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Charity Buzz is auctioning off a unique opportunity for Elton fans for the upcoming Andy Roddick Foundation Gala on November 30, 2009.

The Elton John / Andy Roddick auction is part of the Fabulous Fall Auction over at Charity Buzz. Fans can bid on a chance to sit at the head table (with Andy and Elton) at the Andy Roddick Foundation Gala on November 30, 2009 in Austin, TX. The lucky winner will also get to choose Elton John's set list for the evening's performance.

This unique opportunity was donated by Andy Roddick and Sir Elton John. All proceeds benefit The Andy Roddick Foundation.

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Fan report by Marcel Zürcher.

After the wonderful Elton & Band shows in Nuremberg and Stuttgart in July 2009 we decided to add another Elton & Ray-Concert to our list. Grenoble is just one hour away from Geneva. In May we booked the Paris show for next Friday, October 2, 2009.

It was all worth it. Peter and Daniel came with me. The 4+ hours car drive went fastly with less traffic. Just a few minutes from the Palais des Sports Arena we found a place for Daniel’s car. On 5 p.m. we sat down at the street coffee near the stadium – without coffee on the card.

In the arena we bought the very beautiful tour programme and the special t-shirt. The arena was full with red carpets, which gave the stadium a warm atmosphere.

Shortly after 7 p.m. Elton entered the stage and moved into a strong version of "The One". The set list was almost the same as the nights before. The whole Elton solo part was one highlight! All songs – mostly ballads – became a great feedback from the audience. Especially "The Emperor’s New Clothes". Elton unterstood it again to put some boogie to the song. What a fantastic rendition! He gave a moving introduction to "American Triangle": „Eleven years ago, in Wyoming, USA, a young boy was murdered in the most horrible way, because he was gay. He’s name was Matthew Shepard. When it happend, I was outraged and wanted to write a song about the needless and senseless murder because of someone’s sexual orientation.“. Elton had then a short blackout during the first part about the next chord – and saved it with singing it for 2-3 seconds without the piano. He replaced "House" and "Blues Never Fade Away" with "Nikita". "Skyline Pigeon" and "Original Sin" were also wonderful to hear Elton singing them solo.

Ray Cooper then joined the stage during "Funeral For A Friend/Tonight". What a power! All the effects fitted perfectly. During "Better Off Dead" Ray added a new 'marching' part. "Indian Sunset" was definitively outstanding – and so was "I Think I’m Gonna Kill Myself". During the intro to "Take Me To The Pilot" he played some notes of The Marseillaies. The stage was stormed by fans directly after "Blessed". "Crazy Water" sounded great. He then signed autographs for maybe five minutes. I was lucky to receive one on my Songs From The West Coast-CD-Cover. During "Saturday Night’s Alright (For Fighting)" he mixed a short part of "I’m Still Standing" into it.

Many thanks to Peter, who was the first, who bought the Grenoble Ticket and to Daniel for join us and drive the whole way. Also thanks to Concert Live for the outstanding recording.

And we’re looking forward to see the „2-Man-Show“ for their last one in Paris on Friday, October 2, 2009.

Following is the complete set list of the Grenoble show on September 27, 2009:Elton solo

• The One
  
• Sixty Years On
  
• The Greatest Discovery
  
• Border Song
  
• The Ballad of the Boy in the Red Shoes
  
• The Emporer's New Clothes
  
• Rocket Man
  
• The Weight of the World
  
• American Triangle
  
• Skyline Pigeon
  
• Nikita
  
• Tiny Dancer
  
• Original Sin
  
• Your Song

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Good news: The move of eltonfan.net to a new server went a lot faster and smoother than expected. And it looks like both the chat room and the message board have survived.

While I am still in the process of testing all the functionalities of the website on the new server, it looks like everything is running okay. Should you encounter any problems, please let me know.

I will work on a small re-design over the next few days, but as far as the functionality is concerned, this is it. Thanks for your patience.

Stephan (webmaster)

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Following is the complete set list of the Nantes show on September 24, 2009:

Elton solo

• The One
  
• Sixty Years On
  
• The Greatest Discovery
  
• Border Song
  
• The Ballad of the Boy in the Red Shoes
  
• The Emporer's New Clothes
  
• Rocket Man
  
• The Weight of the World
  
• American Triangle
  
• Skyline Pigeon
  
• House
  
• Tiny Dancer
  
• Original Sin
  
• Blues Never Fade Away
  
• Your Song

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The website eltonfan.net will move to a new server over the next few days. You might experience downtimes and other problems.

As the website has been up an running on the current server for almost two years now, it's time again to move to a new server. As part of the move, some parts of the website will have to go - unfortunately - as they are no longer compatible with today's modern and secure servers.

So over the next few days you will see the chat room go and I will also not be able to move the message board to the new server. I am still looking into how these features can be replaced on the new server, but that might take a while.

This move will not be a major re-launch of the website for the simple reason that I would like to keep the six years of news archive. It would be a pitty to simply throw that away and transfering it to a new database/system will simply be far too time consuming.

So please be patient with me over the next few days. There will be downtimes, there will be glitches, there will be problems, but only temporarily. Thanks for your understanding.

Stephan (webmaster)

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The Elton John Foundation and the Irish Cancer Society are to provide grants to the Irish government to ensure it continues to deliver certain health and social care services in the recession.

Ireland has been badly hit by the global economic crisis and its deficit is expected to widen from 6 per cent in 2008 to nearly 11 per cent in 2009 - the highest budget deficit in the European Union as a percentage of its GDP.

The Irish Cancer Society is to provide €1m over two years to help fund the rollout of a national bowel cancer screening programme, while the Elton John Foundation will provide €750,000 over three years for a national needle exchange programme.

Bill McCabe, the chair of Irish Cancer, said the charity had a duty of care to the Irish people to ensure the programme went ahead. “We would rather not have to make this offer, but on this occasion we believe we have no choice,” he said. “Unless there is a clear driving force, it is easier for the government, especially in the current climate, not to do anything.”

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Fan report by David Wright.

The most anticipated Elton John concert since his 60th birthday exceeded all expectations. The concert was to raise funds for the Royal Academy of Music Organ Appeal. Elton joked "I never thought I'd do a concert to raise money for a new organ".

Not only was it a delight to see the return of Ray Cooper but we were treated to many surprises in the setlist. Elton performed the first 75 minutes solo and included "The Emporer's New Clothes" and "The Weight of the World". He seemed to be thinking about what he was singing with a satisfied nod to the lyric "I'm happy to say I'm amazed that I'm still around".

A further suprise was "House" during which Elton completely missed a line or two and I thought for a moment he might stop and start the song again. There was a poignant reminder of the recent death of Guy Babylon, "an angel and a genius" to whom Elton dedicated "Blues Never Fade Away".

After "Your Song" the fifteen year wait was over - welcome back Ray Cooper, we have missed you! Ray's rather manic energy made "Better Off Dead", "Levon", "Indian Sunset" and "Honky Cat", complete with duck call, particularly memorable. Further surprises included "Blessed" and a version of "Crazy Water" that must have left Elton exhausted.

After nearly three hours they ended with "Saturday Night's Alright (For Fighting)". Every Elton show is a great evening but this was a show to treasure.

There were notices at the venue that the show was being recorded so we can hope for a blu-ray and DVB release.

Following is the complete set list of the London show on September 22, 2009:

Elton solo

• The One
  
• Sixty Years On
  
• The Greatest Discovery
  
• Border Song
  
• The Ballad of the Boy in the Red Shoes
  
• The Emporer's New Clothes
  
• Rocket Man
  
• The Weight of the World
  
• American Triangle
  
• Skyline Pigeon
  
• House
  
• Tiny Dancer
  
• Original Sin
  
• Blues Never Fade Away
  
• Your Song

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Here's your chance to win an all expenses paid "Never in a Lifetime" experience to play tennis with Andy Roddick and to be Andy's special guest, seated at his table, at the 4th Annual Andy Roddick Foundation Gala; where Sir Elton John will perform an intimate concert for the private party.

And there's a whole lot more! Check out the Celebrities for Charity website for more details.

Raffle tickets cost $2.00 each (minimum purchase of 5 tickets) and the drawing will take place on October 5, 2009. You must enter by 11:00 AM EDT, October 5, 2009. The raffle is open to participants from all over the world!

Enter the Andy Roddick Foundation Tennis Raffle and join Andy Roddick in his efforts to help children today for a better tomorrow.

The prize includes two tickets to see Elton John perform at the Andy Roddick Foundation Gala on November 30, 2009 at the Hilton Austin Hotel in Austin, Texas. Airfare is included in this package as well as hotel accommodations and a $500.00 cash stipend to help pay for meals and ground transportation. This is a very intimate concert and proceeds from the raffle go to a great cause.

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Belfast, Northern Ireland, is to play host to a red carpet gala like never before. The White Sapphire Ball, in aid of the Northern Ireland Children’s Hospice, will be the highlight of the Irish Social Calendar. The glittering event takes place on October 3, 2009 in Belfast’s Europa Hotel.

Not only will Riverdance be headlining, with a spine-tingling performance of extracts from their smash-hit show, there will also be a ‘Money Can’t Buy’ Grand Auction featuring lots donated by a host of celebrities, including Elton John, Brian May, Madonna, Rafael Nadal, Ireland Rugby, Rory McIlroy and Michael Deane.

Guests already scheduled to attend the White Sapphire Ball include Northern Ireland industry’s high fliers, entrepreneurs, business leaders, artists, celebrities and supporters of the Children’s Hospice.

Currently there are 750 children with life-limiting illnesses in Northern Ireland. The Northern Ireland Children’s Hospice looks after every child’s nursing, medical, social, spiritual and emotional needs with added support for the family continuing into bereavement. Services are available 24 hours a day, every day of the year and there is no charge. It costs approximately £2 million to keep the Hospice’s services going and with limited government funding they are totally reliant on corporate and public support to maintain its vital services.

Music legend Sir Elton John has donated two tickets to his must-see Dublin concert on October 30, 2009. The sought after tickets are part of a luxury VIP weekend package that includes a weekend break at the exclusive Ritz-Carlton Powerscourt, County Wicklow and dinner at the celebrity hotel’s acclaimed Gordon Ramsey restaurant. The successful bidder will head off on the Friday night to Dublin’s O2 Arena to attend Sir Elton’s sell-out live Red Piano show before setting off to the foothills of the majestic Sugar Loaf Mountain in Co Wicklow to the opulent Ritz-Carlton Hotel, where internationally-famed chef and TV celebrity Gordon Ramsey has chosen to plant his first restaurant in Ireland.

Set amidst one of the most scenic and historic estates in Ireland, The Ritz-Carlton showcases Palladium style architecture and also hosts a 30, 000 luxury ESPA spa and two championship calibre golf courses.

To find out more about this amazing charity event, visit the official website.

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After being branded unsuitable to adopt by Ukrainian officials because of his age and sexuality, Elton John was given new hope yesterday that he could look after the baby boy who won his heart in a Ukrainian children's home.

After originally saying Elton was barred from becoming little Lev's legal guardian, the authorities there have come up with a compromise. The deal would allow Elton to bring up the child in Britain with his partner David Furnish but also involve Lev's mother, who retains parental rights to him.

It was unveiled by Ukraine Families Minister Yuri Pavlenko who had previously refused to contemplate the 14-month-old boy's adoption because the 62-year-old pop star was too old and in a same-sex relationship. On September 17, 2009 he said Elton 'has the right and opportunity to invite the family of this boy to visit him, take them under his guardianship, and help him grow into a good person'.

He stressed: 'I'd like to ask everyone be tolerant to the boy. This is not an orphan, the child has a mother and an elder brother and so he cannot be adopted by law. He has a difficult fate, like his mother. Help has been provided to his mother, who is living back in the community now. I am sure that soon this family will be united. Let's help the mother to find strength to bring the family back together.'

His comments represent a change of heart in support of Elton who met Lev on September 12, 2009 and immediately expressed the desire to adopt him. Under the scheme, the mother - who has not been named and is believed to be an HIV sufferer, would be encouraged to accept an invitation to visit Sir Elton in Britain with both of her two children.

A source in Kiev said: 'It would be entirely up to the mother if she agreed to this arrangement. It could allow her to stay involved in their upbringing under Elton's guidance.' The deal would mean halting official legal moves which have begun to strip the mother of her parental rights, so making Lev - and his sibling - orphans.

It is likely to be controversial in Ukraine where there is strong opposition - led by the Orthodox and Catholic churches - to gay adoption or anything similar. One churchman has already branded Sir Elton a 'sinner'.

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Elton John was branded a 'sinner' by the Orthodox Church in Ukraine in the row over his wish to adopt a baby from the country.

The comment came after officials confirmed there has been no application yet for the 62-year-old singer to adopt Lev, a 14-month-old boy whose mother has HIV. However, at least one government source speculated that liberal politicians might seek to put a law through the Ukrainian parliament to enable the pop star to circumvent curbs which comprehensively forbid him from adopting.

The Donetsk Diocese of the Orthodox Church was uncompromising in its stance against any move to Elton and David. Spokesman Father Georgy Gulyaev said: 'Thank God it's impossible under Ukrainian law for Elton John to adopt a child. The Church is strictly against same-sex marriages and the damage they cause. It's written in Holy Scriptures that homosexual marriage and relations is a sin. It is a sin, it is against nature, and it represents the dead end of human development.

'People pretend to have good intentions, create semi-marriages and so-called families, and moreover they dare to adopt children. Unlike people who are blessed by God to create natural families, these are people who succumb to their passions. This is definitely a sin, there is no other word for it, and the church will never agree that people who have created same-sex "marriage" could also dare to adopt children. This applies to all, including Elton John. He is a sinner.'

Ukraine's family minister, Yuriy Pavlenko, said: 'Officially, Elton John has not approached the ministry or any other authority with a request to adopt the child at the Makeyevka orphanage. In any case, if there were such a request from Elton John we would have to refuse.'

Mr Pavlenko said that both Elton and David, who is about to turn 47, were too old to adopt. Under Ukrainian law, adoptive parents must be less than 45 years older than the child. The country also does not see same-sex relationships as marriage or a stable and suitable relationship for adoption.

'The only way would be if parliament adopts a separate special law on making Elton John an adoptive parent of this particular child,' he said. 'But, frankly speaking, we would be against this if such a law were to be initiated.'

Blogging sites in Ukraine had already suggested that the Elton John case could be a way of changing the adoption laws in the country. But Mr Pavlenko said: 'Foreign citizens who are single have no right to adopt children. And the age difference between the adopter and the child cannot be more than 45 years. The law is the same for everybody: For a president, for a minister, for Elton John.'

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For the first time in almost 15 years, the legendary Elton John and Ray Cooper are reunited on stage. The duo will perform together in September and October 2009. Concert Live will record these special shows, creating an instant live CD at all European dates on the tour.

Each 3-CD live recording is presented in exclusive packaging with bespoke artwork and including a double CD from the performance and an innovative 3rd ‘encore disc’. This means that for the first time ever, fans collecting at-concert will be able to download the end of the concert as soon as they get home, and get the live CD the moment the show finishes!

This is the must have live CD for any Elton John fan and these CDs are strictly limited edition, so pre-order now.

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In honor of Guy, the Babylon family has been told that a plaque honoring their son will be placed in the chapel of Elton's home in England.

"In the chapel of his castle is a plaque to Princess Diana, Versace, Oliver Johnstone, and now there will be one for Guy," his sister said.

A memorial service was held for Mr. Babylon in Malibu, CA, on September 9, 2009. A memorial service will be held at 2:30 p.m. on October 4, 2009 in the social hall of the New Windsor Fire & Hose Co. No. 1, 101 High St in Maryland.

In addition to his parents and sister, also surviving are his wife of 24 years, the former Kathy Brown; two sons, Max Babylon, 17, and Ben Babylon, 11; and a stepdaughter, Jessica Hoggarth. All are of Agoura Hills, CA.

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Sir Elton John has been advised to adopt a British orphan, rather than a proposed Ukranian boy, after charities feared more children would be abandoned in eastern Europe, in the hope of being adopted by wealthy Westerners.

British charities including The British Association for Adoption and Fostering have already commented on the benefits of adopting children in this country, before turning attention to those abroad.

"It is admirable that Sir Elton wants to adopt a child but I'm not sure he's really thought it through," said a spokesperson for the charity. "We want more people to consider adoption but would urge them to look closer to home and the needy children here in the UK. Each year we have 4,000 children who require adopting, but only 3,000 youngsters find a home."

"There are 1,000 children waiting for a loving home here and perhaps Sir Elton could have a think about that."

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Elton John will not be able to adopt a 14-month-old Ukrainian child because he is too old and isn't traditionally married, Ukraine's minister for family affairs said on September 14, 2009.

Elton toured a hospital for HIV-infected children in eastern Ukraine on September 12, 2009 as part of a charity project and said that he and his male partner David Furnish wanted to adopt an HIV-infected boy named Lev. But the country's Family, Youth and Sports Minister Yuriy Pavlenko told The Associated Press that adoptive parents must be married and Ukraine does not recognize homosexual unions as marriage.

Elton and David, his longtime partner, tied the knot in 2005 in one of the first legalized civil unions in the United Kingdom. Pavlenko also said Elton was too old. The singer is 62 and Ukrainian law requires a parent to be no more than 45 years older than an adopted child.

"Foreign citizens who are single have no right to adopt children ... and the age difference between the adopter and the child cannot be more than 45 years," Pavlenko said. "The law is the same for everybody: for a president, for a minister, for Elton John." Pavlenko said Ukraine was grateful for Elton's charity work and expressed hope that his desire to adopt Lev would spur the domestic adoption of more children with health problems, which is still rare in Ukraine.

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Elton John's plan to adopt a child from Ukraine could result in more youngsters being abandoned, a children's charity warned.

EveryChild, an international children's charity, said it was concerned by Elton's announcement that he and David wanted to adopt a 14-month-old boy called Lev. The organisation said that while it praised Elton's help in raising awareness of the plight of children affected by HIV in Ukraine, it said the answer to the country's deepening HIV and Aids crisis does not lie in international adoption, arguing that more children may be abandoned in children's homes as a result of another high-profile celebrity adoption.

If Elton were successful he would follow in the footsteps of actress Angelina Jolie, who has three adopted children from Cambodia, Vietnam and Ethiopia, and Madonna, who adopted a little girl from Malawi earlier this year. EveryChild argues that 95% of the children in Ukraine's institutions are not orphans and children born to HIV-positive mothers face particular discrimination. They are separated from their mothers and often end up in children's homes and institutions segregated from children not affected by HIV, it said.

Anna Feuchtwang, chief executive of EveryChild, said: "High-profile adoption stories involving celebrities send out the wrong message. Research conducted in Ukraine by Liverpool University found that vulnerable mothers were encouraged by news of wealthy foreigners adopting from children's homes to place their own children in care in the hope that they would get a better life. Most children placed in children's homes are not adopted internationally; the majority face a bleak future.

"Children who grow up in a children's home are much more likely to end up in prison, involved with drugs and prostitution and go on to abandon their own children. The actions of celebrities like Madonna, and now possibly Elton John, could be actually increasing the number of children in children's homes in countries like Ukraine."

The Ukraine government has recently introduced new legislation that requires authorities to explore all possible options such as extended family and domestic adoption before a child is placed in a children's home, EveryChild said.

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Elton John, visiting Ukraine with his AIDS charity foundation, said on September 12, 2009 he wanted to adopt a 14-month-old boy from an orphanage in the east of the country.

Ukraine has the fastest rising HIV rates in Europe. Two years ago Elton gave a free concert on the main square in Kiev attended by tens of thousands people to raise awareness of HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) and AIDS.

Elton John's AIDS Foundation collaborates with the Ukrainian Anti-AIDS Foundation of Olena Franchuk, daughter of former President Leonid Kuchma.

He performed 'Circle of Life' for children at the orphanage -- some there because their parents had died of AIDS. Later he and David Furnish, who had a 14-month boy called Lev on his knee, were asked whether they thought of adopting. "David and I have always talked about adoption," Elton John replied. "David always wanted to adopt a child and I always said 'no' because I am 62 and I think because of the travelling I do and the life I have, maybe it wouldn't be fair for the child."

"But having seen Lev today, I would love to adopt him. I don't know how we do that but he has stolen my heart. And he has stolen David's heart and it would be wonderful if we can have a home. I've changed my mind today," he said.
Elton said the death of his long-term keyboardist, Guy Babylon, had also helped change his mind.

"Last week I lost one of my best friends ... It broke my heart because he was such a genius and so young and has three wonderful children. What better opportunity to replace someone I lost than to replace him with someone I can give a future to."

Also see news.bbc.co.uk.

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Elton John performed a solo show for the Piedigrotta festival at Plebiscito square in Naples September 11, 2009.

As reported earlier, this was his first performance after the sudden and tragic death of Guy Babylon on September 2, 2009. At the beginning of the show Elton said: "Please excuse my English, but I have to say something tonight, because it's so wonderful to be here in this beautiful city in Italy. Any seeing you all makes me feel very happy, because this week has been the one of the saddest weeks in my life. Because my keyboard player in my band, Guy Babylon, tragically died last week. And it's one of the saddest things that ever happened to me. So I want to dedicate this show to him tonight - and all of you people. Sending our love to him whereever he is. God bless you, Guy. I love you so much!"

One could tell that Elton must have been thinking about Guy during the entire show. He sounded very sad and also missed a few notes and mixed up the lyrics a few times. Later in the show he added "Song For Guy" to the intro for "Take Me To The Piot".

Following is the complete set list of the Naples show on September 11, 2009:

• The One
  
• Your Song
  
• Sixty Years On
  
• The Greatest Discovery
  
• I Need You To Turn To
  
• Border Song
  
• Ballad Of The Boy In The Red Shoes
  
• Daniel
  
• Honky Cat
  
• Rocket Man
  
• Tiny Dancer
  
• Nikita
  
• Philadelphia Freedom
  
• Don´t Let The Sun Go Down On Me
  
• O Sole Mio/Song For Guy/Take Me To The Pilot
  
• Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word
  
• Candle In The Wind
  
• I Guess That´s Why They Call It The Blues
  
• Carla Etude
  
• Tonight
  
• Bennie And The Jets
  
• Crocodile Rock
  
  
• I´m Still Standing
  
• Circle Of Life/Can You Feel The Love Tonight

  Related News

  
  
• Elton remembers Guy Babylon
  Friday, September 11 2009 at 20:11:51

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  Elton remembers Guy Babylon Friday, September 11 2009

  Elton has dedicated the entire Naples solo show on September 11, 2009 to the late Guy Babylon.

  The show in Naples was the first performance after the sudden and tragic death of Guy Babylon on September 2, 2009. During the solo show Elton said: "Please excuse my English, but I have to say something tonight, because it's so wonderful to be here in this beautiful city in Italy. Any seeing you all makes me feel very happy, because this week has been the one of the saddest weeks in my life. Because my keyboard player in my band, Guy Babylon, tragically died last week. And it's one of the saddest things that ever happened to me. So I want to dedicate this show to him tonight - and all of you people. Sending our love to him whereever he is. God bless you, Guy. I love you so much!"
  
  He then launched into "Your Song". The show is still continuing while this news item is being posted.
  
  

  Related News

  
  

• Tonight's show live in Italian radio
  Friday, September 11 2009 at 18:50:10
  
• Guy Babylon condolences
  Friday, September 4 2009 at 09:18:49
  
• R.I.P. Guy Babylon
  Thursday, September 3 2009 at 10:07:21

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  Tonight's show live in Italian radio Friday, September 11 2009

  Elton's solo show in Naples on September 11, 2009 will be broadcast live in RAI's Radio 2.

  See http://www.rai.it/dl/Radio2/musica.html for more details!

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  An Enduring Vision 2009 Thursday, September 10 2009

  On November 16, 2009, the Elton John AIDS Foundation (EJAF) will present its 8th annual An Enduring Vision benefit at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City.

  Award-winning CNN anchor Anderson Cooper will be returning for a third year to host An Enduring Vision, and a special musical guest will perform. This year, EJAF is pleased to pay tribute to several esteemed philanthropists by presenting Enduring Vision Awards to President Bill Clinton, Evelyn and Leonard Lauder, Lily Safra, and Sharon Stone for their extraordinary contributions to the fight against AIDS and to EJAF's work.
  
  President Clinton has demonstrated extraordinary global leadership on the issue of HIV/AIDS, and over the past several years, both EJAF-US and EJAF-UK have partnered with the Clinton Foundation's HIV/AIDS Initiative (CHAI) in support of a variety of projects in Africa and the Caribbean. Evelyn and Leonard Lauder have been devoted supporters of EJAF for many years and are generous supporters of many other causes; in addition, Evelyn Lauder is the founder of the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Lily Safra is the founder of the Edmond J. Safra Philanthropic Foundation and has provided significant support for EJAF's fund-raising events and most recently for our Latin America initiative. Sharon Stone has been an ardent HIV/AIDS activist and the Global Fund-Raising Chairman of amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research since 1995; in addition, she has attended and supported numerous EJAF events and has been a stalwart friend of the Foundation for many years.
  
  EJAF is deeply grateful to the following generous organizations that have signed on to date as sponsors for An Enduring Vision - Presenting Sponsor: American Airlines; Co-Sponsors: Robert and Myra Kraft, Evelyn and Leonard Lauder, The Radcliffe Foundation, The Starkey Hearing Foundation, and Trump Entertainment Resorts; Gold Sponsor: Service Electric Company/Sunrider Productions; and Silver Sponsors: Bristol-Myers Squibb and M.A.C. VIVA GLAM. For information on ticket availability for An Enduring Vision, please contact Matt Blinstrubas at +1.212.219.0670.
  
  Over the past seven years, An Enduring Vision has grown into a major source of funding for EJAF and for the Community Challenge Grant program EJAF supports through the National AIDS Fund. Since its founding in 1992, EJAF has raised over $150 million to support HIV/AIDS prevention, stigma reduction, and service programs in 55 countries around the globe.
  
  

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• An Enduring Vision
  Wednesday, November 12 2008 at 07:39:37
  
• 6th Annual "An Enduring Vision"
  Wednesday, September 26 2007 at 14:52:40
  
• An enduring vision
  Monday, October 2 2006 at 14:51:13
  
  

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  Elton John figurine to appear in nativity scene Thursday, September 10 2009

  A figurine of Elton John will be added to the southern Italian city of Naples' nativity scene this year.

  Elton is due to give a concert in Naples on September 11, 2009. "I intended to celebrate the return to Naples of this great artist after 36 years, with a statue that will be included in this year's nativity scene," said prominent artisan and master craftsman, Genny Di Virgilio, in an interview with Adnkronos.
  
  "Tomorrow, I will be most likely the person who gives Elton John the figurine I created for him," he said. The 28 centimetre high statue created by Virgilio shows Elton sitting in front of his piano, wearing his distinctive glasses and one of his outfits, while a crowd of people applauds him in Naples' central Piazza del Plebiscito - the venue for his concert.
  
  "When he first came to Naples, Elton was at the start of his brilliant career, and he now returns as a champion of world music," he said. Unconfirmed Italian media reports say the star received 750,000 euros for the free concert as part of Naples ancient annual festival of Piedigrotta.

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  Elton John is to visit Donetsk Thursday, September 10 2009

  A press conference with Elton John will be held in Donetsk on Saturday, September 12, 2009.

  The founder of ANTIAIDS fund Elena Franchuk and the head of the coordinating council of All-Ukrainian Network of People living with HIV Vladimir Zhovtyak will also participate at a press conference.
  
  A meeting will be devoted to the first results of the project with a name "Children". This is a joint project of Elena Franchuk's ANTIAIDS and Elton John's AIDS Foundation aimed to help children affected by HIV / AIDS.
  
  It is not Elton John's first visit to Ukraine. He has held a free concert on June 16, 2007 at the Independence Square in Kyiv.

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  Elton speaks out against disconnecting accused infringers Sunday, September 6 2009

  Elton John, Paul McCartney and other prominent British musicians have spoken out against the government's ridiculous proposal to disconnect people who've been accused of infringing on copyright from the Internet, calling it 'expensive, illogical and "extraordinarily negative".'

  Cutting entire families off from access to e-government, health information, work, education, friends, family, and freedom of expression freedom of assembly and freedom of the press because someone accused one member of infringing copyright is terrible.
  
  The UK government's own research shows that households without Internet access operate at a huge disadvantage, paying more for basic necessities than online counterparts -- everything from premiums on their phone- and gas-service because they can't opt for electronic statements to missing out on jobs and other opportunities. To treat the Internet as a luxury item that can be taken away from whole housefulls of people because one member has been accused of a civil infraction flies in the face of justice, proportionality and due process. Civilised countries don't engage in collective punishment.
  
  In a statement seen by the Guardian, a coalition of bodies representing a range of stars including Sir Paul McCartney, Sir Elton John and Damon Albarn attacks the proposals as expensive, illogical and "extraordinarily negative". The Featured Artists Coalition (FAC), the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors (Basca) and the Music Producers Guild (MPG) have joined forces to oppose the proposals to reintroduce the threat of disconnection for persistent file sharers, which was ruled out in the government's Digital Britain report in June 2009.
  
  The plans have already been attacked by privacy campaigners, internet service providers and a range of MPs, some of whom accuse the business secretary of being influenced by secret meetings with senior figures from the music and film industry, a charge he denies. The coalition accuses the government of being backward looking, saying there is "little support from logic" in proposals to cut off file sharers - a move welcomed by the record companies and UK Music, the umbrella body for the entire industry.
  
  The statement says: "We vehemently oppose the proposals being made and suggest that the stick is now in danger of being way out of proportion to the carrot. The failure of 30,000 US lawsuits against consumers and the cessation of the pursuit of that policy should be demonstration enough that this is not a policy that any future-minded UK government should pursue."

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  Guy Babylon condolences Friday, September 4 2009

  We are aware that many fans might wish to convey words of condolence to Guy's family.

  You can either do that via guybabylonfan.net or through East End Lights either by email at eastendlights91@hotmail.com or by mail at East End Lights, 11-4040 Creditview Rd, Box 188, Mississauga, Ontario. L5C 3Y8 - Canada.
  
  Kevin Bell of East End Lights had an opportunity to speak with Davey Johnstone, who stated that he was "devastated". Davey explained that Guy would go swimming several times a week, however on September 2, 2009, Guy began suffering chest pains during his swim, which quickly excelerated into a severe heart attack. Davey asked Kevin to relay a message out to the Elton John fans for us to pray for Guy's family.
  
  Meanwhile, according to a report in the Carroll County Times, family members said the cause of death was unknown as of September 3, 2009. They are waiting on autopsy results. Funeral arrangements will be announced later, family members said. A memorial service will be held in Los Angeles the week of September 7, 2009.
  
  Guy joined Elton’s band in 1988. He became lead keyboardist in 1992. In 2001, Guy won a Grammy award for arranging the stage musical “Aida.”
  
  Music wasn’t the only thing that Babylon was good at. He was also quite the athlete, his sister Donna Babylon told the Carroll County Times on September 3, 2009. Guy was a competitive swimmer, attending the University of South Florida on a full scholarship. He also was a champion high jumper in high school, having won a state championship and holding Francis Scott Key’s high jumping record for 10 years. He also played basketball.
  
  “We’re lucky he made it through life without a broken bone,” joked his mother, Mary Babylon. “He was all boy.” The family owns Babylon Vault Co. Inc. in New Windsor. The company manufactures septic tanks and concrete burial vaults. Guy’s father Graham wanted him to take over. Guy had other plans.
  
  Donna Babylon remembered the day her little brother left New Windsor for Los Angeles. It was January 1, 1980. Guy’s pickup was packed and it was snowing. Nothing could stop him, not even the weather. “Guy tried [the family business] but he had a dream and followed his dream,” Donna remembered. “He pulled out of the driveway in a snowstorm and never looked back.”
  
  No matter how big he got, Guy still had that small town charm in his soul. He loved tomatoes from his mother’s New Windsor garden and never ate ones grown in California. Mary Babylon would ship her son boxes of tomatoes twice a summer. “He’s got his son believing that the only good tomatoes are from Maryland,” Donna Babylon joked.
  
  Guy leaves behind a wife, Kathy, and three children, Max, Ben and Jessica. They live in Agoura Hills, CA. Guy was a serious family man, his sister said. When he wasn’t touring, he was at Max’s ball games or helping Ben craft songs. “They were the happiest family,” she said. “When they were together, it was magic.”
  
  Donna Babylon said the last time she saw her brother perform was in Washington, D.C., in July 2009. She said his music will be his legacy. “He shared his gift and his love of music and talent with the world,” she said. “We are lucky to have it.”
  
  

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• R.I.P. Guy Babylon
  Thursday, September 3 2009 at 10:07:21
  
  

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  R.I.P. Guy Babylon Thursday, September 3 2009

  December 20, 1956 - September 2, 2009

  Hercules has learned that Elton John band member Guy Babylon has died of a heart attack while swimming in the pool. He was only 52.
  
  Everyone who knew Guy knows that he wasn't only a very talented keyboard player, arranger and composer, but also one of the nicest persons on the planet. So the Elton John band is not only loosing an irreplacable musician, the Elton John band and the Elton fan community are loosing a wonderful person that will be greatly missed.
  
  We would like to convey our deepest and sincere sympathy to Guy's family: We are thinking of you at this very difficult time.
  
  This is a very sad day and everyone in the Hercules team still is in deep shock.

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  It's a little bit funny ... yes, indeed! Tuesday, September 1 2009

  A ridiculous discussion has been started by the British press: Elton is using an autocue! Scandal! Yeah, as if we didn't know.

  After almost 40 years of performing "Your Song", Elton John ought to know the words by now, the papers say. Yet at a private birthday gig in Monaco, he could clearly be seen using an autocue. Even the opening line - 'It's a little bit funny, this feeling inside' - was on the screen at the Hotel De Paris, Monte Carlo.
  
  The device was hidden from the audience behind a flower arrangement. In a picture, Elton appears to be leaning towards it as if to make out the words on the screen, the papers continue. We are in deep shock, aren't we!?
  
  What makes this story even more bizzare is this: Elton's publicists vehemently denied that Elton needed the prompter to help him remember the words. They insisted it was merely to make sure he kept to the correct running order during an hour-long medley of hits.
  
  So what! Elton is far from being alone in his use of the autocue. Sir Mick Jagger also follows the screen during his high-energy performances with the Rolling Stones. Brian Larter, managing director of the autocue firm Autoscript UK, said: "Everyone uses them, from Macca to Elton." Billy Joel even does it openly by putting a lyrics book on top of his piano.

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