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Paul McCartney, Elton John, Pete Townshend, Bryan Adams, Madonna, Adele and groups that include U2, The Clash and Coldplay are among more than 100 top international musicians calling for the release of the two jailed members of Russian feminist punk group Pussy Riot.

In an Amnesty International open letter of support for Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and Maria Alekhina, the stars urge Russian authorities to release the two young women, who are both applying for parole. The parole hearings on July 24, 2013 for Alekhina, 25, and on July 26, 2013 for Tolokonnikova, 23, are appeals against earlier decisions denying early release from two-year sentences handed down in August 2012 by a Moscow court.

In the open letter the stars remind both young women that “around the world people are both still thinking of you and working for your release.” Noting that “many parents feel your anguish at being separated from your children,” the letter continues: “While understanding the sensitivities of protesting in a place of worship, we ask that the Russian authorities review these harsh sentences, so that you may return to your children, your families and your lives.

 The right to freedom of expression and dissent is a legitimate one and essential in any kind of democracy.”

The sentences handed down to the two young women -- convicted of hooliganism and dispatched to what Amnesty describes as “notoriously brutal prison colonies” -- have stoked controversy internationally. Amnesty says both women are prisoners of conscience and there is “serious concern for their safety.”

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A copyright infringement lawsuit against Elton and Bernie fails.

How many ways is there to say, "I love you"? Unfortunately for a man who composed a song entitled "Natasha" and sued Elton John and Bernie Taupin for ripping it off, there's more than one.

On July 17, 2013, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the dismissal of a copyright lawsuit against Elton after determining that substantial similarity couldn't be established in analyzing the work of plaintiff Guy Hobbs with Elton John's own "Nikita" song.

In the lawsuit, Hobbs asked a court to look at his song inspired by a brief love affair he had with a Russian waitress. The plaintiff attempted to steer the judge to looking at the "unique combination" of elements allegedly similar in both songs. The list included things like a common theme of impossible love between a Western man and a Communist woman during the Cold War, descriptions of the beloved's light eyes, the phonetically-similar Russian female name in the title, and phrases such as "I need you" as well as versions of "you will never know."

But the argument fails because Seventh Circuit judge Daniel Manion reiterates the principle that copyright law does not protect general ideas, only the particular expression of an idea. The judge adds that copyright law doesn't protect "incidents, characters or settings which are as a practical matter indispensable, or at least standard, in the treatment of a given topic."

The appeals court decides it doesn't have to address Hobbs' "unique combination" theory because the plaintiff hasn't made the threshold showing of similarity in the particular elements. Going into more detail, and showcasing not only why copyright lawsuits often fail but also the many trappings of love in a tough geo-political climate, Judge Manion says that the two songs:

"tell different stories about impossible romances during the Cold War ... 'Natasha' tells the story of two people who briefly become intimate, but who are forced to part ways because one is not free (presumably because of the Iron Curtain) and must sail away... 'Nikita' tells the tale of a man who sees and desires a woman whom he can never meet because she is on the other side of a 'line' held in by 'guns and gates' (perhaps the Berlin Wall)." He could only imagine and wish for a chance to hold her, to tell her about his home, and if the border guards were to leave and set her free then to find and meet her, but he thinks that will never happen."

Here's the rest of the judge's thoughts on copyright and love songs.

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Elton pads his mark for the most appearances in the 52-year history of Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart, as "Home Again" soars in at No. 21. The song marks his 69th entry on the ranking.

The start of "Home" marks Elton's highest on Adult Contemporary since "You Can Make History (Young Again)" launched at No. 11 in 1996. Until this week, Elton had last graced the list with "Electricity," which reached No. 17 in August 2009. The new entry ends his longest absence from the chart since he first appeared with the eventual No. 9-peaking "Your Song" the week of Dec. 26, 1970.

"Home Again" previews Elton's 30th studio album, "The Diving Board," due September 24, 2013. It's his first set to be released on Capitol Records. "[Bernie Taupin and I] wrote 11 songs … and recorded them in four days," Elton says of the collection. Mixing gospel, blues, jazz, brass band, pop and even a waltz, it's "everything I love about American music," adds Elton, who was forced to postpone upcoming touring plans after being felled by appendicitis last week.

In addition to holding the record for the most Adult Contemporary chart visits, Elton also boasts the most No. 1s (15, a mark he shares with the Carpenters) and top 10s (39). When Billboard celebrated the survey's 50th anniversary in 2011, Elton was honored as the chart's all-time top performer.

Here's an updated look at the artists with the most entries in the Adult Contemporary chart's archives:

69, Elton John
64, Barbra Streisand
58, Neil Diamond
53, Elvis Presley
50, Barry Manilow
49, Johnny Mathis
48, Frank Sinatra
47, Kenny Rogers
46, Herb Alpert/Tijuana Brass
45, Dionne Warwick

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The two-day music event will take place in Las Vegas on September 20 and 21, 2013 at the MGM Grand Arena.

Queen featuring Adam Lambert, Elton John, Bruno Mars, Ke$ha, Muse, Chris Brown and Maroon 5 will perform. Phoenix, Tiesto, Keith Urban, fun., Zedd, Tim McGraw, Thirty Seconds To Mars and Benny Benassi have also been confirmed.

A new Fan Village area will be created to run through the daytime, which will be free to ticket holders in a 15-acre parking lot next to the arena. Miley Cyrus, Avril Lavigne, Pete Tong, Jason Derulo and AWOLNATION will perform in the new area.

Tickets for the iHeart Radio Music Festival 2013 will go on sale in the US on July 20, 2013 from 1pm ET.

Watch the announcement for this year's iHeart Radio Music Festival below:

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If you ask Elton John, someone saved his life all right—doctors.

In an interview with The Sun, he revealed he very nearly died after coming down with an excruciating case of appendicitis, which sidelined him from his current European tour, including a big concert in London's Hyde Park. "I'm lucky to be alive," Elton told the U.K. paper.

After feeling intense stomach pain during some recent shows that he initially thought was food poisoning — a problem so agonizing he cut short a gig in Halle, Germany — the music legend consulted with physicians, who diagnosed him as having an appendix abscess. They also ordered him to cancel his trek or potentially risk his life.

"I was a ticking time bomb. I guess I could have died at any time," added Elton. "I feel so lucky and so grateful to be alive. I played nine gigs and the White Tie and Tiara Summer Ball in agony." Elton is now undergoing an intensive round of antibiotics to ease the inflammation of his appendix and stem the possibility of blood poising. He's also expected to have surgery in the U.K. in the coming weeks once the swelling goes down.

Until then, Elton is said to be confined to his bed at the Windsor home the father of two shares with partner David Furnish. No word yet when he'll make up the dates he had to scrap across the pond, but his rep said Elton won't resume performing until he's one hundred percent healed from his upcoming operation and the effects of the abscess.

Despite the illness, Elton did have the strength to make the promotional rounds last week to hype his upcoming album, "The Diving Board," hitting stores in September 2013. Elton also may have inflamed some fans of NBC's The Voice when he slammed the reality competition for producing contestants that he called "nonentities," for their failure to generate hits, let alone sustain a career, after their appearance on the show.

Perhaps his convalescence will give him time to cool down.

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Elton's insurers have to pay out nearly £10 million ($15 million) to cover promoters' lost revenue after the singer cancelled/postponed several European gigs due to his battle with appendicitis, The Daily Mirror reported.

A source close to the singer said "artists have insurance for the promoters’ liability" and since “Elton is insured" so "no promoter will be out of pocket."

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On July 14, 2013 Bob Birch would have celebrated his 57th birthday.

However, as we are all painfully aware, Bob died August 15, 2012 of an apparent suicide at his home in Los Angeles. Bob had been a member of the Elton John band since 1992, the longest-serving bassist in Elton's touring band.

Birch is survived by his wife Michele and their son, Jonathan. It is still hard to believe that has gone forever and we are thinking of Bob's family at this very difficult time.

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Pope Francis has been named Man of the Year by Vanity Fair's Italian edition in recognition of his words and deeds during his first one hundred days as pontiff.

The magazine's front cover features the 76-year-old Pope Francis waving at a crowd, dressed simply in plain white robes and a white skull cap. The article begins by quoting Pope Francis' March 28, 2013 invocation for priests to be "shepherds living with the smell of the sheep," and goes on to feature the praise of five celebrities about him, including Sir Elton John and Italian opera singer Andrea Bocelli.

Elton John warmly said, "Francis is a miracle of humility in an era of vanity," and went on to say that he hoped the Pope's message of compassion would extend to marginalized groups which "have a desperate need of his love," including gays and lesbians. Despite the Vatican's historically steadfast stance on issues like gay marriage, Elton, who has been in a civil partnership since 2005, expressed his hope that Pope Francis could "reach out to children, women, men who live with HIV and AIDS -- often alone, and hidden away in silence."

"His first one hundred days have already placed him in the category of world leaders who make history," said Vanity Fair. "But the revolution continues."

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Sharon Osbourne has heaped praise on kind-hearted Elton John for hosting his annual Aids charity gala at his home in England in June 2013 even though he was terribly ill and in tremendous pain.

Elton was convinced he was suffering from a bad bout of food poisoning when he was struck down with crippling stomach cramps, but he was recently diagnosed with a case of appendicitis after seeking treatment when the pain became too much to bear.

His pal Osbourne reveals the 66 year old had been silently suffering with the condition for weeks, but he refused to cancel his annual White Tie and Tiara Summer Ball on June 27, 2013, and carried on with the show in between vomiting bouts.

While co-hosting her U.S. chat show The Talk on July 10, 2013, she said, "All I have to say is that he was sick a couple of weeks ago at his White Tie and Tiara Ball. This is where he gains millions for his Aids charity, and he went through the evening, he went to every table, he welcomed everybody and in between he was going outside, throwing up, coming back in... He just will not give up... He thinks of everybody else but himself!"

The TV personality also gave viewers an update on the singer's health, insisting he is already starting to show signs of improvement: "He's doing really well. He's at his home in Windsor and he's recuperating."

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The LA Times gets into the science of exactly what that diagnosis means, but first a warning: It's not going to be pretty.

This week, a spokesperson for Elton confirmed that the singer was postponing a series of concerts on his European tour because he was suffering from appendicitis. The specific diagnosis, as given on Elton's website, was "appendix abscess surrounding retrocaecal appendicitis."

The appendix is attached to a part of your body called the cecum, which is a sack generally considered to be the beginning of your lower intestine. We're going to have to talk about pus and catheters and kind of gross infections.

But if you think you can handle it, keep reading.

Everyone's appendix is attached to the cecum, but individual appendixes can point in different directions. Some people's appendixes point down toward the pelvis, others point straight out. Elton's appendix does something a bit unusual in that it makes a U-turn and winds up hiding behind the cecum itself. That's why it's called "retrocaecal," explained Dr. Jerald Wishner, co-director of robotic and minimally invasive surgery at Northern Westchester Hospital in New York.

This is actually good news for the 66-year-old Elton. Based on the limited information on the singer's website, Dr. Wishner said, it's likely that John was having some discomfort, but probably not the acute pain that we associate with most cases of appendicitis.

When his appendix ruptured, the infection did not move into the intestine lining like it would have if the appendix had been pointing down; instead, the infection brewed where the appendix was sandwiched between the back of his abdomen and the cecum, creating a collection of pus.

This is when the pain probably became more severe. Doctors can't go in and remove the appendix with all that infection and inflammation around it, so they will give John a course of antibiotics to treat the infection and will insert a catheter in the abscess to drain it.

Wishner said in cases like this, the catheter is usually needed for as little as a day or up to a week, and that it usually takes four to six weeks to get the infection under control. Once the area around the appendix is healthy again, doctors will remove the appendix in a surgery that requires just three small incisions. Most patients are able to go home the same day.

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A spokesman for Elton has confirmed the singer is suffering from appendicitis, reports eltonjohn.com.

Elton had called in doctors after falling ill during his recent European tour. Following a number of exploratory scans and blood tests with his medical team in the UK, a diagnosis of appendix abscess surrounding retrocaecal appendicitis has been confirmed.

Elton is currently undergoing a course of intensive antibiotics and is expected to undergo surgery in the UK in the coming weeks, once doctors can be confident they have sufficiently reduced toxins within the inflamed appendicitis site.

Elton, 66, who regularly performs in excess of 120 concerts per year, has been advised by his doctors and surgical team to postpone all forthcoming shows from his current European tour (this includes the headline show due to take place at Hyde Park in London as part of the Barclaycard British Summer Time Festival on July 12, 2013).

The spokesman confirmed Elton will not return to touring until he has fully recovered from both the planned surgery and any damage caused by the appendix abscess. He added, "Elton is incredibly disappointed to postpone these tour dates. To know that he made such super-human efforts and continued to perform to thousands through his illness only confirms his dedication to his European fans. He is eager to be back on top form and return to play the remaining shows starting in early September 2013."

On behalf of the entire Hercules/eltonfan.net team and all fans around the world we would like to wish Elton all the best and a speedy recovery.

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In an BBC Radio 4 interview first broadcast on July 3, 2013, Elton reflects on his return to musical basics on his forthcoming album "The Diving Board," to be released later this year.

He also considers the impact of early fame on young performers, the continuing influence of soul and classical music on his own songs and the effect of his two young sons on his performing career.

You can listen to the interview online - it also containes a lot of snippets from the upcoming album.

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It might seem odd to imagine Elton John spending time contemplating the lives of such young celebrities as Justin Bieber and Lindsay Lohan, but he reveals that those stars partly inspired the title track to his upcoming album, "The Diving Board."

Appearing recently on BBC Radio 4, Elton explained that the tune focuses on the dangers of fame, specifically its effect on young people. “For me, the song is about someone like Lindsay Lohan who had everything…and then it all went really tragically wrong because of drugs and the wrong people,” he notes. “It’s about the pitfalls of being a young star, like a Justin Bieber. It’s hard when you’re young to go through that incredible fame, when you’re that young, when you haven’t had a childhood, and then you wanna grow up.”

“I wouldn’t want to be Justin Bieber or any of those young artists,” Elton continues. “It’s tough on them. They get pushed into things, they have too much too soon…they didn’t do the driving around in a transit van, earning your corn. Bands who drive around and do two or three years’ hard work, that’s the way to do it.”

Elton generally is a big supporter of young artists and new musical talent, but he says he isn’t a big fan of those singers who become famous by appearing on TV competition shows like The Voice. In fact, he’s dismissed all the winners of the hit NBC reality show — and its British counterpart — as “nonentities.”

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The band shows in Halle (Westfalen) on July 5, 2013 and Mainz on July 6, 2013 have been postponed indefinitely.

Doctors have adviced Elton to take a break due to health problems caused by a virus infection. His tour management is currently checking as to when the two shows affected can be re-scheduled. Tickets will remain valid until further notice.

Elton is sorry for the inconvenience caused and is hoping for the fans' understanding. We wish him a speedy recovery!

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Following is the complete set list of the St Malo Du Bois show on July 3, 2013.

1. The Bitch Is Back
   
2. Bennie and the Jets
   
3. Grey Seal
   
4. Levon
   
5. Tiny Dancer
   
6. Holiday Inn
   
7. Believe
   
8. Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters
   
9. Philadelphia Freedom
   
10. Candle in the Wind
    
11. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
    
12. Rocket Man
    
13. Hey Ahab
    
14. I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues
    
15. Funeral for a Friend
    
16. Love Lies Bleeding
    
17. Take Me to the Pilot
    
18. All the Girls Love Alice
    
19. Sad Songs (Say So Much)
    
20. Daniel
    
21. Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word
    
22. The One
    
23. Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me
    
24. I'm Still Standing
    
25. Crocodile Rock
    
26. Saturday Night's Alright (For Fighting)
    
    
27. Your Song

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Elton John has revealed that he will cut back on his hectic touring schedule when his sons start school.

Elton takes Zachary, two, and six-month-old Elijah with him around the world as he performs up to 120 concerts a year. But he will spend more time at home once their education starts in around two years’ time so they can have a settled school life. "When Zachary goes to school and when Elijah goes to school... then I’ll have to take a look at my touring schedule," Elton told Front Row arts programme on Radio 4 on July 2, 2013.

"They’re always on tour with me. Zachary has been to Australia twice before he was two. When they start school of course they can’t come on tour. I can’t be away from them that long, and things will have to change." Elton revealed that he and David will "be there on the first day" that gay marriage is legalised.

The couple’s children were born using a surrogate mother but Elton said he had not planned to be a parent. "It’s only because I went to an orphanage in Ukraine that I saw a little boy who we wanted to adopt that we couldn’t because of the laws. It broke my heart. David sat me down and said, 'You know, why don’t we have our own'. I said, 'Well, I’ve always said I’m too selfish and I’m too set in my ways'. Life sometimes comes up with little signs for you, and that little boy was saying, 'You know what, you bloody well change your ways, you have a kid. You know, see what it does for you."

"It’s made me the happiest person in the world. And then the new one as well – I just wish I’d had them earlier. But Zachary and this new one Elijah have brought me more happiness in the last two and a half years than I could ever have imagined."

Elton and David became civil partners in a ceremony on the day it became legal in 2005 and intend to marry as soon as the law is changed. "I’ll be there on the first day it happens," Elton said. "It’s something that we’ve been given as gay people – a lot of gay people in the world don’t even have the right to exist practically, in Uganda and places like that, in the Soviet Union now. The fact we’ve been given these chances by the British Government is something that is joyous and I’m grateful for. I don’t want a big grandiose thing, I just want to go to a registry office.

"But I’d like to do it. I’d like to say, 'Listen, we’ve been given this as people, and years ago people had to have miserable lives because they were afraid of their sexuality'. Embrace it, be thankful and set an example and say, 'Yes, this is how far Britain has come as a society'. I’m very proud of that."

In the interview, Elton, who releases his 30th album, The Diving Board, in September 2013 – his first new material since 2006 – also hit out at television talent shows. He claimed they spawn "non-entities" who are propelled to fame too fast and struggle to achieve a long career because they are too young and ill-equipped to deal with life in the spotlight.

"Unless you’ve got real gravitas and you’ve earned your corn, it’s going to be hard for you to stay sane," said Elton. "It will be hard for you to maintain a career, you may end up being a bitter, non-entity. It’s about the pitfalls of being a young star, like a Justin Bieber. It’s hard when you’re young to go through that incredible fame when you haven’t had a childhood. And then, you want to grow up. Luckily, fame came to me when I was 23, and then I lived my teenage years through my fame. But I wouldn’t want to be Justin Bieber or any of those young artists. It’s tough on them."

"Television and video has done a lot of damage to music. They propel people into stardom that aren’t ready for it and can’t sustain it and they’re only as good as the next song. I hate that, I hate people being cast aside."

He cited Michelle McManus, now 33, who was dropped by her management shortly after winning Pop Idol in 2003. "It breaks my heart... it’s not fair," he said, while also criticising The Voice. "The Voice is all about watching the judges. Nobody on The Voice in America has had a hit record, nobody on The Voice in England has had a hit record. They’re non-entities," Elton said.

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