Step forward Sir Elton John, one of music’s most celebrated songwriters of the past 50 years, and still very much a contemporary star. (MBW)
(John is currently enjoying chart success on both sides of the Atlantic with his acclaimed duets record, The Lockdown Sessions, featuring the likes of Dua Lipa, Charlie Puth, Young Thug, Rina Sawayama, and Stevie Wonder.)
Last week in London, David Furnish, CEO of Rocket Entertainment, will alongside Elton collect the Artist and Manager Partnership award at the UK’s always-well-attended Artist & Manager Awards.
Added Furnish: “To me, [selling your rights] is the biggest emotional decision an artist can make. If you can make that decision, live with it emotionally and that money can substantially enhance the quality of your life, open new doors for you or bring greater contentment, greater peace or whatever it is we’re all searching for in life, then yes, do it.
It’s fair to say that nobody knows Elton quite like Furnish: as well as being the star’s long-term partner and his manager for the past six years, Furnish is also Elton’s husband.
To mark the award win, Furnish sat down for an exclusive interview with Rhian Jones for Music Business Worldwide – which will be published in the upcoming Q4 issue of our sister publication, Music Business UK.
Amongst many questions posed about Furnish and John’s working relationship, Furnish was asked if Elton might ever be tempted to sell his song catalog in the current climate.
“At this stage, it’s unthinkable,” said Furnish, without hesitation. “The thought of giving up that control in connection with your art… no.”
Recently Elton John had to postpones Farewell Yellow Brick Road European and UK tour BST Hyde Park in 2022 as part of his Farewell Yellow Brick Road - The Final Tour.
‘I know how patient my incredible fans have been since Covid halted touring last year, and it breaks my heart to keep you waiting any longer’ singer wrote
The veteran musician says he fell “awkwardly” on a hard surface at the end of his summer break, injuring his hip.
“At the end of my summer break I fell awkwardly on a hard surface and have been in considerable pain and discomfort in my hip ever since,” he wrote in a statement posted to his social media accounts.
“I have been advised to have an operation as soon as possible to get me back to full fitness and make sure there are no long-term complications. I will be undertaking a program of intensive physiotherapy that will ensure a full recovery and a return to full mobility without pain,” the 74-year-old singer revealed.
John shared that he still intends to perform during his upcoming charity gig for Global Citizen on 25 September “as I don’t want to let a charity down”.
Important update on my Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour.#EltonFarewellTour pic.twitter.com/qyPY2H0t9k
— Elton John (@eltonofficial) September 16, 2021
In a new interview with The Guardian, he looked back at the way collecting things offered him “solace” from the negative environment of an unhappy household when he was young. (UCR)
“I’ve always been a big spender; I’m not ashamed of it,” John said. “It’s basically because I collect things, and I’ve loved decorating and putting things in rooms since I was a kid. ... My parents argued a lot, so I was always coming down the stairs and wondering what the atmosphere might be in the living room, and I found refuge in the sanctuary of my bedroom, where my comics, my toys, my records, my books, all were pristine.”
Recently Elton and Courteney Cox, Ed Sheeran, Brandi Carlile have performed Tiny Dancer for Lisa Kudrow.
However, the group switched the lyrics to "Tony Danza" in reference to a comment Lisa's character Phoebe Buffay made in season three of '90s sitcom Friends, where she insists the most romantic song is "the one that Elton John wrote for that guy on Who's the Boss? 'Hold me close, young Tony Danza.'"
