Elton John might be almost 70 but is isn’t showing any signs of slowing down just yet. The Your Song singer was performing in St Petersburg at the weekend wearing a vibrant purple jacket. He serenaded the crowd with a collection of hits from his extensive back catalogue while also treating fans to some of his new material.
It was thought that Elton John would meet with the Russian President Vladamir Putin to discuss gay rights and the treatment of homosexuals in Russia. However, the meeting never happened with the Kremlin saying that there were scheduling issues with prevented the President from meeting the notorious camp singer who is married to David Furnish.
An official statement read ‘President Putin expressed readiness for this meeting. But this time, the meeting won’t take place, unfortunately. Their schedules do not match up.’
John has long been critical of the treatment of LGBT people in Russia. He expressed concern at the rise of vigilante groups in the country who were targeting gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people. The singer has strong ties to Russia after being one of the first pop stars to perform in the former Soviet Union. After appearing in St Petersburg John is set to head to Moscow to continue his world tour. The singer recently hinted that he might retire as he would like to spend more time with his young family.