Happy 60th Birthday Elton John!!!

Later today, Elton John will celebrate his 60th birthday with a record-setting 60th performance at Madison Square Garden. I won't be there, sadly, but I will play some of his CDs in honor of the milestone. At least the concert will be recorded and broadcast April 5 as a two-hour special on MyNetworkTV so check your local listings! I saw Elton in concert a few times in the mid-90s when he was touring with Billy Joel and those were some of my favorite concerts - ever.
I interviewed Elton a few years ago for a magazine piece and the most memorable thing was that his schedule was very unpredictable so I was told that he would call me on Monday or Tuesday but no set time so be ready. I remember going to lunch with a group of co-workers that day, putting my cell phone on the table and saying, "Elton will be calling any moment." Of course Elton called me later that day, while I was stuck in traffic on the 101 freeway! He laughed when I told him of my predicament and waited until I could find an off-ramp, park, and do the interview.
Anyway, I got to meet him face-to-face last fall when he was doing a charity tennis event with Billie Jean King called Smash Hits with proceeds benefiting the Elton John AIDS Foundaton. Elton played doubles with Andy Roddick and I gotta say, he's got a terrific forehand!
Anyway, this has nothing to do with his 60th birthday but you know me, any excuse to tell a celebrity anecdote.
So happy 60th birthday to the "Rocket Man" and a big thanks for being so outspoken for the rights of gay people, for all that you have done in the fight against AIDS, and most of all, for the music that has accompanied us on car rides, on a lazy afternoon or on a jog in the park.
Rock on!