Elton John Touring South Africa in 2008

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Elton John has the reputation for being a great humanitarian and is one of the most successful musicians of his generation with a career spanning some forty years, during which time he has been the winner of five Grammy Awards and one Academy Award. South African fans are thrilled that Elton John will be performing in South Africa in January 2008. His first performance in South Africa will be in Cape Town on 13 January, followed by a concert in Durban on 16 January and two concerts in Johannesburg on 18 and 19 January 2008.

Although this is the first time Elton John and his band will be performing in South Africa, it is not his first visit to this country. On Wednesday 12 January 2005, he officially opened the Elton John Masibambisane Centre in Eldorado Park, Johannesburg. The building of this centre, that runs life skills projects for abused, neglected and orphaned children, was funded through the Elton John Aids Foundation. During his visit to South Africa he hosted a charity dinner in Cape Town, where approximately R7-million was raised for the fight against HIV/Aids. The Elton John Masibambisane Centre works closely with the local community, clinics and schools to assist children in need. There are counselors who visit families in their homes to assist the entire family to deal with the devastating effects of HIV/Aids on families. He also visited a number of projects in KwaZulu Natal that receive support from the Elton John Aids Foundation.

Sir Elton Hercules John was born as Reginald Kenneth Dwight on 25 March 1947. After leaving school, Elton John immediately started to make his mark in the music world, forming his first band, Bluesology, in 1961. He took his stage name from the Bluesology saxophonist Elton Dean and frontman, Long John Baldry. Elton John met Bernie Taupin in 1967, starting a songwriting relationship which proved to be very successful. Elton John’s first album with the hit “Your Song” put him in the international spotlight in 1970 and from that time until 1976, the duo produced fourteen albums including “Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy” which featured “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” – a song that has become a classic. This was just the beginning of a very successful career that has had many highlights including being knighted for his significant contribution to the music industry and his humanitarian acts.

There is no doubt that Elton John has consistently produced quality music throughout his career and he continues to be a dominant and influential force in popular music. Fans have been singing along to Elton John’s timeless hits for years and are looking forward to the whole experience of a live concert by this popular musician when he visits the cities of Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg in sunny South Africa.