Known as Sir “El Tom John,” Tom Cridland has made it his career to play the songs of Elton John. Tonight, He’s performing at The Troubadour in West Hollywood the same venue where Elton John debuted in the United States in 1970.
But before Cridland became a musician, he worked in fashion. He befriended Elton John’s drummer, Nigel Olsson. He didn’t know John personally, but they had one commonality: addiction.
“I was a big drinker in those days,” Cridland remembers. “I wanted to stay sober, and I needed something to keep me occupied. So that's why I thought of learning the piano.
Cridland quit alcohol and taught himself how to sing and play piano during the pandemic. He played his first "Tom's Elton Tribute" gig at a bar. By May 2023, he was performing to over 1,500 people at McKelligon Canyon Amphitheatre in Texas.
Because Cridland valued his friendship with Olsson, he refused to ask if he could meet John. He made his dream a reality through a different route — last year, he went to Elton John’s AIDS Foundation Oscar party in LA.
“We were at a table next door to Elton. It was a bucket list moment for me to go and have a chat with him,” shares Cridland, who thanked the artist for inspiring him to become sober.
Tom Cridland meets Elton John at the Aids Foundation Oscar party in Los Angeles, 2023. Photo courtesy of Tom Cridland.
Looking to tonight’s LA concert, Cridland says it inspires him more than he could articulate. “This is a pretty important bucket list moment. This gig at The Troubadour is by far the most meaningful live music event that I've ever been involved with.”