What's the pretention of this celebration? Well, for one side, to pay my homage to the eltonites I've ever met: for their rellevance, for their contribution of Elton's world. On the other side, ask for their Top 30 Elton John songs in running order, delivering the votes of each song to AllSongsList itself. Our guest is one of them, so "Elton" Jim Turano is a perfect choice to start. A multi-talented man, a man for everything. The man behind the 1976 Elton pair of glasses. Casual listeners of WGN's "Garry Meier" radio show knows him as "Elton Jim". Readers of ones of the most notable books (and articles) about Elton, from a fan point of view, from a fan to a fan writing, got his name on the credits. On November 2013 he attended his 150th Elton John Show and Elton himself recognize it and thank him publicly for being such a loyal fan through the years. In fact, his best memorable eltonite moment is when he bought first record at the age of 9. It was the vinyl single of "Crocodile Rock" in 1973, the one with the black MCA label and paper sleeve. First concert? in 1976. He wouldn't and won't ever forget the thrill that flowed when lights went down and Elton appeared on stage. Elton, the man he saw on TV, he listened on the radio, he was there, live, in the flesh. Same feelings came on his 150th live show seeing Elton. Will he stop seeing Elton John concerts? Well, he says: "I think it's gonna be a long long time!". That's our first rellevant guest: Jim Turano, one of AllSongsList's fifth Of A Kind.
James Turano, born and raised in Chicago, Illinois in the United States, has been an Elton John fan for more than 40 years, and in November, 2013, attended his 150th Elton John concert. Since 2003, he has written the text for eight official Elton John concert programs sold throughout the world, and has been a contributor to Elton’s official website, eltonjohn.com, since its inception in 2001. From 1992-2003, he was also a contributing writer and later editor of the respected Elton John fanzine, East End Lights. He also co-hosted four East End Lights’ “Elton Expo” conventions in Atlanta, Cleveland, Los Angeles and New York. Turano has interviewed many important players in John’s career including his longtime lyricist Bernie Taupin, and original band members Davey Johnstone and Nigel Olsson, among others. He wrote the liner notes for the award-winning 1998 album release, “Crop Circles,” by Johnstone and John Jorgenson, two guitarists in Elton John’s band, and contributed 40 album reviews to the book, “The Elton John Scrapbook.” In November 2001, Turano was featured on VH1’s series “Fan Club,” on an episode that highlighted Elton John and his fans (this segment can be viewed at www.youtube.com, and searching for “Elton Jim”), and he is currently known as “Elton” Jim on “The Garry Meier Show,” a popular daily afternoon drive time radio talk show on WGN-AM-720 in Chicago. He has worked in the Chicago media and arts for almost 30 years as a newspaper and magazine writer, columnist, reporter and editor, radio talk show host, an executive with the international public relations firm of Hill & Knowlton, and since 2003, as an actor, with various theater groups in the Chicago area.
Picture courtesy of Jim Turano
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