Times Square Gossip

**** THE GLORIOUS CORNER Story By: G.H. Harding **** Elton John ELTON’S PIANO --- On July 1, 2014, Eagle Rock will release The Million Dollar Piano by the inimitable Elton John. This amazing show was filmed in high definition and will be simultaneously released on Blu-ray and DVD. Million Dollar Piano is packed with John classics including: “I’m Still Standing,” “Rocket Man,” “Philadelphia Freedom,” “Your Song,” “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road,” “Circle Of Life,” “Blue Eyes,” “Bennie And The Jets,” “Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me,” “Crocodile Rock,” “I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues,” and many more.  Also included is the track “Indian Sunset,” (from John's brilliant 1971 Madman Across The Water album) performed by John with percussionist Ray Cooper. Cooper, who did the so-called two-man show with John in Russia all those years ago, is stand-out spectacular. It is, without a doubt, a major highlight in the package. The Million Dolla...

Elton John And David Furnish The Band Perry Quincy Jones David Spade Britt Eckland With Sharon Osborne And Kelly Osborne Britt Eckland along with Sharon Osborne, Kelly Osborne, David Spade, Quincy Jones, The Band Perry,  Elton John and David Furnish, were snapped arriving at The FIZZ Grand Opening at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada last night. Photos By: RD/ Kabik/ Retna Digital

**** THE GLORIOUS CORNER Story By: G. H. HARDING   **** Great Ratings For Scott Shannon NYC Return GABRIEL BACK TO FRONT --- On Wednesday, April 23 at 7:30 p.m., Fathom Events, More2Screen, Eagle Rock Entertainment and Real World will take U.S. moviegoers on a VIP experience for an exclusive concert event, Peter Gabriel: Back to Front. Pre-recorded in October 2013 at London’s O2, the show celebrates one of the most pioneering and innovative artists of modern times, who will be honored with an induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame this April. Directed by BAFTA winning director Hamish Hamilton, Peter Gabriel: Back to Front reunites Gabriel’s original touring ban (including David Rhodes, Tony Levin and David Sancious) from 1986 to mark the 25th anniversary of the landmark album So (released in 1986). The concert includes hits like, “Solsbury Hill,” “Digging in the Dirt,” “Sledgehammer,” “Mercy Street” and “Don't Give Up.” Gabriel continues to be at t...

**** THE GLORIOUS CORNER Story By: G. H. HARDING **** Cyndi Lauper FOR A SONG --- The Songwriters Hall of Fame has announced the five artists and writers to be inducted on June 12. Making the cut are: Ray Davies (The Kinks - "Lola," "Waterloo Sunset," "You Really Got Me"); Donovan ("Hurdy Gurdy Man," "Catch The Wind"); Graham Gouldman ("For Your Love," "Bus Stop"); Jim Weatherly ("Midnight Train To Georgia") and, Mark James ("Hooked On A Feeling," "Suspicious Minds"). Jimmy Webb, chairman of the Songwriters Hall of Fame, said "Each of our 2014 inductees has been responsible for captivating the world with their creativity for decades, serving up a rich variety of songs for our global soundtrack. We are looking forward to celebrating their contributions at our Annual Awards Gala." The gala will be held on Thursday, June 12 at the Ma...

**** THE GLORIOUS CORNER By: G. H. HARDING **** Elton John ELTON’s 64th AT THE GARDEN --- I’ve seen Elton John many, many times over the years; I was there when Andy Warhol dropped by and, there when he brought out Debbie Gibson and Billy Joel to sing “Lucy In The Sky with Diamonds.” Last night, I saw him again at NYC’s Madison Square Garden, his 64th show there, and I think it was the best show I've ever seen him do. His latest album The Diving Board has been pretty much overlooked by rock radio, although there are some tremendous tracks there, including “Home Again” –which he did perform last night- “Oscar Wilde Gets Out” and the title track which sadly were not. That said, the entire show was clearly a look back at his career with special emphasis on his ground-breaking 1973 album, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road – which is due for a special re-issue next year. Opening as usual with “Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding”, he also did one of m...

  **** THE GLORIOUS CORNER By: G. H. Harding **** Lance Armstrong THE ARMSTRONG LIE --- Last night we caught a special sneak at the Sony screening room of Alex Gibney’s much anticipated and talked about new movie, The Armstrong Lie. In 2008, filmmaker Gibney set out to make a documentary about Lance Armstrong’s comeback to the world of competitive cycling. Armstrong had brought global attention to cycling as the man who had triumphed over cancer and went on to win bicycling’s greatest race, the Tour de France, a record seven consecutive times. More than just an athlete, Armstrong had come to embody nothing short of the possibilities of the human spirit itself.  In 2013, Armstrong had admitted to using performance enhancing drugs and an investigation by the US Anti-Doping Agency effectively stripped Armstrong of all seven of his previous titles and banned him from all sport for life). Setting out to chronicle his comeback, The Armstrong Lie (ope...

**** THE GLORIOUS CORNER By: G.H. Harding **** Elton John ELTON’S DIVING BOARD --- We just received the latest CD from Elton John, The Diving Board, and love it. It’s his first solo album in six years and first recording since EJ’s stirring collaboration with Leon Russell and T. Bone Burnett (The Union) in 2006; T. Bone arguably the producer of the moment, along with England’s Paul Epworth. The first single “Home Again” immediately won me over with its stark lyrics and mood of reflection and renewal. The video, if you've not seen it, is just dazzling. It certainly harks back, as does the whole album to his early Tumbleweed Connection days. It immediately ranks with John and Bernie Taupin’s best works. We also instantly loved “Oscar Wild Gets Out” with its whimsical and dynamic piano work. People may forget, but EJ is a first-class musician, and two instrumentals here (including the stellar “Quicksand”), more than prove that. “Can'...

 ****  THE GLORIOUS CORNER  By: G. H. HARDING  **** Elton John ELTON’S 30th --- Next month, Elton’s John’s 30th album will be released. This one’s called The Diving Board and features just a delicious album cover; which we received via Rocket’s Tony King. It’s his first solo album since his The Captain & the Kid, which came out in September of 2006.  John says, “This is the most exciting solo record I've done in a long, long time, it was written in two days.” As quick as that might sound, it’s been par for the course for him and writing partner Bernie Taupin; they've worked together for four decades. Adds producer T-Bone Burnett, “I saw Elton at the Troubadour in 1970, in a legendary week of shows. Those shows never left me. A three-piece band -- piano, bass and drums, like one enormous instrument -- just killing it. So we started from there. I wanted to be able to superimpose this recording over my memory ...

Rebecca Wang Elton John has garnered support from some of the world's most philanthropic icons in the entertainment industry and with the recent endorsement Rebecca Wang, she continues to add to that distinguished list. A key benefactor at the 19th Annual Oscar Viewing Party, Rebecca Wang resumed her position again for a second-straight year this year as benefactor of the Elton John AIDS Foundation Viewing Party. This annual Oscar Viewing Party has taken place since 1992 and has been a showcase of elegance and generosity for two decades as Hollywood's most iconic stars gather during the Academy Awards to donate their time and money to fight the epidemic of HIV/AIDS. Following Elton's viewing party, Rebecca Wang attended the exclusive Vanity Fair party as guest of the magazine's long time editor Graydon Carter. Rebecca Wang, based out of London and Los Angeles, is an executive producer, philanthropist, and entrepreneur. Her first Hollywood film, PASSION PLAY, features r...

**** THE WEB GOSSIP **** Katy Perry AMAs – I watched last weekend’s AMAs and rather enjoyed it; fortunately this time around I knew most of the acts performing and presenting. Maroon 5 (currently riding the tops of the charts with their “Moves Like Jagger”) were just terrific. Since this band first hit big in 2005, they've been delivering some simply delicious music; sort of a pastiche of pure pop music and Stevie Wonder; and, Adam Levine has a voice that was made for TV and radio. When I first heard “Jagger” I knew it'd quickly become a massive hit. Sure enough, guest-vocalist Christina Aguilera showed up; looking a bit of a mess, if I can say. Amid all the rumors of tensions between her and Levine (they're both judges on NBC’s The Voice and have clashed repeatedly on the show!), when they finished the song, she stormed off … not even acknowledging Levine. Staged? Hard to tell, but it was noticed by almost every critic and certainly didn't do anything to change her s...