Elton John

Y’all! 

October 1, 2019. A day I will never ever forget. I got to see live in concert, SIR ELTON JOHN. 
I mean....to a fan girl...I AM LIVING THE DREAM. Let me paint a picture for you: 

It’s 1970-something...I am an awkward kid in the country. Star Wars hasn’t come out yet even (I judge my whole youth by “Before or After Star Wars”). Music is at the center of my world. It is EVERYTHING. No, today’s generation just does not understand. Yep I just said that—I have officially reached elder status. MUSIC. IS. EVERYTHING. And at the center of it is Elton John. In the mornings & summers I would get up and go into the kitchen to hear the radio playing while breakfast was being made, coffee brewed. Usually the country western station—Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton...but if we were lucky and the parents were distracted...we tuned the radio to AM KRXK where we would hear songs from another genre—Sonny & Cher, The Jackson 5, Donny Osmond, Aretha Franklin....and Elton John. OMG I LOVED ELTON JOHN. I remember going outside to ride my bike and hearing my brother’s 8-track blaring

“All the young girls love Alice, Tender young Alice, they say—Come over and see me...Come over and please me..Alice, it's my turn today....” (I wouldn’t find out until I was a full on adult what that song was about btw). I had to have that album.

“B-B-B - Bennie and the Jetsssss...ah Ben she’s really keen!” (Like Nancy Drew..shes the only other person I knew of in 1974 that was keen). 

“The Cat Let Me in the Penthouse...” yeah, you heard it right. Out of all the misheard lyrics of my youth, Sir Elton John is #1 at the top of my list. I STILL stand by that lyric. He sings about farms, owls, dogs, and toads for heavens sake! Anyway....I didn’t have an 8-track, but I did have an old record player AND my sister had a cassette player. I had to have all of his albums from then on out, and with a little help with just a penny and Columbia House, that was possible more than a couple of times with some glaring misspellings of my name (they never did check, and it’s probably why my credit score is still so low).

“It’s a little bit funny....this feelin inside...I’m not one of those who can...easily hide....” (This is the song I think of when I think of my oldest brother). 

“Don’t go breakin my heart...I couldn’t if I tried....oh honey if I get restless...baby you’re not that kind..” (I would sing this song in my car for YEARS with Elton John before Carpool Karaoke, James Cardon, you stole my thunder). 

“I remember when rock was young...me and suzie had so much fun....holdin hands and skimmin stones...had an old gold Chevy and a place of my own...” (my 5th grade had traveling music teachers that would come around to the area country schools and teach music time. They were a high on weed hippie type duo that I’m pretty sure lived in a van—anyway, this was one of the songs we would sing—this one and “Puff the Magic Dragon..”). 

“When I look back, boy I must have been green...boppin in the country...fishin in a stream...” (I did this song at my sophomore talent show dressed up as Elton John. I had GIANT blue glasses and a yellow boah with white platform boots and some bedazzled overalls. I did you proud EJ. I didn’t win any prizes though. Stupid baton whirling “Dancing Queens” from the Drill team did—whatever, I’m not bitter). 

“I’m still standing better than I ever did...lookin like a true survivor...feelin like a little kid...”  (Early HS, dressing up like music stars—I actually had a white straw hat. It was the 80s. I also had a red zipper jacket and a glove).  

I could write an entire book of memories I’ve had with just Elton John songs. Wow. I wonder if he thinks about stuff like that. My 81 year old mother knows who Elton John is and can sing at least 10 of his songs. My grandchildren can probably sing 20. That’s what kind of superstar he is AND I GOT TO SEE HIM in Saskatoon Canada. Eric drove us through the worst storm EVER in Montana/Canada history to get us there (it took us an extra day and a half to get there), and we thought we were going to die a couple of times along the way...but we made it...we saw him...AND WE WERE ON THE 4TH ROW. Not even that! There were TWO HEADS in front of me. Two people between me and EJ. I could see his eyelashes (Can I just say how much I love my husband?). And the concert...It was EVERYTHING and more than I knew it would be. And I knew every song but two—cried through most of them because of the specific memories.

Sir Elton John & Bernie Taupin...If by some fluke you ever read this, I mean this with every particle of my being: I LOVE YOU. I’m excited for your next adventure, I’m happy for your families that finally get to see you at home. 

Here are some pictures of our monumental adventure.