Welcome to Martin Tillman's Weekend!!!

This is a very special weekend for the site. We have one of best cellist players of our time. He is one person related to Elton, because he collaborated with him live and in the studio, a very good friend of Davey Johnstone (Davey is so proud of this magician of cello) and seeing him playing live is just MAGICAL. The reason to dedicate a Weekend to him is to celebrate the release of his last album: "Superhuman". If you had "A Year in Zurich" album, you understand what I mean. But this album transcends everything. Eltonites, that is not only an album of music. Martin's first sentence it is an statement of his intentions: "Superhuman (is composed) to trigger the spirit’s quest to elevate our endeavors and realize our superhuman strengths". Too mysthical? But no, life itself. When you understand the reason behind this source of creation, this powerful creation, you understand everything. No one could write like him, no one could play like him (magnificients Two Cellos', Hauser and Sulik, are fans too), but no many had seen the hardest part of life to go through when a very close familiar is suffering. Eva is behind one of bests works of Tillman for being a source of inspiration. Eva is Martin's wife who is suffering an unjustice illness. Pain? Yes and no. Eva is LOVE, is MAGIC. No regrets. A lesson of life for the ones who don't appreciate life as the most precious thing we have. Eva is powerful, Eva is stronger, Eva is admiration. And Martin recollect all of this is his album. Every song is a masterpiece on its own. Along with his cello, with the piano, he delivers a touchful performance counting with best session players around, big names of the scene, playing with most top artists of our world. All together in one solid project well executed live. If you had the chance they were close to your town, just go. Prefer intimate sessions? then Solo (with a wonderful session of lights). Prefer a rock band? 5 musicians and, as Martin is a perfeccionist and multitalented artist, you have dancers and singers. A complete piece orchestra? You got it! To my loving eltonites who love soundtracks and cinema, in extension, count how many albums Martin has credits. An endless list growing. Well, could't explain you more for now, just join AllSongsList to celebrate the Weekend, dedicated to a greatest artist of our time, and to celebrate the magnificient team the Tillmans are. Martin and Eva, my love and respect for you. Hope you enjoy as much as me doing this. Eltonites, thanks for being there and a big thank you to the ones who kindly collaborate to focus this two days on this.

Jack Rabbit

Celebrating 30 years of AllSongsList. My Tribute to the Most Rellevant Eltonites: now, Adam Chester (part One)

3. Adam Chester

When I had the list about those I chose to celebrate the event, I thought about ones related to Elton. He was on the top of my list. As Davey Johnstone told me on his question and answer website,  musinq.com, Chester is the one who learns all Elton's songs Davey may require for rehearsals. So, he's one of those who knows everything on Elton's catalogue. As he is an Eltonite since his youngness, the one who covered his walls with Elton's posters, the one who fell asleep listening "Someone Saved My Life Tonight". "Captain Fantastic" is one of his most favourites albums.

A brief bio about Adam Chester, reads he works as a professional composer, as we said, a piano player, as we know, and a singer-songwriter who is employed as the official "surrogate Elton": "he sits in the piano as Elton John, playing and singing while rehearsing", Davey explained. He's been playing the piano since the age of 4, and studied music composition at the University of Southern California. Adam's father, Elliott, died from cancer when he was 8. His mother took a job as a social worker for the juvenile courts in Miami to pay the bills. 

Adam provides a concert of contemporary favourites and his own compositions. His repertoire is far-ranging: anything from The Beatles to Gershwin, rock and roll to old standards. Also, Adam's compositions have been used in television, radio and films: for example, he provided the accompaniment for What's My Line Live on Stage. And his the primary musician  at Westside Unity Church, in Culver City.

Davey, of friend of his since the 80s, called him to join the band in 2005, for the Captain Fantastic's Boston and New York special shows. Adam arranged and conducted a large choir for Elton's 60th Birthday concert held in Madison Square Garden. He also recently composed the choral section of Elton's single, "Home Again", that was performed live by the Royal Academy Of Music Choir at the British Icon Awards in August of 2013, and at USC and the Grammy's last September by members of the USC Chorus.

Apart from being a brilliant composer and musician, he'd written a close autobiographical book. "S'Mother", released in 2011, tells the story of a man and his mum through some of the 1,000 letters she sent him advicing, updating news or making opinions, expanding her motherly instincts far away than the "miss you" and "how the things are going" kind of notes. Adam spent most of his life trying to run away from her, but where she couldn't reach him personally, the letters would. There's also a blogsite about this on: S'motherboard. In fact, first it was the blog and then, after he started receiving mails from therapists, religious wise men, conselours and other smothered sons and daughters, he decided to write the book.

More info on: adamchester.com
More videos on: www.youtube.com

Pictures courtesy of Adam Chester

Famous Austrian Eltonites

Anton "Toni" Polster was born March 10, 1964 in Vienna. He is a former Austrian football (soccer) striker,the all-time leading goalscorer for Austria and the singer of the austrian band Achtung Liebe. Polster made his professional league debut in August 1982 with the Austria Wien team , at 18 years of age. He won three league titles and the domestic cup before moving abroad to play a season for italian team Torino and spanish team Sevilla FC, among others. Polster was chosen in Austria's Team of the Century in 2001.

Last year, along with austrian football legends Hansi Krankl and Herbert Prohaska, he joined up with Gyula Harangozo the director of ballet at the Viennese State Opera and the Volksopera and Josef Metzger the Press Sports journalist to create the Ball Artist Association (Ball-Künstler Verein) with the aim of emphasising the connection between sport and culture.

Famous Utahnians Eltonites

Jewel Kilcher was born May 23, 1974 in Payson, Utah. Jewel grew up on an 800-acre homestead with her parents and two brothers. They had little in the way of modern conveniences; there was no television and the bathroom was an outhouse. She spent much of her free time writing in her journal, writing poems, and singing. At age six, she began singing with her parents in dinner shows in local hotels. Jewel never had a single guitar lesson. She taught herself, and watched other people who showed her a chord or two or a riff. At 15 she applied to a fine arts school in Michigan, called Interlochen, and was accepted on a partial scholarship. Soon she started performing at the Innerchange, a coffee shop in South Beach around 1993. Jewel was signed to Atlantic Records close to her 19th birthday. Her first record, a deeply introspective, live, voice-and-acoustic-guitar, modern folk collection called Pieces of You, sold about 3000 copies, nearly all in San Diego. Her debut poetry collection in 1998, A Night Without Armor, quickly became a mainstay of The New York Times bestseller list, with 29 printings and a remarkable million-plus copies sold. She has received three Grammy Award nominations and has sold twenty-seven million albums worldwide, and almost twenty million in the United States alone. Jewel was among the famous fans who attended Elton's Madison Square Garden Birthday.

Famous Croatians Eltonites

Slavica Radić is a former Armani model and was the wife of Formula 1 racing magnate Bernie Ecclestone. She was born in 1958 in Rijeka, Croatia (former Yugoslavia) and is the Patron of the croatian community based in London. The couple have two daughters, Tamara (born 1986) and Petra (born 1990). On March this year, she was given a ‘quickie divorce’ and granted a decree nisi in just 58 seconds on the grounds that the marriage with Bernie had “irretrievably” broken down due to the 78-year-old’s “unreasonable behaviour”.

She announced her arrival to the concert by Elton in Pula’s area, but what surprised the organizers of the festival is that she bought all 50 entrance tickets to the VIP area for that concert.

Famous Coloradans Eltonites

Brett Asa "Ace" Young was born on November 15, 1980 in Denver, Colorado. Young, who has been singing since the age of nine, attended voice lessons and performed at local shopping malls and recreation centers during his youth.[5] He performed at various venues in Colorado and other western states, most notably at the Pepsi Center in Denver. Young graduated from Fairview High School, his local high school, in 1999, having participated in athletics, choir, and International Baccalaureate classes during his school years.

He was contestant on season five of "American Idol". He received a GRAMMY NOMINATION for his co-write on DAUGHTRY's first single "IT'S NOT OVER". He referred to Elton as the one of his biggest musical influences growing up.

Famous Swedish Eltonites

Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Victoria, Victoria Ingrid Alice Desirée (born July 14, 1977), Duchess of Westrogothia, is the heir apparent of Sweden, being the first-born child of King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia. She was born a Princess, however constitutional reform, reportedly enacted over the objections of her father, created her crown princess and heir apparent on January 1, 1980. Victoria has worked as a trainee at the United Nations in New York and at the Swedish Embassy in Washington, DC, and she has also participated in a three week introductory course to the Swedish Defence Forces that aims to prepare its participants for international missions. Victoria has also studied conflict solving and international peacekeeping, completed an educational programme with the SIDA, Swedish International Development Agency, interned at the Swedish Trade Council in Berlin and Paris, and studied forestry and agriculture.

Mainstreet of Sweden started in the late fall of 2001. Since the start the band has been playing frequently around Sweden. During the spring of 2004, Mainstreet went into the studio and recorded their first album. At this time Mainstreet was an unsigned band. They decided to put in their own cash and managed to finish the first album by themselves. During 2005 Mainstreet got in contact with the record label Talking Music and were able to get signed and release their selftitled first album. It came out in May 2005. Mainstreet influences are Bruce Springsteen, Elton John and Ryan Adams.

Famous Chinese Eltonites

Zhang Ziyi was born the 9th of February 1980, in Beijing, China. When she was 11, she enrolled in the Central Drama Academy in Beijing where she received her dramatic training. Zhang Ziyi's calling was answered when she auditioned for a shampoo commercial, directed by Zhang Yimou, who used the commercial as a way to audition actresses for his upcoming film. Zhang Ziyi was the perfect choice for the part of a young, rural schoolgirl in love with a schoolteacher, and she was cast in the lead role of 1999's The Road Home, which won the Silver Bear award in the 2000 Berlin Film Festival, propelling Ziyi into the international limelight.

Zhang Ziyi attended the 2008 Elton John AIDS Foundation Oscars viewing party held at the Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood.

Famous Irish Eltonites

Pierce Brosnan was born on May 16, 1953 in Drogheda, County Louth, Ireland. At 20, he enrolled in drama school and while in London, performed in several West End stage productions. After graduating from the Drama Centre in 1975, Brosnan began working as an acting assistant stage manager at the York Theatre Royal, making his acting debut in Wait Until Dark. Within six months, he was selected by playwright Tennessee Williams to play the role of McCabe in the British première of The Red Devil Battery Sign. In 1982, Brosnan moved to southern California and rose to popularity in the United States playing the title role in the NBC romantic detective series Remington Steele. He first appeared as Bond in 1995's GoldenEye to much critical praise. His most successful and delightful non-Bond outing came in 1999, when he played the title role of the millionaire art thief in director John McTiernan's classy remake of "The Thomas Crown Affair".

He attended the Elton John's 60th Birthday Party.

Famous Canadian Eltonites

Shania Twain was born in Windsor Ontario, Canada, on the 28th augoust 1965. Music was Shania's life, she would skip classes in school to write songs in the music room and after graduation she played in bar bands that played anything from pop to rock. When she was 21 she moved to Toronto, to be a secretary by day and singer by night. Shania was just 22 when she had terrible news that her parents had be killed in a car accident. Twain cares for her three teenage siblings by singing at the upscale Deerhurst Resort in Huntsville, Ontario. Twain pursues her dreams in Nashville, signing a record deal with Mercury Nashville, which releases her 1993 self-titled debut album. Around that time, Twain begins writing songs over the phone with reclusive London-based producer Robert John "Mutt" Lange. In June 1993, after months of working together, they finally meet in person. By December, they're married.

She counts Elton John as her ''single most important musical influence''. The duo sang her "You're Still the One" and his "Something About The Way You Look Tonight" in this excerpt from "Shania Twain's Winter Break", during her concert in Miami in 1999.

Born James Eugene Carrey, on January 17, 1962, in Newmarket, Ontario, Canada. Jim Carrey grew up in a house full of fun and laughter and being the youngest of four children, he would often clown around to stand out from his siblings. When Jim was 15 he performed at Yuk Yuk's in Toronto, wearing a bright yellow suit made for him by his mother. At first he went down badly but with time and perseverance he soon began performing regularly on the Toronto club circuit, while supporting his family. After receiving positive feedback Jim decided to move to LA in 1979. Carrey began to look around for other performance outlets. He landed a part as a novice cartoonist in the short-lived sitcom "The Duck Factory" (1984); but hedidn't have a big success until 1994's Ace Ventura: Pet Detective. From there, Carrey's expressive face, expert mimicry skills, and physical brandof comedy kept the hits coming. He followed with The Mask (1994), Dumb andDumber (1994), Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls (1995), Batman Forever (1995),The CableGuy(1996), and Liar Liar (1997).

Jim joined in 1998 Elton in a rousing duet rendition of Elton's classic "Rocket Man." He came out on stage wearing one of Eltons red leather jackets with gold crosses adorend on it, and a pair of EJ's green glasses, with a red rose between his teeth. Elton started off the song and then two lines into it Jim started singing. He matched Elton note for note as they traded off verses, and split into harmony when the chorus came along. Jim messed up on a line of a song, but Elton corrected it. Then instead of singing "I think it's going to be a long long time" Jim said "I think it's going to be, friggin forever!" And then at the end Jim helped Elton by banging his head on the piano. After the show, Carrey was telling Elton about Kaufman, and explaining how the late comedian would get carried away by his alter ego, Vegas lounge lizard Tony Clifton. The vegetarian Kaufman, while channeling Clifton, would eat prime rib, drink Jack Daniels, and smoke. But when the Taxi star was back to his old self, he would clean out his polluted system by—get this—swallowing 30 feet of cheesecloth. John found the entire story fascinating, and decided to send Carrey a gift that would pay tribute to all three parts of his current psyche. The entertainer sent expensive red wine for the Carrey, Limburger cheese and magazines of large, naked over-50 women for Clifton, and 10 packages of cheesecloth for Kaufman.

During the happy 60th birthday evening Elton's partner David Furnish, who organised the glamorous event, introduced a short film tribute, featuring messages from Sir Paul McCartney, Rod Stewart, Celine Dion and Jim Carrey.

Famous Scottish Eltonites

Ewan Gordon McGregor was born March 31, 1971 in Crieff, Scotland. At 16, he left Crieff and Morrison Academy to join the Perth Repertory Theatre. McGregor studied drama for a year at Kirkcaldly in Fife, then enrolled at London's Guildhall School of Music and Drama for a three-year course. In 1999, McGregor starred in the blockbuster Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace as the young Obi-Wan Kenobi, a role originally made famous by Sir Alec Guinness in the original Star Wars trilogy. He crooned with and pined for Nicole Kidman in the award-winning Moulin Rouge.

David Sneddon was born on 15 September 1978, in Paisley, Scotland. He is a singer songwriter and one of the most musically gifted contestants to win a TV talent search. Sneddon has written chart hits worldwide for other artists and co-wrote the international hit "The Message" for UK soul artist Nate James. He studied music at school, and played lead roles in musicals both at school and at PACE Youth Theatre. "The person who has inspired me the most is Elton John. I love the Beatles, but as I was growing up, I always wanted to play the piano like him. I've never had any lessons, so he has been my only teacher.

Famous Illinoisans Eltonites

Jimmy Connors he was born James Scott Connors on September 2, 1952, in East St. Louis Illinois. Jimmy Connors won his first title in 1972 in Jacksonville, Florida. He is undoubtedly one of the greatest tennis players of all time: he won Wimbledon twice, in 1974 and 1982, and the Australian Open in 1974, also, he remained unchallenged for thirty years with his 161 weeks at the top of the ATP rankings. While Connors has been an eltonite since the 70s, Elton regarded Jimmy Connors as his Favorite ever Male Tennis Player, so they have mutual admiration and respect.

Born Cynthia Ann Crawford on February 20, 1966, in DeKalb, Illinois, Cindy Crawford was America's most celebrated fashion model and one of the most famous in the world. In 1983, she was a finalist in Elite Model Management's Look of the Year competition. She was discovered by chance by a newspaper photographer, who noticed then 16-year old Cindy at work during her summer job of detasselling corn and took a picture of her. Crawford became one of the first major "supermodels" and has appeared on over more than 600 magazines worldwide including Vogue, W, People, Harper's Bazaar, ELLE and Allure. A friend of Elton and a truly fan, Cindy Crawford and her husband Rande Gerber attended Elton John's birthday party at Hamburger Hamlet in Los Angeles, CA on March 27, 2009.

Famous Dutch Eltonites

Jamai was born on June 30, 1986 in Gouda, the Netherlands. He was the winner of the first series of Idols (Netherlands), the Dutch variant on Pop Idol. The rising star has since performed in a jam-packed stadiums and with his quadruple platinum single 'Step Right Up' he topped the charts for weeks on end. While he became a Holland's celebritie, Jamai can now visit his own wax statue at Madame Tussaud's in Amsterdam. He claims Elton as his hero and sang some of his songs, "Your Song" and "Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word", in the program's competition. He's said to own 28 pairs of glasses just to be like him.

Famous Israelian Eltonites

Sharon Cohen, professionally known as Dana International was born on 2nd February 1972 and she is an Israeli pop singer of a Yemenite Jewish origin. She is most famous for having won the 1998 Eurovision Song Contest with her song "Diva." She declared her admiration to Elton: "I won't be surprised if one day I will record a duet with Elton John" said Dana on an interview, "In all modesty, I think that there is no limit to what anyone can do, if he only believes in himself."

Born in Tel Aviv, Israel, on December 1946, to Hungarian Jewish parents, Uri Geller was named after a cousin who had been killed in a bus accident. At the age of 11, Geller and his family moved to Nicosia, Cyprus, where he attended a Catholic high school and learned English. Then at the age of 18 he served as a paratrooper in the Israeli Army, and was wounded in action during the 1967 Six-Day War. Geller first started to perform as a magician in nightclubs in Tel Aviv. By the 1970s, Geller became popular in the United States and Europe. He also received attention from the scientific community, who were interested in examining his psychic abilities. At the peak of his career in the 1970s, he worked full-time, performing for television audiences worldwide.

Uri Geller explained on the following article how John Lennon believed in extraterrestrials and the experience he related to him. He reminded that Thanksgiving Day, in 1974, with John and Elton and he wrote: "When we first met on November 28, 1974 he was suffering terribly from his separation from Yoko. His drug abuse, and drinking, linked to the sorrow of Yoko's recent miscarriage, had driven them apart, and John desperately wanted to mend the relationship.

He just didn't know how to make the first move. The night Lennon and I were introduced, Elton John was playing at Madison Square Gardens. Elton was trying to persuade the ex-Beatle to get up on stage with him, and John was torn -- he wanted to perform but he was scared.

Finally he turned to me and offered a deal, as though I were a negotiator sent by God: "I'll sing," he said, "but you have to make Yoko call me."

Like all of John's jokes, this one was a plea from the heart, wrapped in a sardonic quip. Yoko phoned John out of the blue, 36 hours later"

From Uri Geller's article "Experiences with UFOs: The Night the Aliens called John Lennon", on http://ufoexperiences.blogspot.com/2006/06/night-aliens-called-on-john-lennon.html

Famous English Eltonites

Prince Andrew, Duke of York, was bBorn on February 19, 1960, he is also known as "Randy Andy" for his reputation with women. A naval officer, he saw active duty in 1981 during the Falklands War. Andrew currently serves in the Diplomacy Section of the Naval Staff at the Ministry of Defense. At eight Andrew went to Heatherdown Preparatory School in Berkshire before following his older brother Charles to Gordonstoun School in Morayshire, Scotland in 1973. In 1977 Andrew spent seven months on a Round Square exchange at a school in Ontario, Canada. He returned to Gordonstoun and graduated with A-levels in English, history, economics and political science in mid-1979. In 1986, Andrew married Sarah Ferguson. As a wedding gift, Elton wrote an instrumental song for the couple called "H.R.H.", with snippets from "Song For Guy", a prince favourite.

Geri Halliwell was born to Laurence Francis Halliwell, who was of English/Swedish descent, and his wife Ana María (née Hidalgo), who was of Spanish descent from Huesca, Spain and who grew up in Watford, Hertfordshire. Halliwell took her A-Levels at Camden School for Girls having taken her GCSEs at Watford Girls Grammar School. Before starting her music career, Halliwell had worked as a nightclub dancer in Majorca (Spain), a model and presenter on the Turkish version of Let's Make a Deal and as a glamour model. Geri first found fame as one of the five members of the girl group the Spice Girls, and was dubbed Ginger Spice for her "liveliness, zest and flaming red hair". Halliwell likes Elton John, not only as a friend but as a fellow artist, too. She has chosen Madman Across the Water as her favourite album by the shopping-mad singing pianist. "This album makes me realise that I can like songs instinctively without understanding what the hell they're on about," she says. "There's a song called Tiny Dancer, which is tender and sweet. I think Bernie Taupin wrote it about his wife and I can't respond to it personally but it doesn't matter; it still moves me."

Born in Leytonstone on May 2, 1975, David Robert Joseph Beckham was a Manchester United fan from a very early age because soccer has always been the biggest thing in David Beckham's life. And precisely, Manchester United signed David to their youth training program when he was 14, and he began his pro football career at age 17. He made 394 appearances and scored 85 goals with Manchester United, before trading to Real Madrid for 23 million Euros. Beckham married Spice Girls star Victoria Adams ("Posh Spice") in July of 1999; the combination of the two heartthrobs proved irresistible to the press and public, and they became one of Britain's most famous couples.

Famous Californian Eltonites

Natalie Cole, born 6th February 1950 in Los Angeles, is the daughter of noted crooner Nat King Cole and former Duke Ellington Orchestra singer Maria Hawkins Ellington Cole. Her debut album in 1975, Inseparable, resulted in chart success with the single "This Will Be (An Everlasting Love)" (#1 R&B, #6 Pop). Her performance of the song won her a 1976 Grammy for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance. The eight-time Grammy winner continues to astonish with her vocal dexterity and her intimate, knowing way with a lyric and melody. "The whole description of a great artist is that there is something about them that touches us that we do not really understand what it is, but we know we like it," said Natalie Cole about Elton in the fundraising event of the annual ELLA Award.

James Newton Howard was born on June 9, 1951 in Los Angeles. At the age of two, James already showed an affinity for the piano and two years later he started following classical piano lessons. After his formal classical education in the early 70s, James would turn to popular music. James developed an interest in synthesizers very early on. He produced his first solo album called James Newton Howard (1974) [James added "Newton" to his name to avoid confusion with similarly named artists] but, unfortunately, his solo album wasn't successful enough. In 1975, at the age of 24, James joined the band of one of the biggest popular artists of the time, Elton John, beginning a relationship that has approached the 30-year mark. After James left the Elton John Band he formed the (short-lived) band China. At the end of 1985 James' musical career path would make a dramatic turn that would change his life. Quite unexpectedly he was offered to score a small comedy film called Head Office (1986). An important and big year that would put James on the map was 1991, where would score an enormous amount of high quality scores for the films: The Prince of Tides, My Girl, Grand Canyon, Dying Young, King Ralph, Guilty by Suspicion and The Man in the Moon.

Famous Polish Eltonites

Lech Walesa was born on September 29, 1943 in Popowo, Poland. After graduating from vocational school, he worked as a car mechanic at a machine center from 1961 to 1965. During the clash in December 1970 between the workers and the government, he was one of the leaders of the shipyard workers and was briefly detained. In 1976, however, as a result of his activities as a shop steward, he was fired and had to earn his living by taking temporary jobs. In August 1980 he led the Gdansk shipyard strike which gave rise to a wave of strikes over much of the country with Walesa seen as the leader. The primary demands were for workers' rights. In September 1981 he was elected Solidarity Chairman at the First National Solidarity Congress in Gdansk. In April 1990 at Solidarity's second national congress, Walesa was elected chairman with 77.5% of the votes. In December 1990 in a general ballot he was elected President of the Republic of Poland. He served until defeated in the election of November 1995.

"I know little else about music" explained Walesa in his very recommended biography "The struggle and the triumph" book, "and I don't attempt to keep up with popular songs. In April 1984, I was told that Elton John wanted to come to Gdansk and see me. All I knew about him was that he was a celebrity". He reminds how Elton led him in the first row, along with the teenagers, near the tower of gigantic loudspeakers "as if 120 milli-meter cannons had begun shelling (...) I gather it was a great concert" but he swore he never again let to be dragged to a rock concert.

Again? In 2006, the Sopot audience stood up from their seats to attend Elton's concert. The highlight of the evening was the appearance of Lech Wałęsa onstage, who handed the artist the Golden Nightingale statuette for lifetime achievement and a medal minted on the 25th anniversary of the Solidarity trade union.

Famous Pennsylvanian Eltonites

Sharon Stone was born on March 10th, 1958 in Meadville, Pennsylvania. Sharon was still in school when she started acting. After college she began a modeling career and was signed to represent Clairol, Diet Coke, and Revlon. Sharon's first real break was playing Arnold Schwarzenegger's kick-boxing, secret agent wife in Paul Verhoeven's sci-fi actioner Total Recall (1990). After five more forgettable thrillers and comedies, she finally achieved the proverbial overnight stardom as a sexually voracious crime writer opposite Michael Douglas in Verhoeven's controversial and popular erotic thriller, Basic Instinct (1992).

Joe Montana American professional football player and quarterback who led the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL) to four Super Bowl victories, was born Joseph Montana in Monongahela, Pennsylvania in 1956. Joe Montana joined the San Francisco 49ers in 1979 after playing college football at the University of Notre Dame. Montana played the last two years of his career with the Kansas City Chiefs, retiring in 1995. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2000.

Daryl Hall was born in Philadelphia Pennsylvania on 11th October 1946. Daryl Hall’s professional life began while he was still a student at Temple University. By the mid 1960’s he had already recorded a single with Kenny Gamble and the Romeos; a group that included Thom Bell and Leon Huff, two of the founding fathers of Philly Soul. Along with John Oates, their first efforts together were heavily folk influenced, and in no way resembled the sound that would catapult them into the pop stratosphere.

Famous Tennessean Eltonites

Kenny Chesney (born March 26, 1968) is an American country music artist. Since 1993, Kenny Chesney has recorded thirteen albums, eleven of which have been certified gold or higher by the RIAA. Chesney and part of his crew took time on their night off to attend Elton John's Red Piano Show at Caesar's Palace on 5th June 2008. Chesney describes the show as "Unbelievable." He says Elton introduced him in the audience and dedicated "Tiny Dancer" to them. It's from one of Kenny's all-time favorite movies, "Almost Famous." After the show the group went backstage to say hello. Kenny says Elton knew everything that was going on. The singer says, quote, "Not only did he tell me how much he liked the Willie Nelson record ["Moment of Forever" which Chesney produced with Buddy Cannon], but he asked about my Mother... That made my Mother's entire week!"

Famous Japanese Eltonites

Yoko Ono (whose first name translates to "ocean child") was born on February 18, 1933 in Tokyo. Attending the prestigious Sarah Lawrence College in New York, Yoko dropped out to elope with her first husband, Toshi Ichiyanagi. It was while living in New York's artsy Greenwich Village that Yoko discovered the world of avant-garde artists. The she married American jazz musician/film producer Anthony Cox. By this time, Yoko was heavily influenced by the extended and repeated image work of Andy Warhol, Dali inspired surrealism and Dadaesque absurdity. The notoriety of Yoko's events, as well as her involvement with the radical 60's avant garde art collective Fluxus created an interest of her works in the United Kingdom. This interest precipitated her visit to England in 1967. Yoko's life forever changed when she met Beatle John Lennon at an exhibit of her work at the Indica gallery in London. Since John's death, Yoko has remained active, releasing three music albums, engaging in two concert tours and composing two off-Broadway musicals.

Nobuo Uematsu is a Japanese video game music composer. Uematsu was born on March 21, 1959 in Kochi, Japan. After graduating from Kanagawa University, he composed music for commercials before joining Square Co., Ltd. (now Square Enix Co., Ltd.) in 1986. Since 1987, Uematsu has composed music for every Final Fantasy game, incorporating electronic, rock, and classical elements to each installment. In February 2003, Uematsu formed a group called "The Black Mages," producing a self-titled album composed of FINAL FANTASY battle music arranged in rock style. Uematsu performs as the keyboardist himself. The music from the game series has grown to such notoriety, Nobuo Uematsu was named as one of the "Innovators" in Time Magazine's "Time 100: The Next Wave - Music" feature. He declares musical influenced by Elton John.