Elton John: Da Bomb

Published without comment.

Elton John: Dear Yoko

WHEN Elton John decided his business affairs were a mess, he turned to the most important man in his life.

But he knew making partner David Furnish his “CEO” would not be plain sailing.

“I call him Yoko now because a lot of people don’t like what he’s doing,” confesses the flamboyant superstar about his significant other of 23 years...

The Sun. 

Why is Elton talking to The Sun, and why now?

Hmm...

Update: Sir Elton John and Putin will not meet in Russia, BBC News. 

Actually, it's just been postponed.

Elton John: The Bodyguard

SIR Elton John is being sued by a former security guard who claims the singer groped him while saying: “Get your todger out.”

Jeffrey Wenninger, 49, says Elton forced himself on him during car journeys and grabbed his genitals and buttocks.

Court papers also allege the Rocket Man singer said “Say hello to Uncle Elton” while molesting Mr Wenninger.

He allegedly twisted his nipples and told him he had “gay genes”. The papers, filed in LA on Monday, give three graphic accounts of claims Sir Elton groped Mr Wenninger inside and over his clothes in 2014.

The bodyguard, also a Los Angeles cop, says he was abused by the star over several years dating back to 2002 when he started work for him.

Suing Elton for sexual harassment and battery, Mr Wenninger says he continues to suffer “extreme pain and mental anguish to his mind and body”.

He is also claiming compensation for damage to his reputation, health expenses and loss of income from Elton — who has two sons Zachary, five, and Elijah, three, with husband David Furnish.

The bodyguard is suing the chart-topper and 50 unnamed people who work for him.

While no figure has been mentioned, Mr Wenninger wants a sum decided at a trial where he says he will provide proof of his claims...

I bet The Sun had to think very carefully about covering this story.

Though they miss an important detail pointed out in The Guardian; 'Marla Brown, a lawyer acting for the officer, refused to address why her client would be seeking work after the alleged incidents occurred.' 

PS In a later Sun story, Sharon Osbourne says Wennninger is a 'nutter';"Really, you're not his type dear. Have looked in the mirror? He could get much better than you... heinous face." 

And note this more cautious wording... 

Ant & Dec: So In Love

Aww...

And how sweet to have them finally coming out on Valentine's Day.

PS In other thrilling showbiz news Fagburn missed while he was away: Tom Daley backs sugar tax - huge fucking frying pans still okay! Stephen Fry hasn't split up from his child bride yet! Barry Manilow can't sing (or rap)! Louis Smith doesn't care everyone thinks he's a gayer! Sam Smith has lost a bit more weight! Elton John's been given a really good rimming by a journalist from the Evening Standard!

Beknighted Gayers: The Horror! The Horror!

What fresh hell is this??!!

Elton John: You've Spelt 'Kunt' Wrong

Telegraph.

Fagburn: Countdown To Christmas

Nothing of much interest today.

Might be gone for a while. x

 Mirror: She looks made-up!

A Christmas message from Cliff! x

Remember, before donating to any 'needy cause' this xmas, always check their accounts.

PS Think it might be what is known as a 'slow news day'. No, hang on! Deffo loads of serious shit going down in the papers today.

PPS But it's not all bad news, according to The Sun, ITV have finally decided to put Vicious out of its misery. Yay!

PPPS I'm presuming this is a real public information festive fun warning about cock rings and handcuffs from the London Fire Brigade.

Telegraph: The bastard!

Elton John: She's Lost Control

In the past year the singer has also been publicly humiliated by a series of PR gaffes.

And friends and music insiders are now firmly pointing the finger at Furnish, who they blame for the disasters.

A source close to the couple said: “Elton is looking for a quiet life and has handed control of his life to David.

“But David is behaving like a control freak with little idea how to run Elton’s financial or domestic affairs...

The latest associate rumoured to be forced out is fiercely loyal and deeply private PR man Gary Farrow, who has resigned after 35 years service.

In a statement, he simply cited “directional differences between Elton’s new management and myself”. Last night he refused to comment further.

Elton has suffered a string of public disasters, with insiders blaming Furnish for the damage to his image...

The Sun. 

The heartless bastards - Reg and Dave celebrated their tenth civil partnership anniversary yesterday!

Hmmm, Fagburn wonders who could possibly be the source of this story, Gary?

Those 2015 PR disasters in full!

The hoax call from Putin!

Elton photographed carrying a D&G bag after saying he was boycotting them over their 'synthetic IV babies' comment!

Revelations of his 7 year rift with his 90 year-old mum!

'The Sun has revealed how he likes to party on yachts in the South of France with musclebound young men, as his Instagram and Facebook accounts reveal. And he has never publicly explained why one of those young men, Danny Williams, lives in a flat owned by Furnish.' *

And on those four non-bombshells...

* One might wonder if this one was leaked to The Sun by 'a source close to Elton'? Someone with a grudge, perhaps, Gary?

PS Elton's new PR is Fagburn's old showbiz mate Murray Chalmers!

Elton John: Non-PC

Oh it’s ridiculous. So ridiculous. I fucking hate PC. You can’t say anything about anything anymore. I’m not really for censorship at any level. I think you should be able to say what you think but I’m afraid I’m a bit of a lightning rod for that and I’ve got myself into trouble and I can’t anymore. People just will attack you, it’s crazy. If Miley actually does go ahead and does it naked in front of all those people, that’s one of the greatest performance art things that’s happened since the 2000s, or since Marina Abramovic. It's the sort of thing that would have happened back in the late 60s when there was so much bravado around. I hate censorship in any form. Jason Sellards from the Scissor Sisters, when they did Nightwork, they had the very famous Warhol picture of the guy with the crack up his tight trousers and I said, ‘It’s a fucking great cover but it will hurt your album sales,’ and it did. It shouldn’t but it does. It drives me crazy. I’m not a conservative guy at all when it comes to things like that, I think people should have freedom of speech. It’s like when Pisschrist first came to England or the Chris Ofili dung in the Brooklyn Museum. Fuck off! This is an artist saying something. Ai Weiwei’s exhibition at the Royal Academy? It’s a wonderful pouring out of the soul. He’s been persecuted, he’s been imprisoned, not allowed to sleep. They’re my heroes. The people who’ve pushed the envelope.

Noisey interview.

Sir Reg comes over rather well, though he seems to be putting on an 'I'm yer cool gay uncle' act to be down with the Vice Squad.

Oh, and the 'very famous Warhol picture' is actually by Robert Mapplethorpe, dear.

Elton John: Gawd Bless You Ma'am!

The union has not been without its share of scrutiny. The Sun on Sunday carried an innuendo-laden story earlier this year, pointing out that Furnish had bought a £330,000 flat in south London for a hunky 33-year-old personal trainer [Danny Williams], who had also accompanied him on a number of trips.

“Oh, that was a situation where I was just helping someone out that was completely misconstrued,” says Furnish, apparently unperturbed.

Elton’s mum has also been known to turn to the tabloids to vent her feelings about her son-in-law, whom she seems to blame for a seven-year rift between mother and son. Sheila Farebrother did not attend the Furnish-John wedding and hired an Elton lookalike in March for her 90th birthday party. She told the Daily Mail earlier this year that the last time she spoke to her son, she ended the conversation by saying: “You think more of that f****** thing you married than your own mother.”

“It just makes me very sad,” says Furnish. “Next question.” 

The Sunday Times Magazine.

The only part of this interview that made me larf, not barf.

Update: Elton talks to the Oxford Union about Putin and Russia and gay footballers and other ABSOLUTELY THRILLING subjects du jour!

Elton John: Not Waving, But Drowning

Sir Elton John has said he will petition the Queen Elizabeth II to ‘change’ anti-gay laws in Commonwealth countries if necessary.

In an interview with CNBC, the British rocker and his husband, David Furnish, said Britain could use its influence in its former colonies to ‘push a little bit harder’ for LGBTI rights.

‘These laws come from… the Commonwealth,’ John said.

‘These laws can be changed very easily by the Queen saying, “change the law.” I haven’t approached her about that yet.’

Asked whether he would really press the Queen on the matter, John said: ‘If the worst comes to the worst, one has to, yeah.

‘These are old laws from the British Commonwealth [sic], I mean these can be changed. And so the Queen could do that with one wave of her hand.’ ...

Gay Star News.

Eh? 

Erm, are you sure Her Majesty has this magical power, Sir Elton?

My gob is well and truly smacked!

PS But of course, both stories were presented without questioning John's stupid claim. The Pink News story was later edited to read; 'However, Sir Elton may be disappointed to find out that this is not actually the case...'

Putin: Is Lovely - Official

Elton John’s husband David Furnish has called Vladimir Putin “genuinely lovely” and has confirmed the star will meet the Russian leader.

Putin, 63 – who has invaded [sic] Crimea, backed civil war in Ukraine and sent his forces to help Syrian tyrant Bashar al-Assad – phoned Sir Elton last month to arrange the meeting to discuss gay rights.

The call came a week after the singer was duped by two Moscow comedians pretending to be the president.

During the talk Putin apparently asked Elton not to be offended by the prank which was broadcast on Russian TV.

Yesterday film producer Furnish, 52, said: “Putin is lovely. He and Elton spoke on the phone and the Kremlin have confirmed that.

“Now they’re trying to get a date in the diary to talk face to face.”

Speaking at the Attitude awards in London on Wednesday night, he added: “That may surprise people but I take people as I find them and he was so polite and lovely on the phone.

“He’s genuinely lovely. Besides, this isn’t about politics – I’m not a politician – it’s about humanity.” ...

Mirror.

Told you.

Billboard: "Heroes"

Presented without comment, as Reg and Stef are Christ-like figures and beyond criticism.

Elton & Putin: It's On!

Russian President Vladimir Putin has phoned pop star Elton John and proposed a meeting, according to the Kremlin.

Sir Elton has said he wants to talk to Mr Putin about his "ridiculous" attitude to gay rights.

The singer previously fell victim to pranksters who impersonated the Russian leader on the phone.

But Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian media that Mr Putin had this time called the singer and asked him not to be offended by the hoax.

Mr Putin said on Thursday he was ready to meet Sir Elton - when their schedules allowed it - and discuss "any issues of interest" to the British star, Mr Peskov said...

BBC News.

Thought everyone would see right through my silly - and, let's face it, rather childish - hoax, but it looks like I've got away with it for now.

Letter Of The Day: Eltongate

I like Elton John. His songs invoke powerful emotions, and his status as a talented artist and songwriter is not disputed.

He is famously homosexual and clearly passionate about the rights of all us to be able to pick our partners with the freedom we all deserve, and through being heard by many powerful people he has probably influenced more than we realise.

He strives for a life without bigotry and hatred, which is indisputably an admirable quality.

However, surely one has to wonder why musicians, actors and artists are elevated to such powerful positions. And why did Elton John think that Vladimir Putin was actually going to pick up the phone to discuss Russia’s policies with him? Did he honestly believe that he could succeed where Angela Merkel and friends had failed?

Maybe he thought that a quick rendition of Nikita sung down the telephone would melt the ex-KGB man’s heart and that the views of a nation would be changed immediately?

I’d love to damn this optimism as the naive behaviour of yet another pop star diva, but sadly I can see why he tried.

Our celebrities, particularly in the West, seem to have been given a god-like status. In the UK, many of the people we see on television appear to have the friendship of some of this country’s most rich and powerful people.

Jamie Oliver has told us what children should eat in school; Russell Brand and Sting have pushed for new drug laws; and Jeremy Clarkson even managed to get the PM to empathise with him in his time of need. Am I the only one who finds this odd?

A year ago I spent 10 months living in St Petersburg. I accept the claims about racism and homophobia in Russia, neither of which I find attractive or acceptable. However, one must take one’s hat off to a leader who scorns the idea of a pop star telling him how to run his country.

Yes, we’d all like Putin to change, but let’s not be foolish enough to think that he might be influenced by a piano player and singer, no matter how talented or rich he might be.

Steve Davies

West End, Hampshire

The Independent.

Baffling Spectator cartoon.

See also Does Elton John genuinely believe he can change Putin's attitude to gays? The Spectator.

Und 'Hi Elton. Bono and Donald Duck here. Let's talk human rights', Tanya Gold, The Sunday Times.

Elton John: Not Funny

Mirror.

Regular viewers may recall there was only one mediabot who said this sounded like a hoax.

And, again, yes, it does get boring being proved right all the time...

PS Listen to the incredibly convincing prank call. 

PPS The in-no-way mad Masha Gessen writies for the Mail.

Elton: Meet Putin

Elton John's Instagram.

Can't figure out if this is a hoax or not.

Update: Yup, it's probably bollocks.

PS Katie Welsh, The Telegraph.

Elton John might be a millionaire masquerading as a human rights advocate, the Bono of the gay world, but Putin is a Bond villain who thinks he’s 007. He’ll probably insist on having the conversation while riding shirtless on a snowmobile through the Steppes with a burly biker gang or mud wrestling. He’s so aggressively masculine that he’s probably on first name terms with more bears than the entire biker phalanx of a Pride parade...

Note Telegraph readers are not thought to have to have 'bears' explained to them these days. Unlike 'twinks'. Knowledge of Grindr seems to be pretty much a given.

However The Telegraph's style book still says; 'gay: permissible in headlines if essential but use homosexual in text.' 

Odd, as the Telegraph has rather a lot of 'homosexuals' working for it now.

Russia: Not Uniquely Bad Shock

If Russia is not unique in its failings on gay rights, nor is Putin quite the singular villain he is so often presented as. Before the Sochi Winter Olympics he insisted that he was not homophobic, that he knew gay people and had gay individuals in his administration. In much of Europe that might sound tame, but for a Russian leader to say that in public was quite a departure. Outside the biggest cities, the Russian public, like the Russian Orthodox church, is deeply conservative.

It is also worth noting that the Russian law regularly cited as evidence of institutionalised homophobia is little different from the UK’s notorious section 28, which banned the “promotion” of homosexuality in schools. When was section 28 repealed? In Scotland in 2000, and three years later elsewhere. We then traversed the path from section 28 to civil partnership and now gay marriage in just 12 years.

So, if – and why not be optimistic and say when – Sir Elton John meets Vladimir Putin, their discussion could be longer and more serious than the singer expects. And John might also learn that it is not primarily Putin’s mind he needs to change, but that of the wider public – as in Ukraine, and many other countries besides. So let him take his music to Red Square, bring his family along, and appeal to the fans directly. Putin would probably not come and sing along – despite his apparent love of crooning – but he might just sneak a look from behind a Kremlin curtain.

Mary Dejevsky, The Guardian.

No, lady! Russia is uniquely evil and we must never stop going on about it coz Empire and brainwashing.

That is why they have banned Sir Elton John!

Oh, hang on, they haven't...

Gay News: Take That Putin!

Some gays there, keeping it real.

PS Yes, there is no news.

Fagburn: Filling The Void

Daily Mail.

Back after a few days off.

As you can see there's been some amazing and very important stuff happening!

Just catching up and filling in some gaps below...