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A poll to find the song which sums up the bank crisis is nearly over and "Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word" is struggling at joint eighth while "Money For Nothing" is topping the poll.

The poll closes on November 25, 2009, but late voting could help push Elton to the top. Get your vote in now at www.bnbb.org.

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Elton's influenza and an e-coli bacterial infection led to the postponement of the four UK shows on his "Red Piano" tour in October 2009.

Sadly, due to venue availability in all four cities and the scale of the "Red Piano" show, these shows cannot be re-scheduled and have now been cancelled, reports eltonjohn.com. Meanwhile it has become known that that the Dublin show has also been cancelled.

Elton has been overwhelmed by the tremendous loyalty and messages of support he has received from his fans in the UK and is terribly disappointed not to have been able to perform the shows. Promoters were quick to thank all ticket holders for their patience over the last few weeks and confirmed that refunds of the full face value of the ticket would commence immediately. All ticket holders should apply to their point of ticket purchase for their refund.

The shows affected were:

Sheffield Arena - October 23, 2009
Newcastle Metro Radio Arena - October 24, 2009
London Wembley Arena - October 27, 2009
Liverpool Echo Arena - October 28, 2009
Dublin O2 Arena - October 30, 2009

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The Elton John / Billy Joel concert scheduled for November 20, 2009 in Salt Lake City has been postponed.

The reason may be that Elton John is still not fully recovered from the swine flu and an e-coli infection, but now, Billy Joel also has a mystery illness.

The new concert date has not been set. An official said people should hold on to their tickets and they will be good for the show when it's re-scheduled, probably early next year.

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Elton John“very well” after a bout with E. coli that left him hospitalized earlier in November 2009.

“I hate canceling shows,” he says. “I hate letting the fans down, but I’m back and raring to go. It was something I’ve never had before, which is a serious E. coli infection, which I got from something I ate. I had to have intravenous antibiotics, and they had to watch me for nine days. Now that I’m out and about, I’m good.”

Hm, did he get it from David’s cooking? “No,” he says. “David doesn’t cook.”

What advice would he give stars like Lindsay Lohan or others battling drug and alcohol demons? “The best thing to do is go to the best treatment center, which is Hazelden in Minnesota, and get your act together,” Elton says.

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Official news has it that Elton John will sing at Chichen Itza, Mexico, in 2010 and Paul McCartney will sing there in 2011.

Local people are thrilled that these wonderful voices will be heard live in Yucatan, but they wonder what happened to the warnings of the professionals that damage to the great pyramid from the mere presence of lights and that level of sound is a very distinct possibility.

They wish both singers even more success than ever in their long and prosperous careers, but hopefully not at the expense of one of the Seven New Wonders of the World.

Chichen Itza is a large pre-Columbian archaeological site built by the Maya civilization located in the northern center of the Yucatán Peninsula, in the Yucatán state, present-day Mexico. It belongs to the UNESCO World Heritage.

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The Elton John AIDS Foundation's (EJAF) eighth annual benefit "An Enduring Vision" was held in Manhattan on November 16, 2009.

EJAF presented the Enduring Vision awards to former President Bill Clinton, Evelyn and Leonard Lauder, Sharon Stone and Lily Safra for their support of the EJAF mission in raising awareness and helping to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS.

Anderson Cooper hosted the dinner. There was a performance by Donna Summer.

An Enduring Vision supports EJAF's collaboration with the National AIDS Fund and its network of Community Partnerships that fund local HIV/AIDS organizations throughout the United States.

This was the first public appearance for Elton after his "Red Piano" show in Barcelona on October 20, 2009. He had to postpone a number of European "Red Piano" shows as well as some "Face 2 Face" shows with Billy Joel in the US as ar result of battling an E. coli bacterial infection and the flu.

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By David Furnish - Director, Elton John AIDS Foundation

Two weeks ago, President Obama signed the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Extension Act of 2009. This crucial measure ensures that half a million Americans living with HIV will continue to receive the care they desperately need. But much work remains in the battle against AIDS in America.

We've made great strides in treating and preventing AIDS since Elton John founded the Elton John AIDS Foundation (EJAF) in 1992. New cases of HIV in the United States have declined dramatically, from 150,000 per year in the mid-1980s, to 56,000 per year in this decade. This is a direct result of effective intervention and preventative measures spearheaded and funded not only by the government, but also by countless nonprofit organizations across the nation, including EJAF.

Despite the progress of recent years, however, there have been several troubling developments. Revised statistics from the US Centers for Disease Control show the AIDS epidemic to be worse than previously thought. At the same time, fewer and fewer Americans identify AIDS as a public health priority. In fact, a recent poll by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that only six percent of Americans believe AIDS is the most urgent health problem facing the nation, a decline from 17 percent just three years ago. Similarly, domestic HIV/AIDS prevention funding has plummeted by 20 percent since 2002.

It's safe to say that we are still dealing with the same problems, the same prejudices, and the same roadblocks that stymied efforts to engage the epidemic aggressively in the early 80s.

That's why the work of EJAF -- and the organizations we support -- continues to be so critical. Elton is proud that his foundation is today one of the largest AIDS grant-making organizations. Since its inception, EJAF has raised more than $150 million to support HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment programs in 55 countries around the globe. And despite the challenging economic climate, EJAF remains a steady source of support for HIV/AIDS programming, through both core partnerships and direct grants.

Over the years, our work in the United States has evolved to meet new and ever-changing challenges. But two priorities have remained the same.

First, we have never forgotten that the fight against AIDS is a cooperative effort. That's why we work with so many dedicated and determined organizations at both the national and local level -- including the National AIDS Fund, Kaiser Family Foundation, Ford Foundation, MAC AIDS Fund, and other grant-makers -- to support cutting-edge, community-centered work. We're proud of EJAF's track record of developing extremely productive partnerships.

Second, EJAF continues to focus our efforts on the underserved, the isolated, and the forgotten. For instance, AIDS is now one of the leading causes of death among young African American women, and rates of incidence are dramatically higher in the African American community and impoverished towns in the South. EJAF has prioritized grant making to organizations that serve these populations. And we continue to proudly support counseling, treatment, and prevention services for sex workers, the prison population, men who have sex with men, and those living in extreme poverty. These are the populations where AIDS has hit the hardest, where we have the most progress to make, and where we can really make a difference.

We must continue our efforts to fight the HIV virus. But we must also continue to fight the equally dangerous, infectious, and deadly epidemic of apathy. No one should be denied access to treatment, prevention, or medical care because of her or his socioeconomic status or lifestyle. So long as there are vast, underserved populations of HIV-positive Americans, EJAF will work with courageous organizations that provide lifesaving care to those in need.

Under the leadership of President Obama, the US government has demonstrated a renewed and serious commitment to addressing the root causes of the domestic HIV/AIDS epidemic. Let's keep the progress going. EJAF is committed to doing its part; hopefully, Washington is, too.

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Billy Joel and Elton John have postponed yet another Bay Area date on their “Face 2 Face” tour: a concert originally scheduled for November 17, 2009 at the HP Pavilion in San Jose.

They had previously bailed out of a gig set for November 14, 2009 at the Oracle Arena in Oakland. Organizers are working to set make-up dates for the two concerts. All ticket-holders are being asked to hold on to their tickets until more information is available regarding the proposed rescheduled engagements.

The Oakland date was postponed due to concerns over Elton’s health - he’s been battling a serious case of e-coli bacterial infection and influenza and was advised by his doctor to postpone this Oakland concert, according to promoter Live Nation. This time around, it’s Billy who isn’t feeling well enough to play San Jose. According to another press release from Live Nation, Billy is unable to tour due to undisclosed “medical reasons.”

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Elton John is on the mend after battling an E. coli bacterial infection and the flu.

Although he was forced to cancel his gig with Billy Joel in California on November 14, 2009after being told by doctors it’s too soon for him to return to the stage, reps for Elton insist he is “feeling much better” and has “recovered”.

Elton’s rep also confirmed he will definitely be at his Elton John AIDS Foundation’s “An Enduring Vision” event — which will be hosted by Anderson Cooper, and where Bill Clinton and Sharon Stone are set to be honored — in New York on November 16, 2009.

“It’s an annual event and Elton never misses it,” a source added. “He has been resting at home and is due to fly to New York today [November 15, 2009].”

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Neighbours actress Ashleigh Brewer has revealed that she would love Elton John to make a guest appearance on the soap.

The 18-year-old, better known as Kate Ramsay on the Australian drama, confirmed that she is looking forward to future celebrity cameos following Lily Allen's recent trip to Erinsborough.

Brewer told Holy Soap: "I was around when Lily Allen was here, but I didn't meet her, unfortunately. There's an Aussie band Temper Trap who I'd really like to meet, and we should get Elton John! Is that asking too much? I like his music. I grew up with him through my parents. I'd like to see him. Maybe I can dance while he sings?"

'Not Fair' singer Allen was seen paying a visit to PirateNet's studios during the November 10, 2009 episode of the programme.

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ATP World Tour No. 5 Andy Roddick will be joined at the fourth annual Andy Roddick Foundation Gala by music icon Elton John.

"I am ecstatic that Elton will be performing again in November, he is a musical genius and true philanthropist,” Roddick said. “Elton has been a large supporter of my Foundation, and a great friend. We are all thrilled to have him back in Austin for such a worthy cause.”

The benefit will take place on November 30, 2009 at the Hilton Austin, with Roddick hosting the evening’s festivities that will include an auction, dinner and an intimate concert with Elton John.

The fourth annual Charity Gala will benefit several organisations in Austin and central Texas, including The Settlement Home For Children, Austin Partners In Education, KIPP: Austin College Prep and Dell Children’s Medical Center Of Central Texas.

The Andy Roddick Foundation was founded in 2000 and has since raised over $10 million for various Southern Florida and Austin based children’s organizations. Also see www.andyroddick.com for more information.

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Watford hope next summer’s Sir Elton John concert at Vicarage Road will be close to selling out by November 16, 2009 evening after 14,000 tickets were sold before going on general sale on November 13, 2009.

More than 8,000 seats were purchased in the first two hours on November 9, 2009 morning – a Watford FC record for any event. Michael Jones, head of customer sales, said: “We anticipated having sold around 15,000 by the time we went to general sale on Friday morning so we are delighted to have nearly achieved that level.”

On November 9 and 10, 2009, Watford season-ticket holders were given first priority to purchase up to 20 tickets for the concert, before the rest of the ‘Watford FC database’ on November 11 and 12, 2009. Tickets go on general sale online at 8am on November 13, 2009 before phone bookings start from 9am on November 16, 2009.

Around 12,500 seats had been sold by the end of November 10, 2009 and Jones hopes the concert will be close to a sell out by the end of November 16, 2009. He said: “It is very difficult to be accurate on the number of tickets we will sell on Friday as we are appealing to a national audience now and of course Elton’s specific fan base away from Watford. We would like to be in a position where the concert is approaching a sell out by the close of sales on Monday evening. However if that is not the case we have plenty of time to roll out a wider advertising campaign to generate sales. ”

Watford’s ticket office suffered technical problems when the 2005 concert tickets went on sale but Jones has been delighted with how the club’s system has coped with demand.
He said: “It has been a fantastic week for us having experienced some problems last time around. We’ve gratefully received many emails from supporters complimenting the club on such a smooth process and the staff in the ticket office should be congratulated for all the effort they have put in over the last few weeks to make this possible.

“On the first day of sale we successfully processed over 11,000 tickets, of which 8,000 were in the first two hours, which I think endorses how well the systems have coped at such a busy time.”

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Attempts to sell Elton John benefit concert tickets on eBay are in "poor taste", Watford Football Club has said.

The singer and former Watford FC chairman is performing at the team's Vicarage Road football ground in May 2010 to raise money for the club. Two tickets for the gig were being offered on eBay for £500 today - almost £300 more than their combined face value.

It is thought another offer for two tickets, a hotel room and a goody bag priced at £999 has been removed from the auction website. Watford FC's head of customer sales Michael Jones said: "Elton John is donating his time and his band's time and we feel it's in poor taste (to sell the tickets on eBay). Our ticket sales policy is that tickets are not available to be re-sold so in essence anyone selling on eBay is breaking our terms and conditions."

Only two people were involved in re-selling the tickets, he added. The concert is being held to raise money to buy players, he said. "This is Elton's wish.He did a concert here in 2005 and he absolutely loved it and said he wanted to come back. He loves the club and wants to do his bit to help."

Watford chairman Jimmy Russo said recently that the club will have to sell players "year on year" to balance the books. Results for the year ending June 30, 2009 showed the club would require about £6.5 million funding to make up their shortfall until June 2010.

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The Los Angeles home of Elton John and David Furnish is featured in the December 2009 issue of Architectual Digest.

It’s a rock star of a Hollywood pad. And why not? It is, after all, home to a legend of the breed, Elton John, and his partner, David Furnish. “We love it,” exults Furnish, who dreamed up the couple’s ode-to-the-’70s chrome-and-glass palace with his friend and designer Martyn Lawrence-Bullard. “Our goal for this apartment was neither entertaining nor having houseguests—it’s about function, about us. As a filmmaker, I needed a base here, as did Elton, who tours a lot on the West Coast. Though Elton’s definitely a maximalist, I, a more clean-line minimalist, we both wanted something very L.A., very ’70s, à la the building’s architecture. Immediately, I thought: Boogie Nights.”

“Elton’s only directive,” adds Lawrence-Bullard, “was a period vibe as backdrop for his art and color photographs,” a dazzling array of which sparkle like the rare jewels they are against the David Hicks-inspired, brilliantly hued lacquer walls. (The couple’s extensive photo collection puts them among the world’s largest private collectors.) “Beyond that, Elton just said, ‘Color. I want color.’ ”

And did he ever get it. “Martyn takes your taste and gives the most gorgeous, sexiest version of it,” says Furnish. “Not having a template style, he’s a true collaborator. Hearing ’70s, automatically thinking Halston and Courrèges,” says the designer, “I told the boys: ‘What I’d really love to do is chrome and lacquer juxtaposed with Hermès-handbag kelly-green walls.’ ”

“Initially when you hear kelly green, you recoil in horror,” laughs Furnish. “ ‘Can I even imagine that on the walls?’ But then Martyn shows up with 10 color samples and you get it.” Not that it didn’t give even its initiator pause. “When the green first went up,” admits Lawrence-Bullard, “I thought, Oh my God, I hope the boys like it. But once we added the art, everything got grounded.”

Long before that point, he adds, the 3,000-sqaure-foot space had to be “brought back to its raw guts.” “The original layout, with three small bedrooms, was so claustrophobic, it took some very modern thinking,” says Furnish, “knocking down walls, raising ceilings, extending and opening up windows to realize the potential of the view—a dazzling, one-of-a-kind panorama stretching from the beach to downtown Los Angeles.

“After the initial walk-through, Elton never sees a project again until it’s finished,” explains Furnish, “which, of course, puts pressure on everybody. The first time we visited this apartment, he didn’t like much of anything. So when he finally saw the finished product, he couldn’t believe it was the same apartment. His jaw hit the floor.”

Click here for a slideshow.

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Video Service Corp (VSC) of Canada has announced that November 10, 2009 will see the DVD and high-def Blu-ray Disc releases for Spectacle: Elvis Costello with… – Season 1.

Each format gets a 4-disc set running 650 minutes. Complete details about the show, and the contents of the home video, can be found in the studio description below.

Elvis Costello’s aim has never been truer in thirteen up close and personal episodes of chords and conversation with superstar singers and songwriters including Elton John, The Police, James Taylor and John Mellencamp.

Shot in 2008 at storied New York venues, Harlem’s Apollo Theatre and NBC’s 30 Rockefeller Plaza studios, Costello with his band The Imposters split each hour between colorful creative discussion and putting a new spin on classics like "Purple Haze" and "Ballad of a Well Known Gun".

The show, conceived and produced by Canadians, is coming off terrific ratings and reviews on CTV while raising the roof on audience figures on The Sundance Channel in the U.S. The DVD will be released in both Standard and Blu-ray formats in a 5.1 mix supervised by Costello himself, and will feature over 90 minutes of special features including interviews and bonus jams the likes of which audiences have never seen.

SPECTACLE EPISODES FEATURE THE FOLLOWING STARS, EITHER INDIVIDUALLY OR COLLECTIVELY:

Sir Elton John – The Police – Kris Kristofferson – Rosanne Cash – Norah Jones – John Mellencamp – James Taylor – Diana Krall – Bill Clinton – Rufus Wainwright – Tony Bennett – Jenny Lewis – She & Him – Jakob Dylan – Herbie Hancock – Lou Reed – Julian Schnabel – Renee Fleming – Smokey Robinson

• All episodes are extended versions with performances not seen on CTV
  
• Four disc set with over 90 minutes of Special Features including Behind-The-Scenes interviews with Elvis Costello and other performers, Bonus Songs, and more.
  
• Bonus Songs cut specifically for the DVD include: Purple Haze, Ballad of a Well Known Gun, You Win Again, Beginning to See the Light, No More Tear-Stained Make-Up and more
  
• Season Two is in pre-production and slated for appearances are the likes of Bono, Paul McCartney and others…

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If you were to write a letter to your 16-year-old self, what would it say? In DEAR ME: A LETTER TO MY SIXTEEN-YEAR-OLD SELF, some of the world's best loved personalities have written just such a letter.

They range from the compassionate to the shocking via hilarity and heartbreak, but the letters all have one thing in common: they offer a unique insight into the teenager who would grow up to be.

Stephen Fry, Alan Carr, Annie Lennox, Paul O'Grady, Jackie Collins, Fay Weldon, Peter Kay, Debbie Harry, Brenda Blethyn, Jonathan Ross, Liz Smith, Will Young, Alison Moyet, Rosanne Cash, Sir Ranulph Fiennes, Yoko Ono and Emma Thompson... to name but a few! And it's all for a fantastic cause: the Elton John AIDS Foundation will receive £1 for every copy sold.

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The Elton John/Billy Joel "Face 2 Face" concert originally scheduled for November 14, 2009 has been postponed.

Promoter Live Nation and ORACLE Arena were informed by management on November 10, 2009 that Elton has been advised by his doctor to postpone this performance due to a serious case of e-coli bacterial infection and influenza.

Organizers of the event are working to establish a new date. All patrons who have purchased tickets for the "Face 2 Face" concert on November 14, 2009 at the ORACLE Arena are being asked to hold on to their tickets until more information is available regarding the proposed rescheduled engagement.

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World TeamTennis, the professional league co-founded by Billie Jean King, may need a new lead sponsor after credit-card lender Advanta Corp. filed for bankruptcy.

The league that features co-ed teams including the Boston Lobsters and New York Buzz has a $14.8 million contract through 2014 with Spring House, Pennsylvania-based Advanta, which sought court protection from creditors late yesterday. The agreement with New York-based World TeamTennis may be terminated after a bankruptcy filing, according to the contract filed with the lender’s 2008 annual report.

Termination could leave the tennis group competing for backers with other sports leagues as they try to replace sponsors lost to the recession. The Ladies Professional Golf Association reduced its schedule this year after sponsors pulled out. Advanta and the tennis league also sponsor the All-Star Smash Hits charity event with the Elton John AIDS Foundation.

World TeamTennis Chief Executive Officer and Commissioner Ilana Kloss declined to comment. Elton John’s foundation did not immediately return an e-mail. Advanta has been “a model partner,” Kloss said in a July 2009 interview. “We’re obviously hoping they can weather the storm and come out of this.”

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Tickets for next summer’s Elton John concert at Vicarage Road are selling at a record rate with more than 8,000 purchased in the first two hours.

Seating in the £55 Lower Rous Stand has already sold out and tickets in the Rookery End and the Vicarage Road Stand are selling fast, although places are still available, again at £55.

Tickets for the most expensive seating in the Upper Rous and on the pitch are also still available. Watford season ticket holders have been able to get their hands on up to 20 tickets each since 8am on November 9, 2009 via the club’s website.

The orders from those who wanted more than 20 places and filled in a group form in the last couple of weeks have also been processed this morning.

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It's back to the Yellow Brick Road for Elton John – who left the hospital early on November 5, 2009 after illness had forced him to cancel a series of concerts.

He was treated at a hospital in London after suffering from flu and a "serious case" of e. coli bacterial infection. His spokesman Gary Farrow said that Elton is now "fine."

Elton will resume his concert schedule in Oakland and San Jose, CA, where he will join Billy Joel on November 14 and 17, 2009.

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Reports on November 4, 2009 afternoon had Elton John exiting the hospital that day.

Elton is reportedly getting better after contracting bacterial infection E.Coli and a severe bout of influenza, and is hoping to resume his touring commitments in two weeks after cancelling a number of upcoming shows.

His spokesperson said: "He is recovering from a case of serious influenza with minor complications. We are confident he will be back on stage in the near future. He doesn't like letting his fans down."

Guess they're forgetting about the early 80s.

However, while he is planning to rejoin Billy Joel for their joint tour on November 14, 2009, friends warn he may be out of action for a longer period. One friend said "The feeling is Elton will be out of action for four weeks. His voice has temporarily gone and he has been having severe coughing bouts, so there is no way he can play concerts for a while."

Most strains of E. coli are perfectly harmless and live happily in the gut without causing any problems. But some - particularly E. coli 0157 - can be deadly. Britain's worst recorded outbreak was in 1997, when 20 people died after eating contaminated food at a church lunch in Strahclyde. In 2008, 950 cases were confirmed in England and Wales and this year the bug was again in the headlines after an outbreak at a petting farm in Surrey.

E.coli is powerful stuff - fewer than 100 of the bacteria can trigger symptoms, which can range from mild diarrhoea to internal bleeding and kidney damage. Children, the elderly and anyone with a weakened immune system are the most likely to develop complications.

Other than getting plenty rest and fluids, as Elton will be as he recovers at the King Edward VII in Marylebone, London, there is no treatment for E.coli infection. Rehydrating salts which restore levels of sodium, potassium and glucose will help, but antibiotics don't work and there is some evidence they increase the risk of nastier complications such as kidney failure. It is recommended to avoid medicines to combat diarrhoea as they will stall recovery.

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Victoria Beckham has bought husband David a crackling Christmas pressie – two micro pigs. She has already nicknamed them Elton and David after good friends Elton John and David Furnish.

She has splashed out £1,400 on the latest must-have celebrity designer pets. Posh, 35, took delivery of the nine-inch, 13lb porkers. But insiders say David is likely to have the final say on choosing their names – and is said to be keen on Pinky and Perky.

Our snout says: “What can you possibly buy the multi-millionaire, superstar footballer who has absolutely everything? In the case of David Beckham, the answer is, obviously, a pair of cuddly designer piglets. Victoria fell in love with them and realised she’d found the perfect present.”

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Elton's A-list friends have been rallying round to visit him in hospital where he is still being treated for flu and an E.coli bacterial infection.

David was joined by Little Britain star Matt Lucas on November 3, 2009 as he popped into London's King Edward VII clinic. Elton, whose illness has forced him to cancel a string of UK and US gigs, is "responding to the drugs well", his spokesperson has confirmed.

It was a rare public outing for comedian Matt, who was left devastated by the tragic death of his former partner Kevin McGee last month.

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Sixty five extra needle exchanges are to be set up in pharmacies around Ireland. The new partnership between the Health Service Executive (HSE), the Elton John Aids Foundation and the Irish Pharmacy Union was announced by the HSE on October 30, 2009.

The security of future funding of the project has been criticised by Fine Gael TD and spokeswoman on the National Drugs Strategy Catherine Byrne. The foundation is to help the setting up of the new services with some £750,000 (€837,000) over the next three years, but after that it will be HSE funded.

“Although the HSE says they are committed to continuing this programme there is no certainty as to the funding after the Elton John charitys involvement ends after the initial three years,” Ms Byrne said. Funding the roll-out of a needle exchange network would have lasting benefits and help “anyone in the community who has to use injecting equipment in the future”, said Anne Aslett, director of the Elton John Aids Foundation.

Tony Geoghegan, of the homeless and drugs service Merchants Quay Ireland, said he supported the HSE’s plan to roll out a national service. The organisation had 942 new clients attending its needle exchange last year and has recently called heroin use a national crisis.

Elton John said he was “delighted the Irish Government has chosen to promote proven methods to mitigate the danger of HIV”.

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It is understood that Elton has undergone a series of blood tests, X-rays and scans to find out why his illness has proved so debilitating.

On November 1, 2009 a spokesman for Elton was keen to play down reports of his condition, saying: 'He is recovering from a case of serious influenza with minor complications. We are confident he will be back on stage in the near future.'

But a source close to Elton said: 'The feeling is Elton will be out of action for four weeks. 'His voice has temporarily gone and he has been having severe coughing bouts, so there is no way he can play concerts for a while.'

Promoters say they hope to reschedule the European dates - part of Elton's Red Piano tour - for December 2009.

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Elizabeth Hurley has revealed that her friend Elton John is “doing great” in hospital, where he is fighting an E.coli bacterial infection and flu.

Elton has been forced to cancel five concerts, but Elizabeth has assured fans that he is “as strong as an ox”. The actress told GMTV: “He’s great, I spoke to David Furnish, his partner, today, and he’s doing great. I think he’ll be out of hospital in a few days."

Describing her shock when Elton fell ill, Elizabeth said: “I’ve been worried sick, but he’s absolutely fine, he’s as strong as an ox and fighting everything off. Everyone loves him and he’s one of my best friends in the world.”

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Sir Elton John was still in hospital on October 31, 2009 suffering from ‘flu with complications’.

David Furnish most of day at his bedside at King Edward VII Hospital in Marylebone, London, which specialises in looking after the Royal Family. He was also visited in his £515-a-night room by celebrity friends including artist Sam Taylor-Wood.

Elton has been cared for by the hospital’s elite medical staff since October 30, 2009, when it is understood his two-week illness worsened. His 'Red Piano Tour' had to be cut short due to his illness. In the meantime, the Elton John/Billy Joel "Face 2 Face" concerts originally scheduled for November 4, November 7 and November 10, 2009 have also been postponed.

Flu complications can refer to bronchitis, viral or bacterial pneumonia, muscle inflammations and infections of the central nervous system. Those at highest risk include the over-50s and children under four.

On October 30, 2009, Elton cancelled the last leg of his Red Piano tour in Dublin, having earlier pulled out of concerts at Sheffield, Newcastle upon Tyne, Liverpool and Wembley. But he did play in Barcelona on October 20, 2009. He also missed Boyzone star Stephen Gately’s funeral two weeks ago, with David attending in his absence.

Elton’s spokesman confirmed that he was being treated for flu with complications but declined to elaborate beyond saying: ‘He has got an infection, flu and everything that goes with it.’ When David left the hospital later, dressed in black and wearing sunglasses, he said: ‘He’s OK – he’s fine.’

In 1999, Elton was rushed from France to The Wellington Hospital in London to have a pacemaker fitted after tests revealed an irregular heartbeat. He suffered addictions to drugs, alcohol and junk food in the Eighties, leaving him in a terrible physical and mental state which he blamed for the breakdown of his marriage to Renate Blauel.

King Edward VII Hospital has some of the world’s leading doctors. Royals treated there include the Queen, Philip, Charles and Sophie Wessex, who was flown there after an ectopic pregnancy. The Queen Mother and Princess Margaret were also treated at the hospital.

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