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Access Atlanta > Blog > Archives > 2007 > October > 23 > Entry
‘Elton John 60’ DVD set packed with sweet gems
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
For Elton John fans, this year’s 60th birthday celebration may double as a one-of-a-kind gift this holiday season. The Peachtree Road resident’s reps thoughtfully sent Buzz Central a review copy of the new “Elton John 60: Live at Madison Square Garden” DVD set.
Surprisingly, the entire 3 1/2-hour evening from March 25 remains intact for fans who weren’t fortunate enough to be in the New York arena (traditionally, these things wind up edited for length). Elton aficionados get the full concert experience from his opening song “Sixty Years On” to the final chords of “Your Song.”
In addition to the beautifully produced show, the two disc set also contains “Live, Rare and Unseen” concert footage dating from his earliest shaggy haired appearances on Swiss TV in 1970 to a 2006 “In Session” taping. For rarities-seeking fans, however, a four-song mini set from Edinburgh’s Playhouse Theatre shot in Scotland on Sept. 17, 1976, is a major find.
Another nice touch? Scissor Sisters frontman Jake Shears provides a thoughtful essay in the set’s accompanying 36-page program booklet. In it, the singer details his first close encounter with an Elton John LP: Shears came across a used copy of “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” in a junk shop while searching for a couch with $50 in his pocket and ended up with the album and nothing to sit on.
He also provides a touching tale from the 60th birthday show where he was seated in MSG near an incredibly animated Brian Wilson, one of Sir Elton’s musical heroes. When Shears later dished about the Beach Boys legend’s behavior to his equally famous friend, Shears writes: ” ‘Did he like it?’ [Elton] asked eagerly. ‘Like it? I thought he was going to rush the stage,’ I replied. ‘Oh, God,’ he sighed like a teenager. ‘I just love him so much.’ “
Perhaps, the only thing missing from the package? Our fave celebrity sighting from Section 76, where Buzz observed with amusement as an extremely polite Elton fan and “24” action hero Kiefer Sutherland nearly got tossed from the arena by a maroon-suited usher when TV’s Jack Bauer couldn’t immediately produce his all-access laminate.
‘Paparazzi,’ ‘Gossip’ and a good cause As every other hipster nightspot is seemingly readying an All Hallow’s Eve-themed event this weekend, Geisha House at Atlantic Station has opted for a more “upscale and sexy” route.
On Saturday, beginning at 10 p.m., the eatery presents “Paparazzi,” a benefit for the National Breast Cancer Foundation. Motorcars of Georgia has graciously donated a Lotus luxury automobile to be raffled off at the event (raffle tickets are $100) for the charity. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased at maumaus.com.
In addition, the evening is a closing night party for “Gossip, Lies and Secrets,” the Angela Barrow-Dunlap play running this week at the Boisfeuillet Jones Atlanta Civic Center. Its stars, including Malik Yoba, Blu Cantrell, Lisa Raye and Kenya Moore, are scheduled to walk the red carpet as is rapper Young Jeezy, who we’re told already has RSVP-ed.
So how do you go about getting a high-end auto donated to a fund-raiser?
“You ask really nicely,” Dolce Group special events director Clayton Morey told Buzz when we inquired Tuesday. “We’re expecting a capacity crowd of 600. It’s the first big fund-raiser at Geisha House in Atlanta. We’re looking forward to doing more.”
Katz feted in NYC for excellent spirit Three music industry A-listers, including Atlanta’s Greenberg Traurig law firm’s entertainment law chairman Joel A. Katz, were scheduled to be honored at the T.J. Martell Foundation 32nd Annual Awards Gala in New York on Tuesday night.
Katz (or as we refer to him at Buzz, the miracle worker who de-Dubai-ed Dallas Austin last year) was feted along with Sirius Satellite Radio CEO Mel Karmazin and Motown Records founder Berry Gordy.
Katz received the organization’s Spirit of Excellence Award. Each honoree was selected “for his personal involvement and long-term support of the Martell’s mission to fund research for treatments and cures for leukemia, cancer and pediatric AIDS.”
Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, Michael McDonald, Boys II Men and Natasha Bedingfield were among the evening’s scheduled entertainers.
Amanpour honored by Queen Elizabeth For her services to journalism, globe-trotting CNN reporter Christiane Amanpour was awarded the Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) from Queen Elizabeth II Tuesday.
CNN’s chief international correspondent “is one of a very small number of journalists to have received the CBE,” CNN reps tell Buzz. Her investiture by the Queen took place in Buckingham Palace, where Amanpour was accompanied by her parents, husband and son.
Amanpour told CNN after the ceremony: “What’s important to recognize in the current climate is that, with so much lack of seriousness, so much weight put to sensationalism and tabloidism, I think this is — I say for myself personally — a really nice moment to recognize that actually serious journalism is being recognized.”
Given that we were busy tilting our head and watching “The View,” trying to discern what plastic surgeon hack has been allowed near Mariah Carey while Amanpour was on CNN Tuesday, we’re a tish embarrassed …
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS Former Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman is 71. Actor F. Murray Abraham is 68. Actor Kevin Kline is 60. Singer Monica is 27. Singer-actress Adrienne Bailon of 3LW (“The Cheetah Girls”) is 24.
ON MY iPOD J Holiday, Atlanta R&B singer: “Believe it or not, I just downloaded Jay-Z’s ‘Black Album.’ I know, I’m late. But it’s not like [four] years later it still isn’t good.”
Contributing: Sonia Murray and news services
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