Elton John's playing in Colorado Springs tonight (why not Denver?) and here are some fascinating facts about him:
• Yesterday he gave a concert in Laramie, Wyo., a benefit for the Matthew Shepard Foundation, founded by Dennis and Judy Shepard in memory of their 21-year old gay son, Matthew, who was murdered in Laramie in October 1998. The Foundation seeks to "Replace Hate with Understanding, Compassion & Acceptance."
• John recently released his own style of Apple iPod, called the "Starburst." Designed exclusively for the Elton John AIDS Foundation (EJAF), a percentage of the profits from sales of the Swarovski crystal-encrusted iPods will go to charity and will benefit many HIV/AIDS programs across 15 countries and four continents funded by EJAF, a nonprofit organization founded by John in 1993.
• In December 2008, a London High Court ruled against John in his defamation case against Marina Hyde and The Guardian. He had claimed that the spoof column satirizing his charity work was a personal attack on him by the newsmagazine. The judge disagreed. The article poked fun at John and joked that he held events such as the White Tie Ball for self-promotion and to meet celebrities and not to raise serious funds. In the spoof, John recounts singing "Happy Birthday" to former South African President Nelson Mandela, "I love you, you adorable, apartheid-fighting teddy bear."
• The reworked version of "Candle in the Wind," titled "Goodbye England's Rose," released in tribute to the late Princess Diana, remains the highest-selling single in history, with more than 33 million copies sold.
• John owns a Cocker Spaniel named Arthur. In the civil-partnership ceremony of John and Davide Furnish at the Windsor's Guildhall, they were told that pets were not allowed on the premises. They made Arthur the "Best Man" to allow the dog to attend.
• Elton John, then Reginald Dwight, started his showbiz career at 15, playing piano gigs at a neighborhood pub. He played everything from Jim Reeves country songs ("He'll Have to Go") to Irish folk numbers ("When Irish Eyes Are Smiling"), decades-old ditties ("Beer Barrel Polka"), hits of the day ("King of the Road"), and a few originals.
• His first hit single, "Your Song," is ranked No. 70 on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of Rock & Roll.
• John Lennon asked John to be the godfather to his son, Sean.
• During his first year of eligibility (25 years since releasing his debut album), John was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994.
• In 1979, John was one of the first Western entertainers to perform in the USSR and in Israel.
