Elton John ... Tour Info 2009

Face 2 Face North America Tour Dates 2009

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Sat, 03/14/09 07:30 p.m. Philips Arena Atlanta, GA

Tue, 03/17/09 07:30 p.m. BOK Center Tulsa, OK

Thu, 03/19/09 07:30 p.m. Toyota Center Houston, TX

Sat, 03/21/09 07:30 p.m. AT&T Center San Antonio, TX

Thu, 03/26/09 07:30 p.m. US Airways Center Phoenix, AZ

Thu, 05/14/09 07:30 p.m. Scottrade Center St. Louis, MO

Sat, 05/16/09 07:30 p.m. Sommet Center Nashville, TN

Tue, 05/19/09 07:30 p.m. Conseco Fieldhouse Indianapolis, IN

Thu, 05/21/09 07:30 p.m. Palace Of Auburn Hills Auburn Hills, MI

Sat, 05/23/09 07:30 p.m. Quicken Loans Arena Cleveland, OH

Mon, 06/01/09 07:30 p.m. Scotiabank Place Kanata, ON

Sat, 07/11/09 07:30 p.m. Nationals Park Washington, DC

Thu, 07/16/09 07:00 p.m. Wrigley Field Chicago, IL

Tue, 07/21/09 07:00 p.m. Wrigley Field Chicago, IL

Thu, 07/30/09 07:00 p.m. Citizens Bank Park Philadelphia, PA

Sat, 08/01/09 07:00 p.m. Citizens Bank Park Philadelphia, P

Elton John Europe & UK Tour Tickets and Tour Dates 2009

Click on Show Links Below for Ticket Prices and Availablity:

Saturday, 6 June 2009 Start: 17.00 Elton John Tickets
Limerick, Ireland Thomond Park

Wednesday, 10 June 2009 Start: 19.30 Elton John Tickets
Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom SECC

Saturday, 13 June 2009 Start: 19.00 Elton John Tickets
Bristol, United Kingdom The County Ground

Sunday, 14 June 2009 Start: 15.00 Elton John Tickets
North Norfolk, United Kingdom Holkham Hall

Tuesday, 16 June 2009 Start: 20.00 Elton John Tickets
Augustenborg, Denmark Augustenborg Slotspark

Sunday, 21 June 2009 Start: 19.30 Elton John Tickets
Boras, Sweden Boras Arena

Tuesday, 30 June 2009 Start: 20.00 Elton John Tickets
Wiesbaden, Germany Bowlinggreen Wiesbaden B

Friday, 3 July 2009 Start: 19.30 Elton John Tickets
Dresden, Germany Theaterplatz

Saturday, 4 July 2009 Start: 19.30 Elton John Tickets
Nurnberg, Germany easyCredit-Stadion

Sunday, 5 July 2009 Start: 19.00 Elton John Tickets
Stuttgart, Germany Schleyerhalle

Tuesday, 7 July 2009 Start: 20.00 Elton John Tickets
Verona, Italy Arena Verona

Reginald Kenneth Dwight was born in Pinner, Middlesex, a London suburb. His father, Stanley Dwight, was an officer in the Royal Air Force and was frequently away, while his mother, the former Sheila Harris commented years later that her son grew up "a bundle of nerves." Reginald's childhood was marred by terrible arguments between his parents.

Stanley Dwight had once played trumpet with an American-styled big band called Bob Miller and The Millermen. He and Sheila were avid record buyers, exposing Reginald to the music of pianists Winifred Atwell, Nat King Cole, and George Shearing, and to singers Rosemary Clooney, Frank Sinatra, Kay Starr, Johnny Ray, Guy Mitchell, Jo Stafford, and Frankie Laine. Aged 3 Reginald started playing the piano, while by aged 4 his parents recognized Reginald's talent, and would often ask him to play at parties.

In 1956, Reginald discovered Elvis Presley. Soon his mother was buying him records by rock 'n' roll acts like Presley and Bill Haley and his Comets. By the time he started attending the Royal Academy of Music on a scholarship at age 11, Reginald's musical mind was firmly wedded to rock 'n' roll.

Reginald preferred playing by ear. Subprofessor Helen Piena once said that upon the boy's entrance into the Academy, she'd played him a four-page piece by Handel, which he promptly played back for her like a "gramophone record." Reginald enjoyed playing Chopin and Bach and singing in the choir during his Saturday classes at the Academy, but was not otherwise a diligent classical student. As he remembered decades later, "I kind of resented going to the Academy. I was one of those children who could just about get away without practicing and still pass, scrape through the grades."

A student at the Academy for five years, Reginald rounded out the little free time he had with a newspaper route and a job at a wine shop on Saturday afternoons after class. At Pinner Country Grammar School, he was more advanced musically than his peers and had an aptitude for songwriting, dashing off good melodies for his composition assignments.

In 1962, Reginald's embattled parents finally divorced, in the wake of Sheila Dwight's friendship with a painter named Fred Farebrother. Later, Stanley married again and had four children.

At age 15, with the help of caring father figure Farebrother, Reginald Dwight became a weekend pianist at the nearby Northwood Hills pub, playing on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights. The crowd was often rough - sometimes an unruly patron would dump a pint of beer into Reginald's piano - and the youngster had to work hard to please them. He played everything from Jim Reeves country songs ("He'll Have to Go") to Irish folk numbers ("When Irish Eyes Are Smiling"), decades-old ditties ("Beer Barrel Polka"), hits of the day ("King of the Road"), and songs he had written himself. He received a modest, steady income and substantial tips. "During that whole period, I don't think I ever missed a gig," he said later. A stint with a short-lived group called the Corvettes rounded out his time.

In 1964, Dwight and his friends formed a band called Bluesology. By day, he ran errands for a music publishing company; he divided his nights between solo gigs at a London hotel bar and working with Bluesology. By the mid-1960s, Bluesology was backing touring American soul and R&B musicians like The Isley Brothers, Major Lance, Doris Troy and Patti LaBelle and The Bluebelles. In 1966, the band became musician Long John Baldry's supporting band and began touring cabarets in England.

After failing lead vocalist auditions for both King Crimson and Gentle Giant, Dwight answered an advertisement in the New Musical Express placed by Ray Williams, then the A&R manager for Liberty Records. At their first meeting, Williams gave Dwight a stack of lyrics written by Bernie Taupin, who had answered the same ad. Dwight wrote music for the lyrics, and then mailed it to Taupin, and thus began a partnership that continues to this day. In 1967, what would become the first Elton John/Bernie Taupin song, "Scarecrow", was recorded; when the two first met, six months later, Reginald Dwight had changed his name to Elton John, by deed poll, in homage to Bluesology saxophonist Elton Dean and Long John Baldry.

Empty Sky, Elton John's 1969 debut album, went largely unnoticed.The team of John and Taupin joined Dick James's DJM Records as staff songwriters in 1968, and over the next two years wrote material for various artists, like Roger Cook and Lulu. Taupin would write a batch of lyrics in under an hour and give it to John, who would write music for them in half an hour, disposing of the lyrics if he couldn't come up with anything quickly. For two years, they wrote easy-listening tunes for James to peddle to singers.

Their early output included an entry for British song for the Eurovision Song Contest in 1969, called "Can't Go On (Living Without You)" It came sixth of six songs.

During this period John also played on sessions for other artists including playing piano on The Hollies' He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother and singing backing vocals for The Scaffold.

On the advice of music publisher Steve Brown, John and Taupin started writing more complex songs for John to record for DJM. The first was the single "I've Been Loving You" (1968), produced by Caleb Quaye, former Bluesology guitarist. In 1969, with Quaye, drummer Roger Pope, and bassist Tony Murray, John recorded another single, "Lady Samantha," and an album, Empty Sky. Despite good reviews, none of the records sold well.

John and Taupin now enlisted Gus Dudgeon to produce a follow-up with Paul Buckmaster as arranger. Elton John was released in the spring of 1970 on DJM Records/Pye Records in the UK and Uni Records in the USA, and established the formula for subsequent albums; gospel-chorded rockers and poignant ballads. After the first single "Your Song" made the US Top Ten, the album followed suit. John's first American concert took place at The Troubadour in Los Angeles, in August, backed by ex-Spencer Davis Group drummer Nigel Olsson and bassist Dee Murray. Kicking over his piano bench Jerry Lee Lewis-style and performing handstands on the keyboards, John left the critics raving, and drew praise from fellow artists such as Quincy Jones and Bob Dylan.

Elton John was followed quickly with the concept album Tumbleweed Connection in October 1970, which reached the Top Ten on the Billboard 200. A frenetic pace of releasing two albums a year was now established.

The live album 17-11-70 (11-17-70 in the US) showcased Elton's talent as a rock pianist and father of piano rock. Taped at a live show aired from A&R Studios on WABC-FM in New York City, and introduced by disc jockey Dave Herman, it featured extended versions of John/Taupin's early compositions that illustrate the gospel and boogie-woogie influences on John's piano playing. It also featured much interaction between John, bassist Dee Murray, and drummer Nigel Olsson. During the magnum opus 18:20 version of "Burn Down the Mission", the band interpolates Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup's "My Baby Left Me" and a full rendition of The Beatles' "Get Back" before a rampaging conclusion.

John and Taupin then wrote the soundtrack to the obscure film Friends and then the album Madman Across the Water, the latter reaching the Top Ten and producing the hit "Levon", while the soundtrack album produced the hit "Friends".

Elton John's fifth album, Madman Across the WaterIn 1972, the final piece of what would become known as the Elton John Band fell into place, with the addition of Davey Johnstone (on guitar and vocals). Murray, Olsson, and Johnstone came together with John and Taupin's writing, John's flamboyant performance style, and producer Gus Dudgeon to create a hit-making chemistry for the next 5
Elton John albums. Known for their instrumental playing, the members of the band were also strong backing vocalists who worked out and recorded many of their vocal harmonies themselves, usually in Elton's absence.

The band released Honky Chateau, which became Elton's first American number 1 album, spending five weeks at the top of the charts and spawning the hit singles "Rocket Man (I Think It's Going To Be A Long, Long Time)" and "Honky Cat".

The 1973 pop album Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player came out at the start of 1973, and produced the hits "Crocodile Rock" and "Daniel"; the former became his first US number one hit. (Ironically this, like his other famous 1970s solo hits, would be popular in his native land but never top the UK Singles Chart; this achievement would have to wait two decades.) Both the album and "Crocodile Rock" were the first album and single, respectively on the consolidated MCA Records label in the USA, replacing MCA's other labels including Uni.

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, a double album considered by many to be Elton John's best album, followed later in 1973. It gained instant critical acclaim and topped the chart on both sides of the Atlantic. It also temporarily established Elton John as a glam rock star. It contained the Number 1 hit "Bennie and the Jets", along with the popular and praised "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road", "Candle in the Wind", "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting", "Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding" and "Grey Seal".

John then formed his own MCA-distributed label Rocket Records and signed acts to it - notably Neil Sedaka ("Bad Blood", on which he sang background vocals) and Kiki Dee - in which he took personal interest. Instead of releasing his own records on Rocket, he opted for $8 million offered by MCA. When the contract was signed in 1974, MCA reportedly took out a $25 million insurance policy on John's life.

In 1974 a collaboration with John Lennon took place, resulting in Elton John covering The Beatles' "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" and Lennon's "One Day at a Time", and in return Elton John and band being featured on Lennon's "Whatever Gets You Thru The Night". In what would be Lennon's last live performance, the pair performed these two number 1 hits along with the Beatles classic "I Saw Her Standing There" at Madison Square Garden. Lennon made the rare stage appearance to keep the promise he made that he would appear onstage with Elton if "Whatever Gets You Thru The Night" became a number 1 single.

Caribou was released in 1974, and although it reached number 1, it was widely considered a lesser quality album. Reportedly recorded in a scant two weeks between live appearances, it featured "The Bitch Is Back" and John's versatility in orchestral songs with "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me". At the end of the year, the compilation album Elton John's Greatest Hits was released and reached number 1.

Pete Townshend of The Who asked John to play a character called the "Pinball Wizard" in the film of the rock opera Tommy, and to perform the song of the same name. Drawing on power chords, John's version was recorded and used for the movie release in 1975 and the single came out in 1976 (1975 in the US). The song charted at number 7 in England. Bally subsequently released a "Captain Fantastic" pinball machine featuring an illustration of Elton John in his movie guise.

In the 1975 autobiographical album Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy, Elton John revealed his previously ambiguous personality, with Taupin's lyrics describing their early days as struggling songwriters and musicians in London. The lyrics and accompanying photo booklet are infused with a specific sense of place and time that is otherwise rare in John's music. "Someone Saved My Life Tonight" was the hit single from this album and captured an early turning point in John's life.

The album's release signaled the end of the Elton John Band, as an unhappy and overworked John dismissed Olsson and Murray, two people who had contributed much of the band's signature sound and who had helped build his live following since the beginning. Johnstone and Ray Cooper were retained, Quaye and Roger Pope returned, and the new bassist was Kenny Passarelli; this rhythm section provided a heavier-sounding backbeat. James Newton-Howard joined to arrange in the studio and to play keyboards. John introduced the lineup before a crowd of 75,000 in London's Wembley Stadium.

Rock-oriented Rock of the Westies entered the US albums chart at number 1 like Captain Fantastic, a previously unattained feat. However, the material was almost universally regarded as not on a par with previous releases. The musical and vocal chemistry Olsson and Murray brought to Elton's previous releases was seen as lacking by some, both on the album and in the concerts that supported it.

Commercially, Elton owed much of his success during the mid 70s to his concerts. He filled arenas and stadiums worldwide, and was arguably the hottest act in rock. John was an unlikely rock idol to begin with, as he was short of stature at 5'7" (1.70 m), chubby, and gradually losing his hair. But he made up for it with impassioned performances and over-the-top fashion sense. Also known for his glasses (he started wearing them as a youth to copy his idol Buddy Holly), his flamboyant stage wardrobe now included ostrich feathers, $5,000 spectacles that spelled his name in lights, and dressing up like the Statue of Liberty, Donald Duck, or Mozart among others at his concerts made them a success and created interest for his music.

To celebrate 5 years of unparalleled success since he first appeared at the venue, in 1975 John played a two-night, four-show stand at The Troubadour. With seating limited to under 500 per show, the chance to purchase tickets was determined by a postcard lottery, with each winner allowed two tickets. Everyone who attended the performances received a hardbound "yearbook" of the band's history.

In 1976, Elton released the live album Here and There in May, then the downbeat Blue Moves in October, which contained the memorable but even gloomier hit "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word". His biggest success in 1976 was the "Don't Go Breaking My Heart", a peppy duet with Kiki Dee that topped both the American and British charts. Finally, in an interview with Rolling Stone that year entitled "Elton's Frank Talk", a stressed John stated that he was bisexual.

Besides being his most commercially successful period, 1970 - 1976 is also held in the most regard critically. Of the six Elton John albums to make Rolling Stone's 2003 The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list, all are from this period, with Goodbye Yellow Brick Road ranked highest at number 91; similarly, the three Elton John albums given five stars by All Music Guide are all from this period too (Tumbleweed Connection, Honky Château, and Captain Fantastic).

Elton's career took a hit after 1976. In November 1977 John announced he was retiring from performing; Taupin began collaborating with others. John secluded himself in any of his three mansions, appearing publicly only to cheer the Watford Football Club, an English football team that he later bought. Some speculated that John's retreat from stardom was prompted by adverse reactions to the Rolling Stone article.