sir Elton John poses with Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne (Credit Jamie McCarthy - Getty Images)

Of course, as with any Oscar party, members of the Hollywood elite were in attendance, like Alec and Hilaria Baldwin. But also, tremendous musical talent flocked to West Hollywood Park in Los Angeles. In addition to Sir Elton John, Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne were there to pose for pictures, as were Miley Cyrus, LIL' KIM and Kylie Minogue. Moby and Beck also stopped by to help raise awareness for the fight against HIV/AIDS.

Continue reading: Elton John's Oscars Party Saw As Many Stars As The Academy Awards Itself [Photos]

Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve 2015 - co-presented once again by Ryan Seacrest - aired with performances spanning a handful of venues - not just the usual Hollywood and Times Square, New York concerts.

Lady Antebellum rocked out the Nashville NYE party

Over in Nashville was the Bash on Broadway New Year's Eve party which saw a record number of concert-goers at the event - approximately 130,000. It's unsurprising given some of the stellar acts that were lined up to enter 2015 in style, among them being country legends Lady Antebellum and Gavin Degraw, the latter of whom unveiled his debut compilation album last year entitled 'Finest Hour: The Best of Gavin DeGraw'.

Continue reading: Elton John And Lady Antebellum Shine At New Year's Rockin' Eve 2015 Festivities [Photos]

Last night, (October 7th) the BBC gave us a special treat, premiering the video for ‘God Only Knows’, their star studded cover of the Beach Boys’ timeless classic. Featuring over 30 stars from music and the BBC, the video has been causing us to pause and rewind all day as we clock another famous face. So who all did we catch in the 'God Only Knows’ video?

The Beach Boys' classic has been covered for Children in Need

First a little background, the cover was put together to promote the launch of BBC Music, described by the corporation as “an ambitious wave of new programmes, innovative partnerships and ground-breaking music initiatives that amount to the BBC’s strongest commitment to music in 30 years.”

Continue reading: So Have You Spotted All The Stars In The BBC’s ‘God Only Knows’ Video?

How much would you fork out to lock lips with your celebrity crush? Well, in the case of Liz Hurley, one punter paid $81,000 (£50,000) for the privelege. The honour was auctioned off as a prize at Elton John's annual Woodside End of Summer party.

Hurley on her way to Elton John's party

An auction was held to benefit the Elton John AIDS Foundation and banker Julian Bharti was the lucky winner who got to smooch the 49-year-old English actress, known for her roles in films such as Bedazzled and Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery. Hurley split from fiance and former Australia cricketer Shane Warne in November 2013, and is now connected to photographer David Yarrow.

Continue reading: Kiss With Liz Hurley Fetches $81,000 At Elton John's Charity Auction

Sir Elton John will not be favouring any political party in the UK election - despite claims from Nigel Farage that the singer may support his party, Ukip. The politician told an internet radio station that he was due to make a ‘big announcement’ after attending a dinner party at the legendary singer/songwriter’s home earlier this summer.

Sir Elton John 'will not be favouring any political party,' according to spokesman

According to The Guardian, however, a spokesperson for Sir Elton, was quick to deny the claims, adding that the 67-year-old singer is not associated with either Farage or UKIP. The spokesperson, Gary Farrow said: “Elton will not be favouring any political party.”

Continue reading: Sir Elton John Distances Himself From UKIP After Party Leader Hints At Support

Elton John believes anyone who opposed gay marriage due to their religious beliefs are wrong.

The British icon recently sat down with Sky News and discussed the progress society has made for protecting gays against discrimination and hate, but he also offered a rather controversial thought.

Elton believes that if Jesus was alive today, he would support same-sex marriages.

Continue reading: Elton John Believes Jesus Would Not Oppose Gay Marriage In 2014

Bonnaroo festival ended on a high note yesterday, with Elton John as the final performer – but not before fans had been queuing up for over 12 hours to see the Brit perform. But even before he took the stage for his first ever American festival performance, there was plenty to see and hear in the supporting acts.

Bonnaroo was the Brit's first festival appearance.

One of the most anticipated gigs at Bonnaroo was the Arctic Monkeys’ set. Late in the swealtering afternoon, they opened with their festival sing-along Do I Wanna Know?, which funnily enough echoed Sam Smith’s cover on Friday night. The festival crowd was loving it though, with one woman reportedly taking to mattress-surfing during their set.

Continue reading: Bonnaroo Sunday Highlights: Elton John Closes, Wiz Khalifa Gives Rousing Speech

With his sophomore album, X, Ed Sheeran is taking a whole new musical direction and he couldn’t have found a better advisor than Pharrell Williams. In his new MTV documentary, Sheeran talks about the process of working on his first single off X, the dance anthem Sing.

Sheeran attributes the success of Sing  in part to Pharrell Williams' sage advice.

Apparently the track wouldn’t have seen the light of day (not as a single anyway) until much later, had it not been for Pharrell’s advice.

Continue reading: Ed Sheeran Received Sage Advice From Fairy Godfather-like Pharrell

Pharrell Williams, the hip-hop artist best known for the Oscar-nominated single 'Happy', revealed the meaning behind the name of his son Rocket Ayer, born in 2008. The name serves as a homage to Williams' favourite musicians, Roy Ayers, Elton John, Stevie Wonder and Herbie Hancock.

Related: Pharrell Won Some Awesome Contestants For His Team On The Voice. Also Our Hearts.

Williams stated that he and his wife, designer/model Helen Lasichanh, wanted to give their son an inspirational name while also honouring their musical idols. This was achieved through the name 'Rocket', as it serves as both a symbol of souring high, and is found in the name of a song by several artists that Williams enjoys.

Continue reading: Pharrell Williams Explains The Reasons Behind His Son's Name, Rocket.

Elton John and David Furnish will be tying the knot in the near future.

The iconic singer and his partner will get married in May after the UK made gay marriage legal this past Saturday (March 29th).

Furnish wrote an article about their impending wedding in an issue of Attitude Magazine's Love & Marriage Special.

Continue reading: Elton John Will Marry Longtime Partner David Furnish In May

Current civil partners Sir Elton John and David Furnish will finally get married now that same-sex marriage has finally been made legal in the U.K. Furnish described the impending matrimony as the pair’s ‘duty’ with regards to their high profile. 

Elton John and David Furnish

"Elton and I will marry," Furnish explained to Attitude magazine. "As a high-profile couple, we feel it is our duty to do it, to make sure that everyone knows that this is something that many gay men living in this country never dreamed would happen."

Continue reading: Sir Elton John And David Furnish Will Marry: "It Is Our Duty"

Michael Jordan is looking forward to becoming a dad for what will be the fourth time, with his much-younger wife Yvette Prieto, it was reported earlier this week. First reported by www.terezowens.com, the pregnancy comes some months after the pair tied the knot in April this year, after five years of dating,and whilst Jordan might be in his 50's now, this could very well be the founding of another family for the NBA legend.

Michael and Yvette might not be finished in the baby-making-department yet

Jordan isn't alone becoming a father well into middle age, as the celebrity world is full of older fathers. Some, like Jordan, have gone on to start new families in their advanced years following a divorce or loss of partner (or maybe even a scandal of some sort), whilst others like to leave it late before finally settling down and having offspring. Here, we look at five older gentlemen who waited until after their 50th birthday before having children.

Continue reading: Michael Jordan Is A Dad Again! 5 Other Stars Who Kept On Having Kids Into Their 50's

Forbes have once again compiled their yearly list of highest earning celebrities in every possible respect and the winner for highest earning musician in 2013 is a very familiar face indeed: Madonna. The Queen of Pop came out on top despite tough competition and the fact that she didn't really create or release any new music in 2013. Call that staying power.

Madge earned big through her touring and business ventures

According to the magazine, Madge earned most of her money over the last year through touring, with her 'MDNA' tour grossing $305 million in total since it was launched, earning the singer a cool amount in the process. Her other major sources of income has been royalties, her clothing line and the launch of her new fragrance, Forbes revealed, putting her total earnings for the past 12 months at an estimated $125 million.

Continue reading: Madonna Tops Forbes' List Of Highest Earning Musicians In 2013

Gary Barlow has revealed that Elton John laid down the vocals on his new song Face to Face in just ten minutes. The X-Factor judge was left stunned when the legendary singer-songwriter agreed to team up with him for the track on his new solo album Since I Saw You Last and Elton got straight to work.

Elton John [L] and Gary Barlow [R] Recording to 'Face to Face'

"I called him and said I am going to email you this song. Literally, within an hour he was back saying let's book a studio, let's get in there and do it," Barlow told Guilty Pleasures.

Continue reading: Gary Barlow And Elton John Recorded 'Face To Face' In 10 Minutes

Tom Hardy has won the race to play Elton John in Michael Gracey's biography Rocketman. As Deadline reported in June, FilmDistrict paid $10 million to acquire the U.S. rights to the movie, which is written by Billy Elliot's Lee Hall.

The company snapped up the movie after it became the talk of Cannes, where it was shopped by UTA - the agency that structured the financing. FilmDistrict's Peter Schlessel has since taken over Focus Features, which will release the movie with a promise of sizable P&A.

Rocketman will follow Elton's journey from musical prodigy, to winning a scholarship at the Royal Academy of Music, to his rebellious teenage years and finally becoming a global icon who outsold just about every musical artist of his era. 

Continue reading: Tom Hardy To Play Elton John. Four Clips Of Tom Hardy Singing.

In an upcoming planned biopic looking at the life of legendary British singer and songwriter Elton John, British actor Tom Hardy has reportedly been cast as the 'Rocketman' himself. The film will follow Reginald Dwight, AKA Elton, in his journey from his beginnings as a child piano prodigy through to his global conquering superstardom and fame.

Elton John's Story Set To Be Immortalised In A Biopic.

Set to start shooting in late 2014, the movie will be written by Lee Hall who wrote the Oscar-nominated screenplay Billy Elliot and was involved in the production of the recent War Horse film. Hardy's is a most unconventional casting: the actor clearly has proven acting talent but has appeared as tough-guy characters in most of his film appearances; the most notable of which was baddie Bane in last year's The Dark Knight Rises.

Continue reading: Tom Hardy To Play Elton John In 'Rocketman' Biopic: Really?

The iHeartRadio Music Festival hit the MGM Grand Garden for the 3rd consecutive year on Friday (Sept 20th) to kick-off the 2 day extravaganza.

Elton John received the biggest cheer from the Las vegas crowd

The action-packed first day saw performers such as Chris Brown, Katy Perry and Robin Thicke take to the stage, but the most anticipated performances came from British rock legends ‘Queen’ and another British pop culture icon Elton John.

Continue reading: IHeartRadio Music Festival Hits Las Vegas With The Best Line-Up Yet

Elton John has had a truly remarkable career, one that has lasted more than forty years, seen him break countless records and as he got older, one that has allowed him to settle down and begin a family. In a recent interview with British newspaper The Mirror, Sir Elton discussed his longstanding career, the passion that drives it and why he now feels that it is finally time to settle down and stop his endless touring.

Elton is finally ready to slow down

A noted workaholic, it has taken fatherhood and the recent life-threatening fight with appendicitis to convince the 66-year-old to slow down. The singer decided after his recent health scare that his endless touring was slowly killing him and that it was time to reassess his lifestyle and begin spending more time with his partner of 20 years, David Furnish, and their two sons, Zachary, 2, and Elijah, 9 months.

Continue reading: Elton John Thanks The Joys Of Fatherhood For Inspiring New Album, But Says It's Time To Slow Down

Lady GaGa has left the irritation of Monday's 'Applause' new single leakage behind her and has turned her attention to September, tweeting her excitement for next month's iTunes Festival. The singer announced that she's be gracing Camden's Roundhouse on the 1st September - the first night of the month of free concerts - with the Tweet: "I'M HEADLINING ITUNES FESTIVAL ON SEPT 1 AT ROUNDHOUSE IN LONDON. ONE HOUR OF ALL NEW MUSIC. #UKMonstersGetReady" to make sure all her UK fans knew what awaited them.

Lady Gaga's New Look.

The NY singer called a "911 pop emergency" on Monday after a snippet from the lead single from her upcoming album, Artpop, leaked on the internet. "Little Monsters" rushed to their idol's aide by reporting illegal uploads to record company UMG but the hot new track spread like wildfire across the internet. Gaga made the radical decision to change the single's release date to the 12th Aug, dropping the new track immediately on American radio stations to combat the pirates.

Continue reading: Lady Gaga Promises "One Hour Of All New Music" At ITunes Festival

Adele is apparently set to be the next singer to make the inevitable move in front for the cameras after reportedly being cast in the upcoming action film The Secret Service. The singer has reportedly joined a cast that already includes Samuel L Jackson and Colin Firth and will be flexing her acting chops in a villainous role in the new film.

Does Adele have a few more Oscars coming her way?

The 'Skyfall' singer will reportedly be playing the role of one of the villains in The Secret Service, which is being adapted for the screen from Mark Millar's original manuscript by Vaughn and Jane Goldman (Kick-Ass, X Men: First Class). Her participation in the film hasn't been confirmed just yet, so it is still unknown what role she will be playing, however some reports state that she will only be taking on a cameo role. If so, then this will be much like her last on-screen appearance - on the hit show Ugly Betty - where she also played a cameo role.

Continue reading: Adele Planning Her Move Into Acting: Singer Signs Up For Villainous Role In New Spy Film

Looks like Elton John needed some 'Healing Hands' after the agony of appendicitis. The 66-year-old star underwent surgery in Monaco to remove a decidedly rotten appendix. Speaking to The Sun, the performer told of how he performed 10 shows "in agony" before he eventually saw a doctor. "I was a ticking time bomb. I guess I could have died at any time. I feel so lucky and grateful to be alive," the 'Tiny Dancer' said, as reported by BBC News.

Recuperating: Elton John Is Now Appendix-Less.

The condition, caused by inflammation of the appendix, meant that Elton had to cancel a few summer shows last month, including a headline gig in London's Hyde Park. Posting on his website, Elton thanked fans who've shown him support and understanding throughout his painful condition: "I would like to thank the literally thousands of people who have sent me get well cards and messages over the past two weeks.

Continue reading: Elton John Waves Goodbye To His Appendix After Surgery

Sir Elton John, world-renowned British singer/songwriter, will received the first ever award to commemorate "an artist whose writing, recording and performances have made a lasting impact on UK culture," according to BPI, the music industry's trade body, as reported by BBC News. According to the eccentric superstar's website, Elton will be honoured in an inaugural ceremony in London, filmed by ITV, and will feature live performances of some of his best-loved songs, alongside new material from upcoming album The Diving Board, as well as guest appearances and interviews.

Elton John Will Be Recognised For His Lasting Impact Upon British Music.

The flamboyant star himself commented: "It's a tremendous honour and a real thrill for me to have my work acknowledged in this way, and I'm really looking forward to participating in what promises to be a very special occasion." The 'Rocket Man' ballad-maker has sold over 250 million albums worldwide, with his Princess Diana funeral song, 'Candle in the Wind '97' being the biggest-selling single of all time with 33 million copies sold.

Continue reading: Sir Elton John Will Be First To Receive 'BRITs Icon' Award

Elton John's bout of appendicitis appears to be more serious than first assumed, with the legendary singer-songwriter suggesting he was close to death while performing 10 concerts on his recent European tour. Sir Elton has been forced to postpone a series of summer dates, including at London's Hyde Park this week.

Speaking to tabloid The Sun, Elton explained how he was in "agony" before calling in the doctors, "I was a ticking time bomb. I guess I could have died at any time," he said. In a statement on his official website, the singer said he is on a course of "intensive antibiotics" and is expected to undergo surgery "in the coming weeks."

Fans will be pleased to learn the singer plans to return to touring "starting in early September 2013," though he will concentrate his efforts on making a full recovering for the next month-and-a-half. 

Continue reading: Elton John 'Could Have Died At Any Time' On European Tour

Matthew Morrison has proudly announced his engagement to model Renee Puente after two years of dating.Well, he didn't actually announce it; it was his good friends Elton John and David Furnish who made the revelation right before bursting into a fitting rendition of Elton's 1970 single 'Your Song' at the annual White Tie and Tiara Ball which benefitted his AIDS Foundation charity.

Matthew Morrison [R] and Future Wife Renee Puente [L]

Although we don't yet know just how the 'Glee' star popped the question, we can only assume it was majorly sweet as he didn't struggle listing off his recent romantic endeavours in an interview with the Huffington Post. Asked what is the most romantic thing he's ever done for Renee, he said: 'Hard to pick just one thing. We are really both into horses. Every new city or place we go, we always try to find a place to go horseback riding. One time in particular, after our horseback riding, we went along this beach in Hawaii. I set up this nice little picnic.' Awwwwww! Though given his love of musicals, singing and dancing, we're wondering if he maybe pulled out the big guns with a flash mob?? But then, this guy's way too modest for that.

Continue reading: Matthew Morrison Announces Engagement To His 'Best Friend'

Big week for Elton John – the legendary singer offered Lady GaGa – a close friend of his – the chance to be godmother to his son, Elijah, and he was offered £1m to play at millionaire socialite Tamara Ecclestone’s wedding.

"She's a great role model, she's young, [and] she's been a great godmother to Zachary," John told Extra, as reported by Us Weekly regarding his choice of godmother. "We're all bonkers in this business, but we're human beings at the same time." Added his husband David Furnish: "You learn so much about yourself and about life by seeing children." He’s been less vocal about the alleged £1m offer to play Ecclestone’s wedding. Last night a spokesman for Sir Elton declined to comment on the offer. A source said: “At this point in time there is no agreement. Elton is looking at the dates, but at the moment he’s not sure they will work. No contract has been signed yet. For £1 million plus expenses he can do anything from an hour-and- a-half down to four songs and Happy Birthday. Often you don’t do these things with the whole band. It’s a young crowd, so they’ll want something different.”

Given Ecclestone’s reputation as a spoilt brat, intent on spending as much money as possible on lavish nights out, John might want to steer clear of any association with the socialite. Then again, money talks, and £1m is loads of money.

Continue reading: Elton John News – Singer Offered £1m To Play Tamara Ecclestone's Wedding, Lady Gaga Godmother To Elijah

Lady GaGa has obviously proven herself to be excellent godmother material. After choosing her to be godmother to their first son Zachary, Elton John and David Furnish have asked her to take on the role again, this time for their second son, Elijah, MTV News have reported.

We guess she’ll have a bit of spare time on her hands right now, to dedicate to being a good godmother, as she had to cancel her touring plans in order that she could have a hip operation. Since then, she’s been making a few public appearances, in her specially designed golden wheelchair but other than that, she’s been keeping a pretty low profile by Gaga standards. According to her manager Vincent Herbert, she’s recovering well. He told MTV back in March that she’s ready to get back to working on her forthcoming album which will be entitled ARTPOP. Elton and David’s second son Elijah was born back in January, to the same surrogate mother that gave birth to Zachary, their first son.

Elton and Gaga are rumoured to be working on a duet together. Way back in November 2011, Lady Gaga suggested that she had Elton in mind for a song that she had lined up for the follow up to Born This Way, which she has been working on for some time now. 

Continue reading: Godmother Monster: Elton John Chooses Lady Gaga As Godmother To Elijah

Kaiser Chief frontman Ricky Wilson has had his indie-heart broken by the evil executives at the new Leeds Arena, who have booked Bruce Springsteen and Elton John for shows at the new 13,500 seater venue despite initially confirming the Yorkshire band as an important part of is opening season. The Boss will open the doors of the arena on Wednesday 24, July, before Elton plays on September 4, 2013. The Kaiser Chiefs appear to have been relegated to the third act to play the venue on September 14, 2013, despite believing they would be opening the whole thing.

Ricky Wilson Was Less Than Happy With The Booking of Bruce Springsteen and Elton John

Wilson's band were among the first acts to be announced for the arena, with bassist Simon Rix saying at the time, "Having played everywhere in Leeds from the Duchess (RIP) to Elland Road, we are massively happy that Leeds has built somewhere new for us to play. Looking forward to opening Leeds Arena next year, it's going to be bigger than Ken Bates' legal bill." Now, with marquee acts signed on, Wilson is understandably hacked off. "Really f*cked off with Leeds Arena, they asked us to open the thing then put Elton on the week before and now Bruce," tweeted the singer on Tuesday afternoon (February 19, 2013) before quickly deleting the message. He followed it up by saying, "Thought I better delete that. Just really f**cked off."

Continue reading: Kaiser Chief's Ricky Wilson "F*cked Off" As Leeds Arena Books Bruce Springsteen

It wasn’t only Justin Bieber that the Black Keys had in tears on the evening of the Grammys, it would appear. Mumford & Sons’ bass player Ted Dwayne found himself in tears that night too. Not because either of the Black Keys had been nasty to him but because he’s been a die-hard fan of the band for so long that being sat next to them was a little overwhelming. Not to mention beating his idols to the Album of the Year Grammy.

Speaking to Rolling Stone magazine after their triumph, Dawyne revealed “I remember seeing the Black Keys at a venue twice the size of this dressing room” and added “I was a die-hard fan. It's just so weird being in a category with them. Sitting next to them, these people I've had posters of. I was in tears.” Of course, it wasn’t just the Black Keys that had the British folk band in awe that night. Marcus Mumford told the magazine’s reporter that he was surprised that Jack White was as friendly as he was. And banjo player Winston Marshall was over the moon to meet Rage Against The Machine’s Tom Morello. “I loved Tom Morello. To have him liking our music – apparently he'd been to our gigs – for me was just f***ing surreal. We talk to these people, and whether it's f***ing Jack White or Elton John, they're just lovely people who love music as much as you do."

Mumford And Sons won the Album of the Year Grammy for Babel, their sophomore release. 

Continue reading: Why Did The Black Keys Make Mumford And Sons Cry At The Grammys?

Katy Perry's Grammys Dress Caused Quite A Stir

It's safe to say Katy Perry stole the entire show at the Grammy awards on Sunday evening (February 10, 2013) in a mint green Gucci dress that featured a rather revealing keyhole cut-out. It quickly caused excitement on Twitter, with fans of the star lauding her daring choice of dress. It wasn't just her followers who noticed either, with various amusing photographs of celebrities in awe of Perry's, ugh, assets, circulating online today.

Elton John, of all people, was caught out cheekily eyeing up Perry's dress, while television star Ellen Degeneres made a joke of the elephant in the room, staring intently at Perry's chest as her girlfriend Portia De Rossi looked on. "I was inspired by Priscilla Presley in the Seventies... Married to Elvis Presley, of course," Perry told Ryan Seacrest of her Grammys dress. Seacrest himself joked that he had luckily had plenty of practice at staying focused when at eye level. One man who did manage to keep his eyes on the ball was Perry's boyfriend John Mayer, who was photographed staring straight into Katy's eyes when the pair were snapped taking their seats. The 35-year-old blues guitarist admitted that he's been thinking about marrying Perry, 28, sometime in the future. When asked whether a wedding would be a possibility, Mayer said, "Of course. I mean, I'm still the kid from Connecticut. That's what you do," according to the Daily Mail.

Continue reading: Katy Perry Ignores Grammys Dress Code In Flesh Baring Dress (Pictures)

Frank Ocean appeared at the pre-Grammy party in Los Angeles on Friday, where he admitted to being incredibly nervous about the coming awards themselves, Billboard reports.

Performing a 6 song set at the Ace Museum in Los Angeles, Frank Ocean told the audience: "So it's officially Grammy weekend, which is probably not a big deal for everyone... But it makes me nervous as f**k." With 6 nominations including for Album of the Year, Record of the Year and Best New Artist Ocean's got nothing to be nervous about. Especially with Channel Orange being such a strong contender. 

Esteemed guests to the show included Busy Phillipps, Alan Cummings, Ashley Benson and Linkin Park's Mike Shinoda, and were all equal to the average joes in the audience, as they were treated to renditions of  "Crack Rock," "Monks", "American Wedding", "Sierra Leone," "Thinkin' Bout You," and "Pyramids."

Continue reading: Biting His Nails? Frank Ocean Admits To Being Very Nervous Ahead Of Grammy Awards

Sting, Alabama Shakes, Neil Young, Elton John Mumford & Sons and John Legend all paid tribute to Bruce Springsteen as he was named Musicares Person of the Year for 2013 at last night's pre-Grammy award show. 

The event recognises a star's philanthropic work as well as their efforts as an artist, something that "The Boss" - as Springsteen has become known - can't separate. "Whatever philanthropy I've ever done usually involved playing the guitar," he said. "I was going to play the guitar anyway." In attendance were some previous honourees: Natalie Cole, Tony Bennett and Bonnie Raitt. Springsteen is a deserving honoree "because he lives his life in such an exemplary way," Raitt said before the gala. "He's committed to his art. He's a good family man. He's a real inspiration for how to give back. I couldn't fault him in any aspect of his life."

Springsteen said of receiving the award, "It's kind of a freaky experience. This is the huge Italian wedding Patti and I never had. I had one of the loveliest nights of my life ...John Legend made me sound like Gershwin. Neil Young made me sound like the Sex Pistols. What a night." He also talked about the power and magic of music, adding, "The Taliban will never win, not now or ever, by banning music and dancing. The minute you do that, you label yourself a tyrant and your cruel days are numbered."

Annually, the Grammys is one of the biggest events for music across America and in Europe. In fact, it has dubbed itself 'music's biggest night'. Celebrating the best in pop, hiphop, soul, R&B and much of what comes in between, it never fails to be a veritable who's who from the Spotify playlists of the masses. And this year will be no different. Not only are the nominees ones to look out for, absences are worthy of note, as are this year's presenters and some very special performances.

As Yahoo report, this year's presenters include Grammy royalty, Prince, Beyonce, and Jennifer Lopez, all of whom have been nominated or won Grammys before.  

In terms of performances to look forward to, this year we have some unusual and largely unexpected pair ups. Elton John and Ed Sheeran will take to the stage together. An unusual pairing, they're both Brits with unusual song writing talent. While John is a true showman and is well known for his intereSting outfits and outrageous glasses, Sheeran is distinctly more low key. We're not sure how this is going to work, but we're guessing it'll be great. Bruno Mars, Sting and Rihanna will all also perform together, as will Alicia Keys and Maroon 5, and Dierks Bentley and Miranda Lambert. 

Continue reading: 55th Grammys Preview: 'Music's Biggest Night' Wont Fail To Impress

Here at Contactmusic, we’re already taking bets on how many punters at Bestival will be dressing up as Elton John on fancy dress day. Or possibly for the whole weekend. If you’re planning on going to the festival, on the Isle of Wight this summer, you’d better get your outrageous glasses purchased now, because they’re sure to run out pretty soon. Apparently, it was the power of fancy dress that lured Elton to the festival. “I’ve heard that the Bestival audience comes in fancy dress and I can’t wait to see that, they must all look amazing from the stage.”

Elton’s appearance is a serious coup for the festival, which is curated by Radio One DJ Rob da Bank. He admits “I haven't played any of the major festivals in the UK in recent years,” so the chance to catch him at a relatively small (though influential) affair on the ever-expanding UK festival circuit will be a treat. “When the opportunity to play Bestival came up I was very interested,” Elton told The Guardian. "Bestival seems to be more of a people's festival, not too big, and very friendly - I like the idea of that.” Whether or not Elton’s planning on wearing fancy dress too, remains to be seen.

The second of the festival’s headliners to be announced is the US rapper Snoop Lion (the artist formerly known as Snoop Dogg, that is), another rarity on the UK’s outdoor gig scene. The event takes place on September 5-8, 2013. Snoop will headline the Saturday night and Elton takes the iconic closing slot on the Sunday. 

Continue reading: Bestival 2013: Will Elton John Or Snoop Lion (Snoop Dogg) Wear Fancy Dress?

It's only just dawned upon us; Elton John is perfect for Bestival. He's lively, energetic, plays crowd-pleasing songs and loves to dress up in funny costumes. That's basically the manifesto of Bestival!

So when our initial and unfounded surprise subsided, we settled down to the notion that Mr. John might well put on one of the best nights at Bestival. And not just over the special weekend in September, but ever. "I am known for doing festivals - I played my first festival 47 years ago!" replied Elton to The Guardian's accusation that he wasn't exactly known for frequenting the festival circuit. "That was the sixth National Jazz and Blues festival at Windsor in the summer of 1966, when I was keyboard player in a band called Bluesology." And as to whether the 65-year-old musician will dress up, well, you just have to look at his character, and realise he's got serial history in donning some pretty silly outfits. "I've heard that the Bestival audience comes in fancy dress and I can't wait to see that," he explained, "They must all look amazing from the stage. Wearing fancy dress makes us all feel less inhibited so I think it's a great way to enjoy live music."

Bestival will take place between 5-8 September at the Robin Hill Country Park on the Isle of Wight.

Elton John and David Furnish entered a civil partnership way back in 2005, and had already been together by then since 1993. Five years after their low key ceremony in Berkshire, they opted to start having children, choosing the option of a surrogate mother over adoption. Their first child Zachary Jackson Levon Furnish-John was born in December 2010, and now, two years later, they have welcomed their second son, Elijah Joseph Daniel Furnish-John, to the world. 

Elton broke the news to Hello Magazine. "Both of us have longed to have children, but the reality that we now have two sons is almost unbelievable," he told the paper. "The birth of our second son completes our family in a most precious and perfect way. It is difficult to fully express how we are feeling at this time; we are just overwhelmed with happiness and excitement." 

The couple wanted Zachary to have a sibling, because "it's difficult to be an only child," they said, also because of the added difficulties of having famous parents. 

Continue reading: Elton John And David Furnish Welcome Son Number Two For 'Perfect' Family

Big ups to Elton John and his husband David Furnish who have welcome their second child into the family, with the news that Elijah Joseph Daniel Furnish-John was born via surrogate last Friday (January 11).

The pair, who were originally married back in 2005 after 12 years together, had their first son Zachary in December 2010, again via surrogate. Speaking to Hello! Magazine, the pair enthused that they’d always wanted more than just one child and, in a statement, said: "Both of us have longed to have children, but the reality that we now have two sons is almost unbelievable. The birth of our second son completes our family in a most precious and perfect way. It is difficult to fully express how we are feeling at this time; we are just overwhelmed with happiness and excitement."

It was widely rumoured that the pair were going to be parents for the second time last week, however at the time it was swiftly denied by their camp. Clearly, though, they were just readying themselves to break the news at the appropriate time, with Furnish additionally posting a link to the Hello! article on his official website.

Continue reading: Sir Elton John And David Furnish Parents For The Second Time: What's The Name?

Elton John and David Furnish were so happy with their first son, baby Zachary, that they went back to the woman who gave birth to him and asked for a second one! The New York Post have reported that Elton, 65 and David, 50, were “over the moon” that their new arrival was on its way and have confirmed that the surrogate mother was the same one they used to bring Zachary into the world just over two years ago.

The identity of the surrogate mother is unknown, though it’s known she lives in California. We don’t know much about the second baby to enter the John-Furnish family household, though you can be certain of one thing: it will be both very well looked after and - if recent photos of Zachary looking dapper in a miniature suit are anything to go by – very well dressed. A spokesperson for Elton, Fran Curtis, would neither confirm or deny the news and said “We never discuss our clients' personal lives." Elton revealed last year that he and David were keen for Zachary to have a little brother or sister and revealed “At what stage we don’t know. But we definitely will. I don’t want him to be an only child.”

This week, we also learned that Rosie O’Donnell and her wife Michelle Rounds have adopted a baby girl named Dakota. It’s their first child together, though Rosie has four children (three adopted) with a former partner.

All eyes will be on Bruce Springsteen during Grammy’s week, as the New Jersey rocker will be the recipient of the MusiCares Person of the Year award. To celebrate the honour, a Bruce Springsteen tribute concert will take place in Los Angeles on February 8, 2013, featuring some of the biggest names in rock and pop and hosted by Jon Stewart.

The event, which is already sold out, will feature musical highlights such as Elton John, Kenny Chesney and Mumford And Sons. A whole host of musicians of varying genres and eras have been included in the line-up. Patti Smith, with whom Bruce co-wrote the hit ‘Because The Night’ will be there, as will Faith Hill, Emmylou Harris, as well as Alabama Shakes, Eddie Vedder and Neil Young. Proceeds for the concert will go to MusiCares, an organisation set up to provide support for struggling musicians in financial, medical and personal need.

The annual MusiCares Person of the Year award is attributed to a star whose artistic accomplishments are as worthy of merit as their philanthropic work. Previous winners of the award include Tony Bennett, Aretha Franklin, Paul McCartney and Bono.

TV commercials have always been a time for fresh, new and unheard song covers to emerge as well as the old classics especially during the holiday season, just to make the product invoke that little bit of nostalgia to fuel the Christmas shopping fever. 

This year is no different as we have, of course, rising star Gabrielle Aplin with her stunning rendition of Frankie Goes To Hollywood's 1984 hit 'Power of Love' recorded for John Lewis' new seasonal advert. It has already reached number one in the UK and is set to also feature on her upcoming debut album 'English Rain'. In fact, people have loved it so much that Twinings tea have also snapped up the tune for their advert which will no doubt help Aplin's career skyrocket over the coming months. 

Continue reading: The Power Of Song: Songs From Some Of The Biggest British Christmas Adverts In 2012

When we say 'in' music, we mean musicians, but Dr Dre is the richest of them all, according to Forbes. Sure you might have been searching Gangnam Style or bopping away to Bieber over the last year, but it's Dre on the top of the list that matters (to some).

He is kind of cheating though, as not all of his money comes from his musical talents; his popular Beats headphones franchise has seen him glean $100m in pre-tax PROFIT, which added to his extensive back catalogue of hip hop, and the fact he was probably the biggest rap artists through the 90's, it's not hard to see how Dre ended up atop the rich list. Last year's highest-paid musicians U2 dropped to #4 this year, with combined earnings of $78 million from their three-year 360 tour. 1990s British boy band Take That, who's finances were boosted by their reformation in 2005, rounded out the top five with $69 million, earned from an eight-date tour at London's Wembley Stadium, which became the highest-grossing single stadium tour to date.

The  top 10 is dominated by some contemporary artists, but only one's that have been contemporary for ages; veteran musicians if you will. Pink Floyd's bassist and singer Roger Waters coming in at No. 2 with earnings of $88 million from his lucrative The Wall Live tour, and British singer Elton John at No. 3 with $80 million.

Bob Dylan and Paul McCartney are amongst the artists to have songs inducted into the Grammy Museum’s Hall of Fame in 2013. Dylan has ‘the Times They Are A Changin’’ up for the honour and Macca has ‘Band on the Run’ on the list.

In a statement from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, reported by the Sacramento Bee, Neil Portnow said “With the GRAMMY Hall Of Fame celebrating 40 years, it's especially important to note that these entries continue the tradition of inducting a wide variety of recordings that have inspired and influenced both fans and music makers for generations. Memorable for being both culturally and historically significant, we are proud to add them to our growing catalog of outstanding recordings that have become part of our musical, social and cultural history.”

One stipulation of being entered onto the list is that the song must have been recorded at least 25 years ago and have had lasting significance. Also on the list of inductees are Whitney Houston and Elton John’s self-titled albums, Billy Joel’s ‘Piano Man,’ recordings by James Brown, Richard Pryor and Little Richard, amongst others. Next year’s Grammy awards will be broadcast on February 10, 2013 at 8pm ET/PT on the CBS Network, they are amongst the most highly regarded awards in the music industry. This years awards were marked with a tribute to the late Whitney Houston, who died just the day before the ceremony. 

Continue reading: Bob Dylan And Paul McCartney Songs Among Grammy Hall Of Fame List

Sir Elton John and David Furnish have got another bun in the (surrogate) oven, with the couple expecting baby number two through the same surrogate who gave birth to their son Zachary nearly two years ago.

Apparently the twosome might not be waiting too long at all for their next child, with reports emerging that the surrogate is already months into the pregnancy. A source in close contact with the pair revealed that the mother-to-be who gave birth to Zach is in fact “several months” into her pregnancy already.

John and Furnish had originally recruited the surrogate via the Center for Surrogate Parenting in Encino, California, and having been so pleased with Zachary (who wouldn't be) the two were determined to have the same mother carry their child again. The same source revealed that “Elton and David love this lady like a sister and they feel indebted to her for life. Naturally she has been well rewarded, but her identity will never be revealed.”

Continue reading: Sir Elton John And David Furnish Expecting Baby Number Two

Elton John has topped a list of 123 songs to have sold over a million copies in Britain, AFP reports. The list was compiled to mark the 60th anniversary of the existence of the singles charts and Elton John’s double A side ‘Something About The Way You Look Tonight’ and ‘Candle In The Wind 1997’ triumphed. The double a-side single was released in 1997, after John re-wrote Candle in the Wind for Princess Diana’s funeral. The release spent five weeks at number one in Britain, selling 4.9 million copies.

In second place was the 1984 charity Band Aid single, ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’ which shifted 3.69 million copies. In 1975, Queen’s ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ sold 2.36 million. A statement from the Official Charts Company read “It is apt that, as we prepare to celebrate 60 years of the official singles chart in the UK, we do so at a time of unprecedented demand for the single, with this year set to be the biggest year on record for sales of this format.” the company’s managing director Martin Talbot then added “This demand is also translating in to the largest number of million-sellers we have seen -- this is truly the era of the super hit.”

The current decade is on course to become the most successful in history, in terms of breaking the million-seller mark, with 10 tracks already having broken a million, in less than three years.

Holly Valance is going to have all the stops pulled out for her by her billionaire fiancé over a lavish three-day ceremony this weekend that'll see the pair get married. The actress and singer revealed earlier this year that she was delaying plans to marry her partner, British property tycoon Nick Candy, so that they could enjoy summertime in the UK, which was playing host to the Olympics as well as Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee.

With the decidedly not sunny British summer finished with though, the couple are now finally ready to walk down the aisle and will be exchange vows in a black-tie ceremony at a beachfront location in Malibu, California on Saturday (September 29th). The celebrations will kick off with a reception dinner for friends and family on the Friday night (September 27th), with a "recovery" barbecue planned for Sunday (September 30th), suggesting that it's going to be a rather heavy weekend of festivities.

Simon Cowell and Sir Elton John are reportedly among the stars said to have received hand-delivered invitations, in which the bride and groom nicknamed themselves "Valandy". Candy proposed to Valance on a beach last December, getting down on bended knee in front of a display which read "Will You Marry Me" in flames.