Sir Elton John feeds passion for music with radio DJ slot

Updated

Sir Elton John says his passion for music is as strong as ever, having turned his attention to the DJ world.

The Rocket Man singer has begun a regular hour-long slot on Beats 1, Apple Music's radio station, in which he plays a selection of tracks from his constantly expanding record collection.

He told The Sunday Times's Culture magazine he is relishing the opportunity to share his vast and varied musical tastes with listeners.

He said: "I love doing the shows so much. I've done specials for Radio 2 and things like that, which I've loved, but to do one that goes out every week, and to have to choose 15 or 16 songs every show ... I said: 'I'll do it as long as I can play new stuff, and as long as there are no rules.'

"I can play stuff that people wouldn't know unless they're a big soul or rock aficionado, but I think of songs in the middle of the night, and get up and write them down."

Despite adding radio DJ to his CV, there is one aspect of the music industry the 68-year-old is not planning to pursue.

He said: "I would love to be an A&R man. I know a lot about music and how to nurture talent. But it wouldn't pay me enough and I couldn't sit in clubs at 3 o'clock in the morning watching acts any more.

"My career's better than ever, everything in my life is fantastic. But to have the passion about music at nearly 69 that I had when I was 15, or five, that's what I'm proud of."

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