Before his India tour, an impersonator of the British music icon talks music, meeting his hero and performing for his mother
The Rocket Band
It is March, 2015, the 90th birthday party of Sheila Farebrother, Sir Elton John's mother. 'Elton' is seated at the piano, belting out famous numbers like The Way You Look Tonight.
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He is even joined by the singer KiKi Dee for the song, Don't Go Breaking My Heart. But, though he is a singer, is wearing Elton's suit and the trademark circular glasses and bling, this is not Elton. He is an Elton John tribute act, Paul Bacon.
Ultimate Elton
Bacon, 56, has been impersonating the British music icon for the past nine years under the title Ultimate Elton. This month, he and his band, The Rocket Band, are doing a tour of India covering Bengaluru, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad and Mumbai. “India wasn't somewhere we had considered touring, but Elton John is a global superstar, so once the possibility was presented, we of course jumped at it,” he says.
At the concert in Mumbai expect to hear popular numbers like Your Song, Candle in the Wind, Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me, Sacrifice and Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word, and Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting. “We will be presenting a full two-hour show, featuring all of Sir Elton's best-loved hits. It is an opportunity for fans of his music to hear their favourite songs played live in a concert setting,” he adds.
Paul Bacon in concert
The original tribute
Bacon, goes without saying, has always been a fan of Elton John. He started performing as Elton back while studying performing arts in the early 1980s. “Back then, a lot of people encouraged me to continue with it. However, it was about nine years ago that I started again,” he says. When he first performed as Elton, the term 'tribute act' didn't really exist. “I've been a big fan of his music. Elton is an incredible songwriter, great musician, wonderful singer and amazing performer, and he also has that indefinable quality that few artistes possess.”
Paul has a voice and singing style similar to Elton's, and takes the impersonation a step further by even wearing the singer's clothes, bought from his 'Out the Closet' sales. In fact, Paul was wearing one of Elton's suits when he first met the star. “I met him backstage before one of his concerts in the UK. I was wearing a suit that I had bought from one of his charity sales and he recognised it immediately,” he recalls, adding that the singer was very relaxed and charming and they chatted about his family.
Family ties
It is the family that had Bacon hit the headlines, after performing at Farebrother's birthday. Paul's manager Stuart Epps had worked with Sir Elton and knew his mother. “Sheila heard about us and came to see us in concert. She loved the show and had the idea of having us perform at her 90th birthday party. It was a great privilege for us and very nerve-wracking. We were given a list of songs to play, including Your Song, Bennie and the Jets. I still have her handwritten list, which I keep safe,” says Paul. “She was very complimentary about the band.”
Paul Bacon with Elton John's mother, Sheila Farebrother
Beyond performing for the singer's mother and meeting the man himself, there are other perks to being an Elton John impersonator. “The best part of the job, apart from the performing, is the opportunity to travel to places that I wouldn't necessarily get the chance to visit, such as India. I get to meet a lot of Elton John fans who are as passionate about the music as we are. We are lucky because we have so many fantastic songs to choose from and therefore, we generally get a wonderful reaction. The audiences know that we are a tribute band, but that doesn't stop them from joining into the spirit of what we are doing,” he says.
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