Elton John bids farewell to magazine that changed his life; Gucci launches “Levon”-inspired collection

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Matt Baron/Shutterstock

Matt Baron/ShutterstockElton John famously met his songwriting partner, Bernie Taupin, in 1967 by answering an ad in a music magazine.  That magazine, NME, a.k.a. New Musical Express, has just announced that it will no longer publish a print edition, which sent Elton to his socials to bid the publication a fond farewell.

On Twitter and Instagram, Elton posted a photo of himself on the cover of NME in the ’70s and wrote, “Farewell to the NME. When I was a teenager, I read you from cover to cover. I met Bernie Taupin through an ad in the back pages. It changed my life forever. Thanks for so many memories.”

In other Elton news, Gucci, the fashion house that’s designing the outfits for his upcoming Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour, has launched a capsule collection based around the artwork for Elton’s classic 1971 hit “Levon.”

The artwork is a drawing depicting a woman’s eye, dripping with tears, with the words “Elton John, Levon – Goodbye” above it.  “Goodbye” was the B-side of the original “Levon” single.  The collection features t-shirts, sweatshirts and two different sizes of leather totes, all emblazoned with the artwork.

Unfortunately, this being Gucci, the cheapest item in the collection, the t-shirt, costs $550.  The most expensive item, the maxi leather tote, costs $3600.  You can order it exclusively from Gucci.com.

In an interview on Gucci’s website, Elton explains why he’s such a fan of the label, describing it as “a celebration of diversity in life!”

He notes, “There is so much negativity and divisiveness in the world today. [The label’s head designer, Alessandro Michele,] presents a proposition for the world that is uplifting, positive and unifying.”

Adds Elton, “It’s a fun and happy world that anyone can step into.” Anyone rich, that is.

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