RICHMOND, Virginia – Tom Cridland said Elton John and his music saved his life.
In his mid-20s, he developed a drinking problem and then came the COVID-19 lockdown and isolation.
Fearing that his alcoholism might worsen, Cridland turned to the piano and Elton John.
“Elton is a huge inspiration because of his sobriety. I saw him live a lot because I’m friends with Elton’s drummer Nigel Olson, who is another big hero of mine. So I was already a huge fan of the music and a fan of the Elton John Band,” Cridland explained.
What began as a distraction from drinking evolved into a performance of Elton John classics on stages across America.
Cridland spoke to CBS 6’s Brendan King from New Orleans, where Tom’s Elton tribute was first played in January 2022.
He will recreate the music and fabulous costumes of Elton John and his band on Tuesday night at the Ember Music Hall on East Broad Street in Richmond.
He said he already feels the support of his and Elton John fans in the River City.
“They just did the most amazing and generous gesture by putting us up in this fabulous hotel, I think it’s called the Jefferson Hotel,” Cridland explained. “They scraped together everything and booked my band and I rooms at the Jefferson Hotel as a token of appreciation for our band.”
Cridland performs in dazzling costumes with as much enthusiasm and passion as his idol.
“I’ve done my research and there are no other shows that do what we do with this level of weird authenticity,” he explained. “I’ve spent 10,000 hours studying how they play these songs.”
Ton’s Elton tribute at Ember Music Hall begins at 7:30pm on Tuesday.
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