I want to thank him for his AIDS research, for introducing a 12-year-old black girl with culture shock to some of the most wonderful music ever created, and thus delivering a wonderful lesson about open-mindedness: at least regarding music. To that end, I want to ask his forgiveness for the 17-year-old who rejected him and his music when he were outed by Rod Stewart, and thank him from the bottom of my heart for still being there with even more undiscovered music by the time I had matured. I’d like to wish him and his husband much (more) happiness…well, after 12 years they ought to know each other by now, but still! I’d like to thank him for Aida, and the Lion King, for Billy Elliot, and for the Road to El Dorado, and even for the Vampire Lestat, because by even trying something and having it fail, he teaches us to at least try.
I’d like to tell him that Heather Headley tore “Your Song” up at the Kennedy Center honors, had everybody crying, even me, and that he deserved every accolade. I’d like to tell him that I agree about the “hateful lemmings” religious people become and that I’m not one of them – anymore. I’d like to tell him I agree about what singing live is all about, too, and I don’t pay good money for recorded singing at a concert, either. I’d like to tell him not to back off saying stuff just because the newspapers get after him; they think they can shame him by stirring up stuff. Who cares? I want him to keep on speaking out. I’d like to tell him to his face that incredibly, he looks better and younger at 60 than he did when he was half this age! Wow, what money can’t buy!
If Elton John never performed again from this moment on, this world is a better place for his having been in it. I hope that I can say as much by the time I make my exit. Thank you for everything, Sir Elton!
