Elton John on Brandi Carlile: She gave me "a fresh start"
Sir Elton John has millions of fans all over the world, but few of them as devoted as a young girl who first heard his music more than 30 years ago.In 1992, Brandi Marie Carlile was a kid living in a single-wide trailer in rural Washington State, and to her, Elton John was everything.Young Brandi collected everything about him she could get her hands on – records, photos, even an Elton John book she borrowed from a library 33 years ago, and kept(!).
"The date is still on here.Boulevard Park Library, May 10, 1992.
It's all time stamped.And they're gonna have to come and get it!" Little Brandi is now music superstar Brandi Carlile, but to a young girl coming of age and struggling with her own sexuality, Elton John was a flicker of hope in a confusing world.
She loved him, and said so in writing, covering an entire page front to back with "I love Elton John." "It's insane," she said."I look at it now.
I just can't believe what happened in my life to get me to where I am now.It's such a strange thing.
It makes you wonder, it just makes you wonder.I do love Elton John!"As a kid, she never dreamed she'd get to actually meet him one day, but sometimes dreams have a funny way of coming true.
Now they're not only friends, but collaborators.It started a few years back when Carlile wrote to John out of the blue, and asked him to play piano on her new record. Long story short, he said yes, and they grew to be the best of friends – appearing together, performing together, even vacationing together with their families.
And now, they're about to release an album they made together, recorded at Sunset Sound in Hollywood.It's Brandi Carlile's eighth studio album, and Elton John's 33rd. So, why did they decide to do an entire album together? John said, "She's someone I wanted to work with for so long because I know how great she is.
I know how her voice is, and I knew what she's capable of, and I wanted to push her more.And I wanted her to push me more.
So, I wanted...