Sheila
Farebrother’s 90th birthday party began promptly at 4pm with champagne
and canapes. The venue was a converted barn in the countryside near
Worthing, West Sussex.
After
helping themselves to a fine spread of salmon, chicken, lamb and
ratatouille, the 80 guests were told to take their seats for the
entertainment.
The lights dimmed, a band struck up and in walked... Sir Elton John.
Elton John's mother Sheila Farebrother (pictured left) had an Elton
tribute act (right) perform at her recent 90th birthday party. Mother
and son have famously not spoken since 2008 following a 'cataclysmic'
falling out
=======================================================================
There were gasps among the audience as he took to the stage.
Ordinarily,
it might not seem so odd that, superstar though he undoubtedly is,
Elton had taken the trouble to travel to a converted barn venue in West
Sussex for what was his mum’s birthday.
But
almost everyone at last Saturday’s do was well aware that for the past
seven years, since 2008, Elton and Sheila have not been on speaking
terms and that there has been a cataclysmic falling out between them.
As ‘Elton’ launched into his first song, Daniel, the audience were able to take a closer look at the performer.
It gradually dawned on them that this was not the man himself, but a tribute singer called Paul Bacon.
Mrs Farebrother’s hiring of a lookalike to sing at her milestone birthday party shows a lively sense of humour.
And a certain toughness, too, given that she can find something to laugh about in such a situation.
She
chose the playlist herself for the hour-long set — 16 of Elton’s
greatest hits, including Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Candle In The Wind,
Your Song and I’m Still Standing and was up on the dance floor for most
of it.
The
last song was the 1976 No 1 hit Don’t Go Breaking My Heart, in which
the phoney Elton performed a duet with the real Kiki Dee, one of the
celebrity guests — along with former newsreader, Angela Rippon — who was
present.
The real Sir Elton (right) with his mother shortly after receiving his Knighthood in London in 1998
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Mr Bacon,
54, from High Wycombe, who set up The Ultimate Elton tribute band in
2012, said yesterday: ‘It was very much Sheila’s idea. Her 90th birthday
was a big occasion and she wanted to hear the music she knows and loves
so much.
'As the other chap wasn’t available, she got us in, the next best thing.’
To an outsider, it may seem incomprehensible that a son would no longer see his elderly mother.
He is still believed to support her financially and it has been reported that he sent her flowers for her birthday.
So what has happened?
In
an interview in April 2011, Mrs Farebrother told a newspaper: ‘It
happened three years ago this June. He has had nothing to do with me
since then.
‘I don’t want to go into what caused it. It is a painful subject. My son cut me out of his life for good.’
The
article reported that it had been suggested that Sheila made a remark
that offended Sir Elton’s civil partner, David Furnish, now his husband,
and that David ‘went ballistic’.
Asked
if the rift with her 67-year-old son had been sparked by a row with
David, she replied: ‘It was something like that, but not exactly. I
don’t want to talk about it.’
+7
It was reported they fell out after
Sheila made a remark that offended Sir Elton’s husband David Furnish and
that David ‘went ballistic’
One of the guests at the party was singer songwriter Gary Osborne, with whom Elton had several worldwide hits.
‘I’m
still friends with Elton, he is godfather to my son, my favourite
co-writer and I love both of them [Elton and Sheila],’ he told the Mail.
‘I’m
sad they are not getting on but it’s none of my business. I don’t know
the reasons and I have no idea if they are going to make it up because I
don’t know what the issues are. But these things happen in families.’
And,
of course, it must be acknowledged that Sir Elton has shown unswerving
loyalty to David over the years, and his kindness to friends in need is
well documented.
But he also speaks his mind.
The
Dolce & Gabbana feud this week — sparked by the designers’ comments
regarding IVF children, of which Elton has two — is the latest
high-profile spat.
Friends who were once members of what was known as Elton’s ‘A-team’ have found themselves consigned to his blacklist.
One
such friend, who was also at Sheila’s party, is John Reid, his former
lover and manager, whom Elton fell out with in the Nineties.
In
2001, Elton launched a High Court action against Mr Reid’s management
company after auditors found a £22 million hole in his finances, but
lost the case, leaving him facing an £8 million legal bill.
Another
guest, also now on Elton’s blacklist, was Bob Halley, who was Elton’s
right-hand man for more than 30 years, and had a variety of roles
including PA and chauffeur.
Their
relationship, too, soured, after Sir Elton issued a High Court writ
against him in 2008, the details of which have been kept private.
Mr Halley helped organise the party for Sheila — possibly a revenge of sorts.
According to a friend of the couple, David, 52, whom Sir Elton met in 1993, is at the heart of this rift with his mother.
‘Elton
is totally dependent on David,’ says the friend. ‘Elton went through a
terrible time with his cocaine addiction in the early days and he sees
David as a sort of saviour. So if anyone upsets David, that’s it. No
exceptions — even his mother.
‘After all these years together, Elton’s still obsessed with David, who’s able to exert a very powerful influence over him.’
The friend adds that Elton is ‘furious’ about the reports of his mother’s lookalike act.
‘He knows it won’t look good for him. That it will look unfeeling of him not to be on speaking terms with his elderly mother.’
It would seem that Mrs Farebrother, still sprightly at 90, has outmanoeuvred her son.
As
part of her celebrations, she enjoyed a meal at a local tapas
restaurant with friends. Mr Osborne says she also held a third party
locally, which was very well attended.
+7
Sir Elton (pictured centre) at his
50th birthday fancy dress party with his mother Sheila dressed as the
queen and his stepfather Fred Farebrother as Prince Philip at the
Hammersmith Palais Club in London in 1997
While
Mrs Farebrother celebrated her birthday, the real Elton was in America,
where he is on a tour that includes an extended stay at Caesars Palace
in Las Vegas, earning a reported £340,000 per show.
It’s doubtful Paul Bacon got that for his stint at the do.
For
a long time Mrs Farebrother got on well with David Furnish, so much so
that she was a witness at their civil partnership ceremony at Windsor
Guildhall in 2005.
Then came the exchange between them that led to Elton and his mother going their separate ways.
+7
Elton (pictured performing) is the
third most successful artist in the history of the American charts,
behind only Elvis Presley and the Beatles
And
for reasons known only to a few, Elton seemingly felt unable to attend
the funeral of his stepfather, Fred Farebrother, when he died in 2010 at
the age of 88.
Sheila
married Fred after divorcing Elton’s father, Stanley Dwight, when
Elton, then known as Reg Dwight, was 15 and growing up in Pinner,
Middlesex.
After
Fred died, Sheila downsized and sold her £1 million house on the
Thames, just two miles from her son’s £15 million mansion in Old
Windsor.
It seems significant that she did not settle nearby, but 60 miles away in Littlehampton, West Sussex.
Another
highly significant move was her decision in the autumn of 2010, months
after the fall-out, to sell 40 of her son’s platinum and gold discs at
auction, including the one for his first major hit single, Your Song.
She
also put up for auction copies of recordings her son had given her over
the years, as well as VIP passes she used for backstage access to her
son when he was on tour.
Mrs Farebrother was proud beyond belief of Elton John — and no wonder.
He
is the third most successful artist in the history of the American
charts, behind only Elvis Presley and the Beatles, with 56 top 40
singles in the U.S. He has a raft of awards, including Grammys and an
Oscar.
Following the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, in 1997, Candle In The Wind became the biggest selling single of all time.
Yet the collection of memorabilia sold for a rather modest £28,820 at auction in October 2010.
At the time, Mrs Farebrother made light of the sale, explaining she had downsized and no longer had the room.
But surely she could have given them back to her son to store in his mansion?
Mrs
Farebrother was not informed when her son became a father on Christmas
Day 2010, after a surrogate mother gave birth to Elton and David’s baby
Zachary in California.
+7
For reasons known only to a few, Elton
seemingly felt unable to attend the funeral of his stepfather, Fred
Farebrother (far right) when he died in 2010 at the age of 88. He is
pictured with Sheila (left) and Bernie Taupin
A
few months later, she told a newspaper there was no plans in place to
meet her grandson. ‘I have no particular interest, really,’ she said.
Nor has she met the couple’s second son, Elijah, who was also born by surrogacy on January 11, 2013.
Elton is also estranged from his half-brother, Geoff Dwight.
After
Stanley was divorced from Sheila, he married a woman called Edna with
whom he had four more sons, Geoff, Stan, Simon and Robert.
In
an interview with the Mail in 2010 at his tiny cottage in Ruthin, North
Wales, Mr Dwight, a New Age type who likes building yurts (tents made
from wood and canvas), said they had never been close and last spoke in
1991 after their father died.
Speaking about whether he listens to his brother’s music, he said: ‘No, he’s not exactly my cup of tea, so only when I have to.
'When I’m walking round the supermarket, they’re always playing his stuff.’
In
interviews, Sir Elton has portrayed his father as a formidable figure
and suggested that his own exuberant style was a rebellion against
this.
The
friend of Elton and David says Elton feels some resentment towards his
mother for not trying to curb his father’s forceful ways.
Sir Elton’s success in the pop world has brought him incredible riches. Today, his fortune is estimated at £240 million.
+7
Sheila has never met her grandsons Elijah and Zachary (pictured with Sir Elton and his husband David)
This has enabled him, for the past 40 years, to indulge his every whim.
And he has been extravagant beyond belief.
The
High Court case against John Reid laid bare his profligacy. His
collection of cars included Bentleys, Aston Martins and Ferraris.
Sir Elton admitted to the court that he had spent £40 million in 20 months, including £293,000 on flowers.
His PAs had PAs of their own.
He can be incredibly generous with his friends — but as we have seen, he can be ruthless to those who upset him.
A creative and passionate person, it is these qualities that add such emotion to his work — and his relationships.
On
Wednesday, Elton celebrates his own birthday — his 68th. Not a
milestone, perhaps, but a moment, friends might say, to give some
thought to his relationship with his mother.
The 90th birthday party was a lot of fun, but how different it would have been if the real Elton had been up there on stage.
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