Thursday, September 19, 2013

Elton John Returns to Washington, DC After 8 Years


From our friends at Monumental Network...

After eight years, Elton John and his band return to DC’s Verizon Center on Thursday, Nov. 14. The 13-city tour will feature iconic hits and classic album tracks from throughout his incredible five-decade career, as well as a selection of new songs from his highly-anticipated album, The Diving Board, which will be released by Capitol Records on September 24.

Elton John’s band includes Davey Johnstone on guitar, Matt Bissonette on bass, John Mahon on percussion, Nigel Olsson on drums, and Kim Bullard on keyboards.

“Sir Elton, the iconic performer, makes his triumphant return to DC’s Verizon Center. Another incredible evening of hits not to be missed. This will be the musical event of the season for the Washington area,” says David Touhey, general manager of Verizon Center.

Tickets go on sale to the public Friday, September 20 at 10 a.m.

The Diving Board, which is produced by T Bone Burnett, features 12 new songs written by Elton and his longtime lyricist Bernie Taupin. The new album returns Elton to the piano, bass and drums lineup that marked the artist’s introduction to worldwide audiences more than 40 years ago. As he explains, “I’m incredibly excited about every aspect of this album: The performances, T Bone’s production, Bernie’s lyrics and the songs we’ve created. The Diving Board is the album I’ve been waiting to make for decades.” The Diving Board is available for presale now on EltonJohn.com.

Elton is one of the top-selling solo artists of all time, with 35 gold and 25 platinum albums, 29 consecutive Top 40 hits, and he has sold more than 250 million records worldwide. Elton holds the record for the biggest selling single of all time, “Candle in the Wind ’97,” which sold 37 million copies. He also holds the record for most appearances on Billboard‘s Adult Contemporary chart, with his newest single, “Home Again” marking his 69th entry. Since his career began in 1969 he has played almost 3,000 concerts worldwide. John has recently been named the first recipient of the BRITs Icon Award, which recognizes the very highest level of British music achievement, presented only to iconic artists whose writing, recording and performances set them apart as having made a lasting impact on the nation’s culture.