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Herbie Hancock, Elton John, classical violinist Ida Haendel and the late father of modern Nubian music, Hamza el Din are featured in 30- and 60-second television and radio public service announcements (PSAs) to promote Daniel Pearl World Music Days - an international network of concerts scheduled from October 1-15, 2007.

Since World Music Days' inception in 2002, over 1500 concerts in more than 67 countries have been dedicated to its theme of "Harmony for Humanity."

The PSA messages invite professional and amateur musicians around the world to "use the universal language of music to diminish hatred, respect differences, and reach out in friendship by dedicating performances for Harmony for Humanity." Both Herbie Hancock and Elton John will be dedicating live performances in Japan and in Las Vegas, respectively. Details on participating musicians in this year's World Music Days and information on how to become part of this global network of concerts are available at www.danielpearlmusicdays.org.

"This is an awareness raiser, not a fundraiser. There are no financial obligations to participate," said Ruth Pearl, Daniel's mother and co-founder of the Daniel Pearl Foundation. "All musicians - professional and amateur - are invited to dedicate performances held from October 1st through 15th in honor of Danny's October 10th birthday. All they need to do is register their performance at the World Music Days website and then simply say a few words from the stage or in the program in affirmation of Danny's belief that music is the universal language that unite people of different cultures, faiths and talents."

Nowhere is the World Music Days message better exemplified than in the commitment of its Honorary Committee; spanning the spectrum of music genres from classical to hip hop. In addition to Herbie Hancock, Elton John and Ida Haendel, the Committee for 2007 includes Salman Ahmad, Theodore Bikel, Yefim Bronfman, Tania Libertad, Yo-Yo Ma, Zubin Mehta, Mark O'Connor, George Pehlivanian, Itzhak Perlman, R.E.M., A.J. Racy, Steve Reich, Mohammad Reza Shajarian, Ravi Shankar, Russell Simmons, Barbra Streisand, and John Williams.

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Elton John is close to realising his Hollywood career - America's ABC network has agreed to broadcast a pilot episode of his TV show.

Elton is following in the footsteps of his long-term love, producer David Furnish, by executive producing "Him and Us". The project stars an ageing rocker, his manager and his group of hangers-on.

"Sex and the City" executive producer Cindy Chupack is currently writing the script, writes trade paper Hollywood Reporter.

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BBC Radio 2 broadcasts the exclusive, first-ever European performance of Sir Elton John's Red Piano Show, recorded at London's 02 Arena on September 5, 2007.

The show was directed and designed by David LaChapelle for Elton's record-breaking Las Vegas Seasons. Chris Evans introduces the show, which is packed with hits from the legendary singer-songwriter's career.

"Elton John – Red Piano Concert" will air on September 22, 2007 from 8.00-9.00pm on BBC RADIO 2. Presenter/Chris Evans, Producer/Sarah Gaston.

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Long John Baldry is considered the father of the ‘60s British blues movement. Drawing on intimate anecdotes from Baldry's legendary friends, lovers, and peers, author Paul Myers uncovers the man behind the mythic persona.

An entire generation of British rock legends flourished under Baldry's tutelage, and "It Ain't Easy" features exclusive personal recollections from artists such as Elton John, Rod Stewart, Eric Clapton, Sir Paul McCartney, John Mayall, and Mick Fleetwood, as well as interviews with renowned music industry insiders like songwriter/producer Tony Macaulay, Yardbirds manager Giorgio Gomelsky, ex-Rolling Stones manager Andrew Loog Oldham, filmmaker Cameron Crowe, and others.

Extensively researched, "It Ain't Easy" traces Baldry's extraordinary life from his birth during the London Blitz, to his discovery of black American music, to the sexual revolution, to the musical and social upheaval of the 1960s and '70s, and to his eventual happy retreat to the tranquility of Canada's Pacific Coast.

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Elton John may have succeeded in cutting his corporate overdraft by almost £15 million in the past two years, but his financial woes appear to be far from over.

Mandrake learns that Elton's music company is the subject of a widening investigation by HM Revenue & Customs, whose officials are making inquiries into three years of his tax returns. Accounts filed by the holding company for Elton's music interests, William A Bong, disclose that officials, who were already investigating the firm's 2004 tax return, are now probing its submissions for 2003 and 2005.

"HM Revenue & Customs have raised enquiries into the company's tax returns for the three years to 31 March 2005," it admits in the accounts just filed at Companies House. "Correspondence with HMRC is still ongoing and it is not possible to predict with any certainty the outcome of these enquiries." Bong owes £8.8m in tax and social security costs and the company paid more than £400,000 last year in interest on overdue tax. According to the accounts, Elton has chosen not to make any provision for additional tax liabilities which may arise.

Fortunately for Elton, who cut his corporate overdraft from almost £27m to a still-staggering £12m, he remains in vogue and last year he raked in £20m from his performances and album sales. The accounts disclose that the company "advanced funds and paid certain expenses" on behalf of Elton amounting to more than £6.3m. In addition, as one of the firm's 13 employees, Elton is likely to have pocketed the bulk of the £10.1m that the firm paid to its staff in 2006.

Elton, who is worth an estimated £225m, was known for his prodigious spending in the 1990s, when he admitted to blowing £293,000 on floral arrangements over 20 months. Although he confessed to spending up to £200,000 a time on clothes for David Furnish, he is now believed to have overcome his addiction to shopping.

David Furnish became one of the company's two directors in January 2007 after the resignation of Elton's 82-year-old mother, Sheila Farebrother. Elton is the sole shareholder of Bong, which has accumulated losses of £4.6m.

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Aretha Franklin will join a busy fall release schedule with the star-studded duets album "Jewels in the Crown," her label announced on September 12, 2007.

The album will include performances with Elton John, Whitney Houston, Mary J. Blige, Mariah Carey and Keith Richards, plus a pair of technology-enabled duets with the late Frank Sinatra and Luther Vandross.

The Elton John track included will be the previously released duet "Through The Storm". The record's leadoff single, "Put You Up on Game" with "American Idol" winner Fantasia, will be issued to radio October 1, 2007.

The Arista Records release is the Detroit star's first album in four years. There's no date for the much-postponed debut album on her own Aretha Records, tentatively titled "A Woman Falling Out of Love."

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For the first time, using the most extraordinary and innovative technology, Elton will step back into the key moments of his life in Elton John: Me, Myself and I, and reveal his true feelings about what was really going on.

In this documentary, the superstar will take viewers on a flamboyant, intimate, entertaining and outspoken journey through his colourful life.

Elton, who has a career spanning more than four decades and boasts global record sales of over 250 million, will be dropped right back into the middle of influential moments in his life, enabling him to interact with his younger self, relive his most memorable times, and fulfil some of his long held but never realised ambitions.

DOCUMENTARY: Elton John - Me, Myself And I, ITV1 London at 21:40 on September 22, 2007

Special one-off programme in which Elton John looks back over his life and career. Using cutting-edge CGI technology, Elton is kidnapped from his Las Vegas stage show and flown by rocket back through his own life. Along the way, he revisits some of his greatest moments and remembers fabulous times with famous friends. But he also explores his personal highs and lows, from his ill-fated marriage to Renate Blauel in 1984, to his new-found bliss with civil partner David Furnish.

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Pop star Prince was joined onstage by Elton John at the latest of his 21 dates in London's O2 arena.

Elton appeared unannounced at the start of the encore to sing a cover of The Beatles' "The Long and Winding Road", accompanied by Prince on guitar. Afterwards, the two superstars embraced and Prince said to the crowd: "You know who it is - Sir Elton John!"

The collaboration clearly inspired the Minneapolis musician, who crammed a further seven songs into his encore. Among them were his 1980s classics "When Doves Cry" and "Sign O' The Times".

The BBC's John Hand, who was at the concert, said: "Sir Elton has performed onstage with many of the top stars of the past three decades, including Eminem and George Michael, but this was still a surprise - albeit one which was much appreciated by the crowd."

Earlier in the show, Elton had drawn cheers and applause when the venue's video screens pictured him in the audience. He recently gave the UK premiere of his "Red Piano show" at the O2 on one of Prince's rare nights off.

Fans who waited around at the concert on September 13, 2007 were given a second treat - as Prince and his band returned to the stage for a second encore fifteen minutes after the house lights went up. The 49-year-old then took to the stage at the O2's more intimate second venue for an aftershow performance that lasted more than two hours.

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Fan report and photos by Annelies and Patricia.

When we entered the Zenith we were surprised by how small the venue was. We went to our seats which were on the front row right in front of Davey! We already knew this was going to be a night to remember.

The two front rows seemed to be all Rocket members and there were people there from all over the world (Spanish, Italians, British, Americans, Germans and us: Belgians). The people on the first rows were so enthusiastic and this enthusiasm spread all over the venue right from the first notes.

The show started off with "Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding" which gave us goosebumps. During this song we were clapping our hands off and apparently Davey noticed how enthousiastic we were and threw Patricia a guitar pick.

Elton spoke quite a lot of French which pleased the crowd a lot of course. He and the band seemed to be in a great mood and the sound was just fantastic. Elton did a solo version of "Circle of Life" as the musical is about to premiere in Paris saying that writing that song was for him a life-changing experience and that it’s one of his favourite songs.

After "Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word" the crowd went wild and everybody tried to get a place in front of the stage. We made it to the first row and had a great view of the band and Elton’s remarkable shoes (black with white glitters). During one of the songs, Davey got up and gave Patricia a few pics which she all dropped because she was gobsmacked by his sudden appearance right in front of her. Later we managed to pick one up.

Elton played the intro of “La Marseillaise” (the French national anthem) before playing "Crocodile Rock" - which made the crowd go wild once again. Suddenly, somewhere near the end, John Mahon came from behind his percussions and took Bob Birch’s place behind the microphone and started singing along.

During the entire concert Bob and Davey kept smiling and making signs to us, which was a lot of fun. Elton took a lot of time at the end of the concert before the encores to shake hands and sign all the things people held up (like tourist guides of Paris). We managed to grab his hand which was the highlight of the evening, a thing to always remember – short said: a very, very, very nice experience.

Before your song the band changed clothes and came on stage again. We absolutely have to mention Bob’s outfit which was funny to say the least, being a Los Angeles shirt, a wide and white pair of shorts and Cat’s boots.

All in all this was most likely one of the best concerts we ever had, the venue was superb (small and cosy), Elton rocks and the band rulez!

Following is the complete set list of the Paris show on September 11, 2007:

• Funeral For A Friend
  
• Love Lies Bleeding
  
• The Bitch Is Back
  
• Hercules
  
• Madman Across The Water
  
• Tiny Dancer
  
• Daniel
  
• Rocket Man
  
• Honky Cat
  
• Sacrifice
  
• I Guess That’s Why They Call It the Blues
  
• Burn Down The Mission
  
• The Bridge
  
• Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word
  
• Circle Of Life
  
• Bennie And The Jets
  
• Philadelphia Freedom
  
• Something About The Way You Look Tonight
  
• Are You Ready For Love
  
• Sad Songs (Say So Much)
  
• I’m Still Standing
  
• Crocodile Rock
  
• Saturday Night’s (Alright for Fighting)
  
• Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me
  
• Your Song

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The Recording Academy is opening its video vault with mynightatthegrammys.com, a website that allows fans to vote on their favorite Grammy performances over the years. Selected clips will be shown on a CBS television special in November 2007.

The website, which launched on September 10, 2007, offers 50 video clips of Grammy performances from such artists as Prince, Beyonce, U2, Marvin Gaye, Bruce Springsteen, Neil Diamond, Kanye West, Elton John, Tina Turner, Madonna and Eminem, among others. Fans will select their top five choices, with a voting deadline set for October 7, 2007.

The top 25 performances that receive the most votes will then be featured on the two-hour "My Night at the Grammys" special, scheduled to air at 8 p.m. November 30, 2007. Along with the video clips, the special will feature artists sharing personal stories about performing at the Grammys, along with behind-the-scenes footage of rehearsals and how the show is produced.

The "My Night at the Grammys" broadcast is part of an effort to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Grammy Awards, which will air February 10, 2008 on CBS. Grammy nominations will be announced December 6, 2007.

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Fan report by Ulrick Garde.

Being fan since 1995 this was my 15th or 16th Elton John concert and another night to remember. Living in the northern part of Switzerland, I still wanted to make the ride to Vevey as Sir Elton was in town.

With Golden Circle Tickets my friend and I got a very good view about 10 meters from the stage. With the sun shining, the lake of Geneva in the background and a night with Elton John and his band this could not go wrong ... and it didn't!

Arriving in private jet at Geneva airport, taken by helicopter to Montreux and being driven the last kilometer in limousine Sir Elton entered the stage at 7.50pm. He looked happy, fit and started of with "Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding". His voice was brilliant and so were the voices from the band members and their instruments and the result gave us a good balanced “sound picture”.

I happen to think that the sound can be very different depending on the venue. I have had some less positive memories from other Elton John & Band performances but the sound this evening was really, really good! Thank you Clive Franks!

The band was tighter than ever and everybody on stage seemed to have as good a time as we, the 21.000 people in the audience. Regarding the tracks being played, “Tiny Dancer” was dedicated to Shania Twain who lives in the area. “Daniel” was dedicated to a woman called Carolina (I don't know if I got the name right and who she is), and “The Bridge” was dedicated in the memory of “A Dear Friend Luciano Pavarotti” as Elton expressed it.

I think I can speak for everybody when saying that this was another night with Elton & Band to remember. Thank you guys! Right after the show we by chance saw the two vans with the band leaving the venue and got a chance to shout “hi” and wave to them. They of course smiled and waved back.

Following is the complete set list of the Vevey show on September 8, 2007:

• Funeral For A Friend
  
• Love Lies Bleeding
  
• The Bitch Is Back
  
• Hercules
  
• Madman Across The Water
  
• Tiny Dancer
  
• Daniel
  
• Rocket Man
  
• Honky Cat
  
• Sacrifice
  
• I Guess That’s Why They Call It the Blues
  
• Burn Down The Mission
  
• The Bridge
  
• Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word
  
• Candle In The Wind
  
• Bennie And The Jets
  
• Philadelphia Freedom
  
• Something About The Way You Look Tonight
  
• Sad Songs (Say So Much)
  
• I’m Still Standing
  
• Crocodile Rock
  
• Saturday Night’s (Alright for Fighting)
  
• Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me
  
• Your Song

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Workers at the Sioux Falls Arena sold 7,000 tickets for the Elton John show October 7, 2007 in 18 minutes on September 8, 2007. Individual tickets started at $67.

"This is not something we have a big database on. But many of us have worked at the arena many years. We don't have any indication we ever sold out faster on a single show," says Russ DeCurtins, executive director of SMG-Sioux Falls Arena.

About 70 people camped out overnight to be first in line when the arena doors opened at 8 a.m. The first in line was Sharon Braun of Beaver Creek, Minn. She showed up at 9:30 a.m. Friday - almost six hours before the next person arrived.

"People kept driving through, and I'd think, 'Oh, here's somebody to stand in line with.' But they kept going," Braun, 48, said. "I was afraid to leave, I'd been there so long." Her patience paid off with six tickets. "This is like a once-in-a-lifetime concert for me," Braun said.

DeCurtins said he was confident that anybody who camped overnight got tickets. "Most of the people at the arena went through the line and got tickets. Some stood in line and did not get tickets. Those people did not show up until after 8 o'clock," he said.

DeCurtins said the crowd was "very well behaved and diverse. There were some teenagers, some older folks and a lot of middle-aged people. They were very excited about the show and very cooperative about listening to instructions."

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Tributes have been pouring in for opera legend Luciano Pavarotti on September 6, 2007. The tenor passed away at home in Modena, Italy, this morning after a year-long battle with pancreatic cancer.

The singer whose career spanned nearly six decades, performed with a multitude of diverse artists from Vanessa Mae to Vanessa Williams. Amongst the tributes today, on of his collaborator's on the Warchild humanitarian project U2's Bono, says how he spoke to the tenor just the other day.

He said: "I spoke to him last week. The voice that was louder than any rock band was a whisper. Still he communicated his love. Full of love." Bono also described him as "a great volcano of a man who sang fire, but spilled over with a love of life in all its complexity".

Pavarotti performed with many rock and pop artists at charity concerts over the years including Elton John who today said it was: "a sad day for music, and a sad day for the world".

The Police frontman Sting said: "We lost a great friend, a great voice and the world is a smaller place without the big man."

And Queen guitarist Brian May has said the world was "a sadder place, for the loss of this gentle giant".

Luiciano Pavarotti was one of only fifteen people to be awarded a Grammy Legend award, as well as holding a Guiness World Record for the number of curtain calls - which was 165.

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University of Montana officials issued an apology on September 6, 2007 for problems with sales of Elton John concert tickets.

Some people who stood in line to purchase tickets became angry after learning nearly all the tickets for the September 28, 2007 show had been sold online or by telephone.

Mary Muse is director of the Adams Center at U-M. She says online buyers and ticket sales staff on the phones and at ticket outlets were all accessing the same inventory of tickets when they went on sale.

The tickets sold out in 20 minutes and staffers at the ticket outlets were not able to access any of that inventory. U-M says it did not guarantee tickets to those who had wristbands, but acknowledged that the ticket sales process simply did not work.

In the future, when a show with such a high demand is offered, the school says it will hold a limited inventory of tickets for walk-up sales.

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Thousands of people were turned away empty-handed on September 5, 2007 when they tried to buy tickets to the September 28, 2007 Elton John concert in Missoula.

Tickets sold out in less than one hour. And according to on-scene reports, people who showed up to take part in a wrist-band lottery purchasing system, at four Missoula locations, were almost entirely left in the cold.

It's reported that not one person was able to buy tickets at the University Center on the UM campus. Similar reports came from other Missoula ticket venues.

It appears that almost all tickets to the concert were sold by telephone or over the Internet. And tickets to the Missoula concert are already selling at hugely inflated prices online, at sites like StubHub.com and eBay.

At UM's University Center, angry fans surrounded Adams Center director Mary Muse and demanded an explanation. People threw their wrist-bands at her, and campus police were called in to keep order.

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“The Shield” actor Walton Goggins wants to extend a personal invitation to fellow Oscar winner and part-time Atlantan Elton John to join him and the other celebs at the glitzy Atlantic Station premiere.

“I first met Elton the night we won the Oscar and suddenly we were at every party in Hollywood,” Goggins told Buzz. “He was so sweet and generous with his time. It was surreal since I’ve been an out-of-the-closet Elton John fan since my teens.”

Since Elton is a savvy film buff, Goggins feels certain that the pop star will respond favorably to the Southern Gothic black comedy that “teaches humility and tolerance and a strong sense of family.”

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Fan report by Si Owens.

Elton John’s infamous "Red Piano" show made its debut at London’s O2 Arena on September 5, 2007. In all honesty, it isn’t quite what it’s cracked up to be.

Maybe it’s down to the longevity of the Las Vegas run, or the hype that surrounds it, but somehow the experience just fell short of expectations. The basic premise is that this is an Elton John concert, but with a difference.

Concert goers arrive excited by the rumours of grand theatrical staging that have drifted across the Atlantic. Promises of artistic video representations, visually exuberant décor and a Pamela Anderson pole dance. All are dutifully present and, in fairness, suitably impressive in their own right.

The problem is basically that for anybody who has seen a non-Red Piano concert before, the stage extravagance does not live up to the musical content. For the most part, it doesn’t even add to it. The set-list may be an issue here. For a show that is sold on being outrageous, glamorous and extravagant, it’s a very slow set to be playing. Apart from the first two and the final four songs, it is a set of ballads, and as such the show lacks pace as a spectacle.

The main focus of these shows is said to be the large video backdrop that is the brain child of modern day Elton collaborator David La Chapelle. Whilst it is a fair bet that these videos are bound to be artistically brilliant, and that together they probably form an accomplished collection of work, the problem for me as a viewer is that I am not an artist.

For the regular, every day person out for an evening’s entertainment, the vast majority of what is shown on screen simply goes over one’s head. For the most part, it is hard to link the videos to the musical content.
A substantial number of images contain nudity, and unless I’m missing something, a naked female ballerina with a nose bleed is not an image I would naturally link to a song like "Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me" (to take one example).

On the rare occasion when the video clips are accessible to the layman, they are well worth their inclusion. The clip for "Daniel" beautifully depicts the ‘missing verse’, while the clip for "I’m Still Standing" is a great piece of nostalgia that takes a triumphant pictorial journey through Elton’s career.

Videos aside, the other main feature of the show is the props. These include such gimmicks as inflatable breasts and phallic bananas – hilarious I’m sure.

So what does that leave? Well, what is left is an hour and three quarters of Elton John and his band playing some of his best loved hits; and this is where the entrance fee is justified. Musically, it is a fine show (as will be no surprise to anybody whom has seen Elton live in the past). Elton’s live vocal continues to amaze, the band are as tight as ever and the whole thing is highlighted by the various solos, musical extensions and interludes. "Rocket Man" continues to receive its standard quota of three standing ovations, and "The Bridge" maintains its place as a modern classic. The highlight, however, is a power-house performance of "Believe". A great song, brilliantly played.

As the set came to a close at the O2, Elton sat alone at his red piano performing a solo version of "Your Song". For this song, there were no videos, no inflatables nor any glitter descending from the skies. And he held the attention of every person in the arena. I feel that there’s a point there somewhere.

It’s ironic that Elton has spent so much of his interview time bemoaning the fact that people’s attentions always seem to be about his extravagances rather than his music. Last night in London, the music was lost in the extravagance.

And the less said about Sophie Ellis Bextor the better.

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Sitting in a folding chair with a couple jackets, air mattresses, a rain suit, a sleeping bag and a blue tarp, Monica Peterson prepared to spend September 4, 2007 night outside in the rain and gusty winds for tickets to what she calls the biggest event of the year: The Elton John concert.

Perched outside the Brick Breeden Fieldhouse ticket office, Peterson was actually fourth in line behind three other women, all of whom claimed it was worth the wait to see Elton perform their favorite tunes.

“You can laugh at us women, but it's no different than a bunch of hunters camping out to go kill a deer, but I want to see Elton,” Peterson said. “I e-mailed all my relatives and told them I couldn't believe a guy from London, England, would play and spend time in Montana. He's a big megastar in my opinion.”

Bernie Warwood, who grew up listening to Elton in high school, has been dreaming of this possibility for years. “All my high school years were Elton John,” she said. “I remember him being in concert in other places and I thought, ‘I'll never see Elton John.'”

So, when Warwood heard he was playing in Bozeman, she decided to do whatever it took to ensure a spot in the front row. And that's how she ended up first in line for tickets - at 8:15 a.m. the day before they went on sale. “We purposely wanted to be first in line, front and center,” she said.

Chelsey Warwood, snuggled in a hooded pullover jacket, didn't need to give an explanation for why she was withstanding wind and rain for concert tickets. “It's Elton John,” she said. “How often does Elton John come to Bozeman?”

Dana Doney, who grew up listening to Elton in junior high, said she couldn't miss the opportunity to see him live. “He's a music legend,” she said. “My brother had his albums, so I listened to him a lot.”

The four women, all of whom planned on buying the maximum allowed six tickets each, said the concert might be the biggest event ever to hit Bozeman. They said the only other concert performers who could possibly be bigger include Celine Dion, Elvis Presley or a duet performance by Tim McGraw and Faith Hill.

Brad Murphy, operations manager for the fieldhouse, said he brought in a portable toilet for the fanatics. He said the people who are first in line will likely receive front-row tickets. After that, all bets are off because other fans will be online and on the telephone buying tickets.

“There's no guarantee whatsoever,” Murphy said. But that didn't bother the four women outside the door. They claimed that buyers online or on the phone are taking risks because they'll have to accept the tickets given to them. When fans buy tickets in person, they choose their seats. So spending the night outdoors, even if the forecast calls for rain, is worth it.

“My relatives have said I'm crazy,” Peterson said. “But you've got to be a little crazy to have fun.”

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Madonna and Elton John have finally called a truce on their high profile feud more than two years after he publicly accused the pop star of lip-synching in an expletive laden outburst.

Introducing Madonna at this year's GQ Awards in London on September 4, 2007, Elton said: "This is a moment you thought you would never see." The pair hugged on stage, but Elton couldn't resist a final swipe, adding he had "written a grovelling apology and offered to join the Kabbalah".

At an awards ceremony in 2004, Elton infamously criticised the singer after she won an award for live performance, saying: "Madonna, best f***ing live act? F*** off! Since when has lip-synching been live?" That's me off her f***ing Christmas card list but do I give a toss? No."

Madonna hit back through a statement issued by her spokesperson, who declared: "Madonna does not lip-synch nor does she spend her time trashing other artists." The singer, who is still awaiting permission to permanently adopt her third child, left the awards show looking rather worse for wear as she piled into a cab.

Sir Paul McCartney, who spent the evening surrounded by a bevy of beauties including singer Natalie Imbruglia and supermodel Elle Macpherson, was finally able to collect his trophy for last year's Man Of The Year award.

Introducing him, Elton said: "Paul is by far and away the greatest living songwriter in the world." Picking up his 2006 award Sir Paul said: "Hey I'm just some little kid from Liverpool." Ending the awards Elton joked: "We can't really top that unless Elvis Presley parachutes through the roof."

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Elton will be back on the road on September 5, 2007 finishing the summer break with the first ever "Red Piano" show outside of Las Vegas at London's O2 Arena.

He will then perform a few more European shows with the band before heading to the US at the end of September.

Check out the Elton John Tour News for additional tour dates that have just been added. It is very likely that more shows will be announced over the next few days.

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Elton was at Vicarage Road to watch Watford get back on track with a 2-0 victory over previously unbeaten Ipswich Town on September 1, 2007.

Goals from Darius Henderson and a Tommy Smith special ensured the Hornets responded how Aidy Boothroyd would have wished following the 4-1 mauling at Leicester last weekend.

Watford: Poom; Doyley, DeMerit, Shittu, Stewart; Smith (O'Toole, 88), Williamson, Mahon, McAnuff; King, Henderson (Ellington, 73). Not used: Priskin, Mariappa and Lee.

Ipswich Town: Alexander; Wright, Bruce, De Vos, Harding; Roberts (Peters, 66), Miller, Garvan, Walters; Lee (Clarke, 62), Counago. Not used: Legwinski, Casement and Supple.

Bookings: Roberts for a foul on Stewart after 41 mins; Williamson for a foul on Peters after 70 mins.

Attendance: 17,295.

Referee: Mike Jones.

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