Portable Planet

Fans who couldn’t afford the lavish ticket prices or that happen toreside on the other side of theglobe will still be be able to see Elton John’s birthday concert for free on MSN. Sure,a web stream isn’t the same seeing the Rocket Man live, but it will have to suffice.

MSN and Control Room will stream Elton Johns Happy Birthday, Elton concert live in its entirety as part of a multiyear, global, live content distribution agreement forged last fall. Fans who are unable to attend the sold-out concert at New Yorks Madison Square Garden can watch Elton perform songs spanning his career live on MSN for free or watch it on-demand for the ultimate convenience.

This is a celebration on a grand scale for Elton John fans around the world as the entertainer celebrates 60 years, and 60 performances at the legendary Madison Square Garden. Currently fans can go to MSN at http://music.msn.com/eltonjohn to view 60 photos highlighting his career and ever-changing fashion statements. The Elton page includes music videos, photos, album covers and highlights spanning Elton Johns 40-year career.

Happy Birthday, Elton can be viewed on MSN, beginning March 25 at 8:30 p.m. EDT. Visitors can listen to samples from Elton Johns entire back catalog of nearly 500 tracks, which includes 90 singles and 32 albums.

We are thrilled to add Elton Johns Madison Square Garden show to the list of exclusive concert offers on MSN, said Rob Bennett, general manager of Entertainment and Video Services for MSN. Our collaboration with Control Room enables musicians such as Elton John to easily connect with fans across the globe, while providing people with the best way to experience high-quality content featuring their favorite artists.

Ford Motor Co. is the exclusive U.S. sponsor of MSN Music in Concert, the worldwide online destination for Control Rooms slate of live and on-demand music programming, which offers the Elton John concert and 35 other shows.

Control Room is excited to work with MSN to give fans around the world a virtual front-row ticket to see Elton John in this unforgettable event, Aaron Grosky, executive vice president, Music Programming and Production for Control Room. We continue to provide fans otherwise unattainable access to the best shows from the most prominent, chart-topping acts in the music industry.

To further enhance the celebration, fans can answer questions related to Elton John videos they view on MSN and enter a contest available at http://msnconcertcontest.com. The winner will receive a trip to see the top-selling solo artist at his May 12 Las Vegas show.

Source: MSN