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David Furnish will celebrate his first Pride Toronto parade in style as he returns to his hometown to serve as grand marshal of the annual event.

Elton will be on tour in Europe when the Toronto native takes part in the parade on June 28, 2015. The couple's young sons, four-year-old Zachary and two-year-old Elijah, also won't make the trip.

But the producer and philanthropist said his parents and brothers are excited to have him home, and Elton will be cheering him on from across the Atlantic. "Any opportunity with Elton to promote the message and to fly the flag, he's always very positive and supportive," David said in a phone interview from London.

David will also be guest of honour at a private reception in support of Pride Toronto and the Elton John AIDS Foundation, which he chairs.

His role with the Pride parade was announced on April 28, 2015, just days after what is being hailed as a landmark moment for the LGBT community: Bruce Jenner's declaration in an ABC News interview that he identifies as a woman. David said he hasn't yet seen the interview, but called the former Olympic champion "incredibly brave." "I think people should be supporting him in his decision and in his choice," David said. "I think people should always feel 100 per cent free and unencumbered to be true to themselves, and to have the courage and the support to speak up and move forward with their lives."

David said while he is excited to celebrate at Pride, it's critical not to become complacent. He is particularly concerned about raising awareness about HIV-AIDS. He said young gay men account for 64 per cent of new HIV infections, even though they're estimated to represent just four per cent of the Canadian population.

And while LGBT issues have loomed large in the headlines in the past year — with professional athletes publicly declaring their sexuality and greater visibility of trans individuals — David said it's still important to recognize the work is far from over. "There are so many other countries in the world where it's illegal to be gay — 81 in total," David said.

"Parts of the world seem to be going backwards rather than forward, where people aren't as lucky and as blessed and as supported as we are, and I think we send a very strong message to the rest of the world. We don't just live in little pockets and in little isolated communities anymore. I think where we have a good story to tell we should be shouting it from the rooftops and providing inspiration and hope and support to people that don't have the same benefits as we do."

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The 'Bloodstream' hitmaker has revealed he keeps in regular contact with Elton, 68, and believes the legendary singer is more than happy to offer him career advice as he sees "a lot of himself" in the young star.

He explained: "I think Elton sees a lot of himself in me, that's what he says. Yeah, (we're friends). We speak probably twice a week, and it's nice to speak to someone like him, because he's done everything right and everything wrong. He can really give you advice musically on how to have success and what not to do. One thing I'll say about him is that he's definitely lived, I don't think he regrets anything."

The BRIT Award-winner added he never feels he should "pinch himself" when thinking about his success as he's worked hard to get where he is. He said: "I don't (pinch myself), because I feel like if you don't deserve it, you kind of put yourself down with it. I feel like I've put in the work to get here, and if people like my music I make then I should own that. So, when I step out on stage, I should have a certain level of confidence, like 'Yes, I am meant to be here. Let's entertain'."

Ed, 24, also admitted he had no doubt that his future lay in music when he was growing up as playing the guitar was the only thing he felt he could excel at. Speaking on Australia's '60 Minutes' he said: "I quickly realised (music) was the thing I wanted to do because I did it so much. I practiced guitar when I woke up, before I went to school, in the lunch breaks during school, and when I got home. I liked it that much. I got good at it very quickly and I was never very good at anything really before that, so I think I liked that I could play."

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Starkey Hearing Foundation hosted a special "For Your Consideration" EMMY reception and screening of OPERATION CHANGE April 23, 2015, at Zanuck Theatre at FOX Studios.

The event was attended by Elton John, David Furnish, William Austin (Co-Founder, Starkey Hearing Foundation), Tani Austin (Co-Founder, Starkey Hearing Foundation), and Steven Sawalich (Executive Producer, OPERATION CHANGE).

What began as one family's mission to bring the gift of hearing to people throughout the world, OPERATION CHANGE has become a global movement with the goal of inspiring people to take action to help build a better world.

A 10-part documentary series on OWN: Oprah WinfreyNetwork, OPERATON CHANGE follows President Bill Clinton, the Dalai Lama, Elton John, David Furnish, Donna Karan, Maria Bello, Sir Richard Branson and others as they travel the globe, on behalf of Starkey Hearing Foundation and other organizations, to work with local heroes who are changing lives around the world.

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Bruce Jenner -- the Olympic gold medalists now better known as the patriarch of the Kardashian family -- will sit down with Diana Sawyer to discuss a topic that's been blowing up the tabloids for weeks: His reported transition from male to female.

The Kardashian family has been supportive of him (Kim said they're all watching the interview together), and now another celebrity is making his admiration for Jenner clear: Elton John.

The classic rock legend and LGBTQ icon spoke to Access Hollywood on April 23, 2015 and told them, "It's an incredibly brave thing to do, especially when you're older. I admire him for doing it and I support him 100 percent." David then chimed in, saying, "People should support him," after which Elton nodded in agreement.



Elton has his own history with personal revelations in the public sphere. He came out as bisexual to Rolling Stone in 1976, after which his record sales experienced a temporary (but significant) dip. By 1988, Elton was referring to himself as gay, and he officially married longtime partner David Furnish in 2014.

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Pop veteran Sir Elton John and Rolling Stones' frontman Sir Mick Jagger follow with their fortunes, thought to be worth £270m and £225m respectively.

Former Beatle Sir Paul McCartney has topped the Sunday Times Rich List of musicians with his £730m fortune. Sir Paul is worth an estimated £20m more than last year and enjoys a significant boost from his American heiress wife's £150m stake in her family's US trucking business.

It puts him well ahead of his nearest rival on the list, Andrew Lloyd Webber, who is estimated to be worth £650m.
The full list will be published by the newspaper on April 26, 2015. Of the 1,000 richest people in the UK and the 250 wealthiest in Ireland, the list puts Irish band U2 at third place with £431m.

Top 10 music earners

1. Sir Paul McCartney and Nancy Shevell £730m
2. Lord Lloyd-Webber £650m
3. U2 £431m
4. Sir Elton John £270m
5. Sir Mick Jagger £225m
6. Keith Richards £210m
7. Michael Flatley £195m
=8. Ringo Starr £180m
=8. Sting £180m
9. Roger Waters £160m










































































The Stay With Me singer has amassed a personal fortune of £12m since rising to fame in late 2012.

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A pair of glasses once belonging to Elton John were missing from the Memphis Rock ‘N’ Soul Museum at FedExForum on April 21, 2015, but officials can’t say for sure the glasses have been stolen.

The heart-shaped glasses were not in the display case when workers closed for the night, museum executive director John Doyle said. The case remained sealed and was not smashed, Doyle said.

Now, officials have to determine if the glasses have somehow been misplaced, or if a thief made off with them. “We’re not sure at this point, and that’s the weird thing,” Doyle said “They seal with screws that take a special screwdriver that you order online to open them. The case is closed, the screws are in place.”

Doyle said it was unlikely that a staff member had removed the glasses without telling anyone, and also dismissed the notion that a museum employee would have stolen them. The glasses were part of an exhibit tailored to the 60th anniversary of rock ‘n’ roll, according to the museum’s website. Nothing else appears to have been stolen, officials said. The glasses, insured for $2,013, were on loan from a private collector, Doyle said.

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On April 21, 1970, Elton set out on his first world tour as a solo artist. By the time it was over, his entire life would change.

Joined by new bassist Dee Murray and drummer Nigel Olsson, Elton went on the road to promote his second album, "Elton John," which had arrived in stores earlier that month. Although he’d made his official debut as a recording artist the previous year with his "Empty Sky" LP, the "Elton John" record would be his first to see U.S. release — and fueled by the breakthrough single “Your Song,” it would eventually mark his arrival as a Grammy-nominated star.

That acclaim was still on the horizon when Elton and company took the stage on April 21, 1970, making their public debut at London’s Roundhouse theater the night after a pre-tour performance for BBC Radio. Things started relatively slowly for the tour, which at first found the band playing various U.K. venues during the spring and summer of 1970; it wasn’t until August 1970, when they arrived in Los Angeles for a string of shows at the Troubadour, that things really started to take off.

That leg of the tour, which began August 25, 1970, made it clear Elton’s music was catching on some very influential people — including Neil Diamond, who introduced him to the first of several sold-out Troubadour crowds by telling the audience, “Folks, I’ve never done this before, so please be kind to me. I’m like the rest of you; I’m here because of having listened to Elton John’s album. So I’m going to take my seat with you now and enjoy the show.”

For Elton, who’d reportedly turned down an opportunity to make his U.S. debut as part of a package tour with Jeff Beck after Beck demanded 90 percent of the earnings, the rapturous reception offered full-scale vindication after years of less heralded and/or less creatively satisfying gigs. It also brought Elton to the attention of his idol Leon Russell, with whom he’d tour during his return to the States later in the year.

By the end of 1970, Elton was being crowned the Next Big Thing by members of the press — but to his credit, he resisted the coronation. “The thing I started to hate was when so many people began coming up to me and saying ‘you’re the greatest.’ I appreciated it, but I know I’m not,” he told Circus that December 1970. “I’ve only been singing with the group for about two months. It’ll take us a while to get things really together. About 60 per cent of the people in Los Angeles were from the music business anyway. The kids who buy the records weren’t really there. We’ll have to wait until the next tour to see what they think.”

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The Times Giving List has named Elton John as its highest-ranked celebrity.

Elton donated £24.1 million last year, mostly to his AIDS Foundation. This makes up part of £2.58 billion donated by the richest people in Britain. It also represents nearly 9% of his total wealth. Boy band One Direction donated 1% of their wealth, and Coldplay donated nearly 2%.

Elton has been outspoken on HIV issues throughout his career, most recently offering his support to Adrian Hyyrylainen-Trett, Liberal Democrat candidate for Vauxhall who was the first parliamentary candidate to come out as being HIV positive.

Along with husband David Furnish, Elton said: “Elton John and David Furnish applaud Adrian Trett for his courage and bravery in publicly acknowledging his HIV+ status… He is a fine example that HIV-positive people live robust, happy and productive lives. We wish him all the best.”

He also recently joined forces with REM singer Michael Stipe to condemn the poor treatment of trans prison inmates in prisons in the state of Georgia. Elton also led the much-publicised boycott of Dolce and Gabbana after the fashion designers made controversial remarks about gay parenting.

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Kevin Spacey was in tears as he finished his 11-year reign at the Old Vic with a star-studded goodbye gala.

The actor, who faced scepticism about his staying power and intentions when he arrived in 2004, said he was “very moved by the amount of love” at the theatre’s giant fund-raiser.

Bill Clinton, Dame Judi Dench and Elton John sent video messages and Spacey’s friends Sting and Annie Lennox performed. The stage was filled with stars from past shows including Mark Gatiss, Tim Pigott-Smith, Colin Morgan, Neil Pearson, Haydn Gwynne, Elizabeth McGovern and her Downton Abbey co-star Hugh Bonneville, who appeared in Spacey’s debut, Cloaca, and was compere for the night.

Spacey, 55, bowed out showing the fighting spirit with which he transformed the Old Vic, making a spirited appeal for more donations to the endowment fund he has established. If he raises £10 million on top of the existing £5 million pot by July, he will be able to secure another £5 million from the Arts Council.

The House Of Cards actor called on the audience to “think very clearly which party supports arts and culture” and does not regard them as a “luxury item” when they vote on May 7, 2015.

He said it had been “beyond my wildest dreams” to star in Shakespeare on the Old Vic stage, adding: “Not many other Americans have ever been so welcomed in this country and have been allowed to run a British theatre before. I am eternally grateful that you made an exception in my case.”

At a party at the Ham Yard Hotel afterwards, Sting said: “I think he’s done an amazing job for the Old Vic and been very tenacious. He deserves to be thanked.” Matilda director Matthew Warchus, who is succeeding Spacey and will announce his first season tomorrow, said: “He’s put an enormous spotlight on this theatre and brought it back to life. What I’m obviously hoping to do is capitalise on that.”

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He’s taken on many tough roles in his career, so you’d think playing Sir Elton John would be a walk in the park for Tom Hardy.

But the British actor has revealed that he’s really struggling to portray the musician in upcoming biopic "Rocketman", because he can’t sing to save his life. "I’m not a singer. I have no idea really," Hardy told The Sun at the premiere of his new film Child 44. "I’m really trying because of Rocket Man but it’s hard to open my mouth in that way".

While the film will use Elton’s original music, Hardy will obviously need to try to recreate his stage presence and singing mannerisms. But "The Dark Knight Rises" star says he’s never been very musical, despite once dabbling in the world of rap. "I’m not really drawn towards singing and musicals and that stuff," he added. "I did some rap when I was a kid but I’m somebody’s dad now so it wouldn’t be too cool to crack that out!" However, there’s unlikely to be much rapping in Rocketman.

Elton is the executive producer of film, which focuses on his early years, and Hardy has admitted to walking around in the ‘Tiny Dancer’ singer’s clothes in order to understand him better. Maybe he should have asked him for some singing lessons instead!

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Fans of Elton John and Marilyn Manson living in Moscow are facing tough times.

The number of international artists coming to Russia to perform has plummeted in recent months as an economic slump and currency crisis have made them too expensive for local promoters. Meanwhile, outrage caused by Russia's annexation of Crimea and support for separatists in Ukraine have led some performers to boycott the country, and Russian Orthodox Christian and other conservative activists have leaped on a wave of patriotism to agitate against artists that they disapprove of.

Since the start of last year, "the number of the concerts featuring international artists has fallen by 95 percent," said Yevgeny Morozov, the director of the Moscow event agency City Concerts. "[Foreign musicians] are not profitable anymore," Morozov said.

The hard fees demanded by international stars have not changed, but due to the depreciation of the ruble, which has fallen by one-third against the U.S. dollar over the past year, the cost for local organizers has soared.

The organizers of concerts at Crocus City Hall, a major Moscow venue, planned to host Elton John this year, but despite successfully negotiating with the musician were forced to cancel the event. "We can't afford such expensive musicians anymore," said Svetlana Bignova, a business development executive at Crocus City Hall.

For the venue to make a profit on the Elton John gig, the average ticket price would have been around 20,000 rubles ($400), according to Bignova. The average Russian earned 30,620 rubles per month, state statistics service Rosstat said in February 2015.

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The Guardian has published an op-ed by Elton John and musician, activist, and EJAF ally Michael Stipe, “Protecting Trans Inmates”.

Elton and Michael’s op-ed expands on a public statement they released on April 7, 2015 on this issue, underscores the horrific conditions faced by transgender people both inside and outside of prison, and connects their struggles with the larger effort to achieve equal rights for LGBT people everywhere.

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Rather than blast classic rock or current hits, the Washington Nationals have decided to pump-in soft, slow music for its opponents while they take batting practice before a game in Nationals park.

The playlist includes Sarah McLachlan, Elton John and the Carpenters, as a way to not only get into the heads of opposing players, but keep fans engaged and entertained.

From the New York Times: All of this was by design. Starting this season, for now at least, the Nationals are playing slow soft-rock songs during the visiting team’s batting practice. As if their standout starting rotation were not daunting enough, the Nationals are also trying to gain a psychological edge on their opponents, at least in some small way.

The trial run didn’t go completely as planned, seeing as how the New York Mets took two games out of three over the Nationals when Washington first started playing “Dust in the Wind” for opposing batters, but if nothing else, people seem to be amused by the new DJ in Nationals Park.

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An Irish Senator took a swipe at Elton John, a father of surrogate children, during a debate on the same-sex marriage.

“We don’t want an Elton John scenario here,” Independent Ronan Mullen said on The Week in Politics on April 12, 2015. Elton has two sons born to a surrogate mother.

Mr Mullen has been campaigning for a No vote in the May 2015 referendum. He faced off against Senator Katherine Zappone who asked what good a No vote would achieve during the RTE TV debate. “The absence of marriage equality tells lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender young people that their relationships and lives are not worthy of equal protection,” she said.

Meanwhile, Catholic bishops reaffirmed their stance that the church will no longer carry out the civil part of wedding ceremonies if marriage equality is extended to gay couples. The refusal would affect tens of thousands of heterosexual couples if the referendum passes.

A senior spokesman for the Irish Catholic Bishops said he believed priests are unlikely to have any issue with the hierarchy’s decision to force all couples marrying in the church to carry out the civil aspect of their marriage elsewhere. For a wedding in Ireland to be legally recognised, it must be solemnised by a person on the register of civil solemnisers.

Some 4,121 of the 5,461 people on the register are Catholic priests. Only 107 civil registrars are listed, so the move would result in a significant delay for couples seeking to have their marriage legally recognised by the State.

“If the referendum is passed, the church’s view and the State’s view of marriage will be radically different,” the spokesman said. “It’s reasonable that the bishops would decide to separate the two. A priest’s role is to join two people in the eyes of God only.”

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The three-part series will also feature performances from Beck, Nas, Alabama Shakes, Elton John and more.

Jack White has teamed up with country musician T Bone Burnett and actor Robert Redford for new documentary series American Epic. The three-part series, directed by British filmmakers Bernard MacMahon and Allison McGourty, follows the growth of the music industry and US record labels during the 1920s. White, Redford and Burnett serve as executive producers on the project. The series will air on PBS and BBC Four in October 2015.

"These recordings were the first time America heard itself," MacMahon told The New York Times of the documentary. "It is like the DNA of America, its raw expression. This period represents an apex of American technological innovation." The series will be accompanied by 'The American Epic Sessions', a feature-length film and soundtrack album which will see modern artists recording new music using antiquated devices. Beck, Willie Nelson, Nas, Alabama Shakes, Elton John and more will take part.

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Paul McCartney, Elton John and Rod Stewart are going back in time for the 70th anniversary of VE Day. According to UK tabloid The Sun, the three British music icons are set to perform at a 1940s-themed concert to commemorate the end of World War II in Europe.

The gig is set to take place at Horse Guards Parade in London on May 9, 2015, The Sun reported. It will be broadcast on BBC One. Dame Vera Lynn , the 97-year-old wartime singer best known for her 1943 song "We'll Meet Again," also reportedly will appear during the event.

Three days of celebrations marking the anniversary will begin with a service at London's Cenotaph on May 8, 2015. There will be a Royal Air Force flyby commemorating the Battle of Britain, a veterans' parade and a nationwide lighting of beacons.

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Elton John and Michael Stipe are calling for the equal rights of transgender inmates following claims that a transgender woman was mistreated at a Georgia prison.

“Transgender women in male prisons have an equal right to protection from violence and abuse in prison, and yet they continue to face horrific injustices,” according to a joint statement they released on April 7, 2015.

Last week the Justice Department said prison officials must treat an inmate’s gender identity condition just as they would treat any other medical or mental health condition following a February 2015 lawsuit from the Southern Poverty Law Center filed against Georgia Department of Corrections officials on behalf of Ashley Diamond, a transgender woman.

According to the lawsuit, prison officials did not provide sufficient treatment for 36-year-old Diamond’s gender dysphoria. The lawsuit also said Diamond was without hormone treatment for three years and her body suffered as a result, and that she had been sexually assaulted and ridiculed in prison.

“More often than not, assaults in part go unreported because the perpetrators are prison guards, wardens and staff,” said Stipe and Elton. “This is outrageous, and the message it sends is horrific: that violence against and discrimination of trans people is not only allowed, but sanctioned.”

Last week, a judge ordered California’s corrections department to provide a transgender inmate with sex-reassignment surgery. It was the first time such an operation has been ordered in the state.

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Davey Johnstone is helping out a fundraising event in Edinburgh after his sister and her partner were both diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.

Liz McBain has been living with the debilitating and incurable disease for almost two decades, thanks to the support of devoted husband Bill. Then the unthinkable happened when 78-year-old Bill discovered that he too had the condition, a scenario so rare that the McBains know of just one other couple in the same position.

The Craigleith couple now face an uncertain future but they have strong support from family members, including Mrs McBain’s brother, Davey Johnstone – an Edinburgh-born musician known for his work with Elton.

He has already auctioned off a guitar – signed by himself, Elton, percussionist Ray Cooper and drummer Nigel Olsson – to raise £16,000 for Parkinson’s UK.

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Besides being a world-famous musician, Elton is also known for throwing a tantrum here and there. But he is also a man of forgiveness and hence plans to bury the hatchet with Italian designers Dolce & Gabbana.

For those who haven't guessed this already, this was an April fool's joke.

According to unconfirmed sources, Elton has agreed to hit the runway for Dolce & Gabbana at their next fashion show during Milan Men's 2015, which will take place June 20-23, 2015.



With this gesture, Elton apparently wants to stop the feud that broke in March 2015 after Elton called for a boycott of the Dolce & Gabbana label after Dolce called babies conceived by alternative methods "synthetic babies." The fight continued over several rounds via Instagram and other media.

So now it looks like that Elton, who has always been a man of fashion, will make the trip to Milan in between two shows with the band in Aberdeen on June 20, 2015 and Denmark on June 23, 2015.

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