He Was Physically Sick When He Came Onstage With Us That Night.  You See, I’d Made “Whatever Gets

He was physically sick when he came onstage with us that night.  You see, I’d made “Whatever Gets you Through the Night,” and I sang on another track on Walls and Bridges, and we made sort of, well, not a hard bargain that if it got to number one, he’d come onstage.  And he kept his bargain. He came up to Boston to see us, just to check the show out .  When he saw all the equipment he said, “My God, is this what it’s all about?”  I came by wearing a chocolate-box cover and nothing else.  It was his time with May Pang and he was very happy. Just to give you an example, he would take my band to the airport and make sure my mother was OK.  I’ve never met anybody more thoughtful.  I know you read in some books that John would be cruel and had a very cynical sense of humor, and I’ve seen that side of him too.  I was with him at a particularly crazy time for him and for me.   But underneath it all, I never saw anything else but kindness.  He is sacred to me. He is the only person in this business who is absolutely, one hundred percent sacred to me.  And even if I’m doing bad things to myself, or if I’m being totally miserable or morose, or being unreasonable to people, I sometimes think, “Oh my God, John, if there is really a big pearly gate, you’re going to be standing outside of it and giving me the biggest lecture.” That’s  because he’s the only person in this business that I’ve ever looked up to, the only person.  I’ve met my equals. I’ve met people who are great like Mike Jagger and Pete Townshend, who I admire tremendously, but they are not in the same league, I’m sorry. 

    Elton John in Ticket to Ride by Denny Somach.