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Elton John Reveals Why He Refused to Make Another Solo Album
He may be the Rocket Man, but legendary singer Elton John says he just couldn’t stand the idea of launching another solo record.
In fact, the 78-year-old singer told Apple Music 1, “If I had just made another Elton John record, I would’ve killed myself.”
Brandi Carlile to the rescue! Elton John teamed up with the Americana singer to produce their new album, “Who Believes in Angels?” in collaboration with Elton’s longtime songwriting partner Bernie Taupin and producer Andrew Watt.
John says Carlile was exactly what he needed at this stage of life. “I needed her talent, her energy, her humor and her brilliant lyrics,” he said. “I’ve got two of the greatest lyric writers in the world. Bernie and Brandi. The lyrics in front of me, if you can’t write great songs for those then, that’s my great talent, to be able to interpret those beautiful lyrics quickly.”
Elton John Faced His Own Mortality On Record
Elton John says making the record with Carlile brought him face-to-face with his own mortality, and the moment was caught on video.
In a new interview with Carlile on Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes and Will Arnett’s “SmartLess” podcast, the singer said one song about aging hit him hard. “It’s called ‘When This Old World Is Done with Me.’ And so I’m writing the verse, like, ‘Oh, this is really pretty,’ and then I get to the chorus, and, of course, it’s about my death,” he said on the podcast.
“When you get when you get to my age, which is near 100, you think, ‘How much time have I got left?’ And you’ve got children, you’ve got a wonderful husband. You just think about mortality. And so, when I got to the chorus, I just broke down for 45 minutes, and it’s all on film,” said John.
Carlile was beside the singer when he hit that emotional moment. “He got to the end of that chorus, and his voice started to shake, and I thought, ‘Oh he’s going to really go,” Carlile said on the podcast.
John joked that Carlile then “came over and she said, ‘Don’t worry. You’ve got at least another six months.’”
Live From New York… Elton John & Brandi Carlile Take On ‘SNL’
John and Carlile will be the musical guests on “Saturday Night Live” on Saturday, April 5 alongside guest host Jack Black.
John has only been on ‘SNL’ twice before in his musical career. He was the musical guest April 17, 1982 and then served as both host and musical guest 29-years later on April 2, 2011.
Carlile has also appeared on ‘SNL’ twice, on October 23, 2021, and again on December 10, 2022.
Elton John & Brandi Carlile Host One-Hour Concert Special
The pair will also host a one-hour concert special called “An Evening with Elton John and Brandi Carlile.”
CBS describes the special as “a new primetime concert special featuring live performances, captivating stories about the pair’s enduring friendship and an intimate look at their new joint album.”
You can catch the special Sunday, April 6 at 8 p.m. EST on CBS and streaming on Paramount+.
