Elton John gave a free performance at the University of Southern California on Monday night, playing a two and a half hour set that included old hits, along with new material from his latest album, The Diving Board.
After the show, Elton sat down for a Q&A in which he dished on his early influences, which included Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis:
"That's what I wanted to do - I wanted to beat the sh*t out of the piano. Everyone who came out of England has always loved American music. It was the best music, it still is the best music, and the roots of American music - the jazz, the blues, gospel, rock & roll, country."
He also dished on his new record: "It's a record by a 66-year-old man. It's not a record by a 26-year-old guy who made 'Rocket Man.' It's full of mature songs and songs that are reflective. There's no 'Philadelphia Freedom' on it. I've changed."
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