Elton John

Elton John gave proof last month that age does not affect his ability to bring the house down. In October, Elton John rocked a sell-out crowd in Madison Square Garden for over three hours, from the first drum beat in "The Circle of Life" to the last chord of the piano in "Bennie and the Jets." Elton John showed the world that he is the finest legend of rock and roll performing today.

The show was part of the final installment of John's year-long "Big Picture Tour." After opening with the glimmer and light of the "Circle of Life," John played a set of his finest material, recorded during his long career spanning three decades. He included a group of songs from his most critically acclaimed album, "Goodbye, Yellow Brick Road" and other songs that can be found on his greatest hits collection.

At times, John slowed the tempo and, at other times, he brought the house down, especially with songs such as "Crocodile Rock." John's performance was so unbelievable that he played three encores for the gracious New York crowd: "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds," "Great Balls of Fire" and, finally, after a demanding request from the spectators, "Bennie and the Jets," which featured the great performer underneath his Yamaha piano, banging out the chords with his feet.

One emotional moment was when he dedicated his fervent composition "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" to the memory of the slain Wyoming student Matthew Shepard. Most of the crowd were in tears when John finished the powerful song.

Overall, Elton John showed everyone in the entertainment capital of the world that he had not lost a step from his more flamboyant days in the 1970s. Although John was "conservatively" dressed in a red, plaid suit, he captured the essence and magic of the decade he was made famous in. Age is nothing but a number and Elton John fans can rest easily knowing this.