Meeting Elton John
It was going to be a special event hosted by MCA Records, the record company I worked, for was staging a listening party to keynote the affair. The place chosen for the gathering was taking place in a local soundstage. A small and intimate area.
Tables ringed the floor with food and wine. Across the way stood a beautiful grand piano, which I thought was for ambience. Among the invited were record store managers and their buyers. I was there with the rest of the office staff, which made up the Dallas/Fort Worth market. We were all full of anticipation, like children on Christmas morning, because the guest of honor was none other than Elton John. We were celebrating the labels first release with him. The album cover is also famous, it displays all the signature costumes Elton wore on stage.
When he walked in, all eyes fell on him. What none of us expected is he wasn’t in one of his costumes. Instead, he was dressed like someone you might see in a mall. In his everyday clothes – a sweater and slacks – he quickly strolled over to the grand piano as if it was a magnet.
He tinkled the piano keys, as if checking to make sure it was in tune, and then sat down and started playing. Time seemed to slip away, and for 3-4 hours Elton John played a medley and sang the words of all his songs. Those of us lucky enough to be in the room circled the piano sipping wine and watching his hands glide along the keys. It was a surreal moment for me, listening to the voice and music that I’d heard for so long on the radio. It was a very close encounter that seemed to last much longer than a wish.
Up until that evening, I had never been a huge fan of Elton John – I prefer my rock with a bit more edge – but, when I left the party that evening, my opinion had changed. A fan for life, I will always cherish the memories of my evening with Sir Elton John.
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