Elton John keyboard handstand waxwork unveiled at London’s Madame Tussauds
By Casey Cooper-Fiske and Charlotte McLaughlin, PA Entertainment
A fully coloured waxwork of Sir Elton John performing his keyboard handstand has been unveiled at Madame Tussauds in London.
The figure is being released as the 77-year-old superstar releases his Disney+ documentary Elton John: Never Too Late, celebrating the end of his lengthy touring career.
Madame Tussauds, who had shown images of an undecorated waxwork, said the figurine is “one of its most complex to date”, having worked with John since he sat for his first figure in 1976.
It replicates John with his legs in the air and his hands on his keyboard at the Midsummer Music one-day festival at Wembley Stadium in 1975, with fans able to see it from Friday.
Steve Blackburn, general manager at Madame Tussauds London, said: “Elton John is a true living legend and a dazzling personality to behold, so we knew we had to go above and beyond for this figure.
“Capturing Elton’s phenomenal stage presence – and that iconic keyboard handstand – in figure form is quite the challenge, and the result is one of our most technically ambitious figures to date.
“It feels fitting to unveil this one-of-a-kind figure for the festive season and showcase the expert craftsmanship that’s gone in to deliver a pose that we have never done before.
“Elton is a star deserving of the grandest spotlight, and we’ve made sure that his figure captures the attention of everyone in the room – much like the icon himself.”
John gave the Madame Tussauds team access to the original bejewelled Bob Mackie jumpsuit he wore for the performance, which has been recreated, accompanied by the Rocket Man singer’s flamboyant glasses and platform shoes.
The museum also worked with the keyboard-maker Yamaha to create a baby grand piano – covered in 24,000 thousand rhinestones – to complete the waxwork.
The work will be displayed in the new Impossible Festival zone, alongside other musicians including Beyonce, Ed Sheeran, Dua Lipa, Amy Winehouse, Freddie Mercury and David Bowie.
During his more than 50-year career, John has notched up 36 UK top 10 singles and eight UK number one albums, and he joined the EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony) group in January this year after receiving an Emmy Award for his Disney+ concert special Elton John Live: Farewell From Dodger Stadium.
He released a new video for his classic festive song Step Into Christmas earlier this week, which saw actress and model Cara Delevingne play him.
The waxwork is available to see from Friday at Madame Tussauds London.