The son of Elton's late keyboard player has been receiving musical advice from the singer.
Elton has also been letting Ben Babylon hang out with him in the studio, the young man's publicist, Fred Anderson, told EJW. This took place when Elton was recording his new LP with Leon Russell. In fact, according to Kathy Brown Babylon, the Rocket Man praised her son, telling Russell, ''You better watch out for this kid. He can really play.''
The 12-year-old is also a talented songwriter. He has completed a tribute to his dad, Guy Babylon, Goodbye Superman, which is available through iTunes.
Ben has performed the homage at various venues around Los Angeles, including The House of Blues for the Shredfest cancer fundraiser, and the Civic Arts Plaza in Thousand Oaks.
Inspired by two of Elton's classics, Funeral for a Friend and Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Goodbye Superman features a sombre and stirring musical introduction which conveys the composer's sense of loss. The chords are complex, and Babylon pounds them on his keyboard with an intensity learned from watching his father and Elton perform together, beginning when he was three years old. Then come the words:
"You were our fire keeping us warm and loved.
You were our pilot directing us where to go.
You gave us a shoulder to lean on.
You were our answer to every question we asked.
So goodbye Superman,
And goodbye our king,
Goodbye our hero that put us under his wing,
And goodbye our answer,
Goodbye our sum,
Goodbye our world,
And goodbye the kingdom..."
"There are two versions of the song, and each one has a different feeling," Ben said. "The piano and vocal version means that I am sad that my dad has passed away. The orchestrated version is more powerful. It means I am mad that he is not here anymore. I really did think of my dad as a hero. I still do."
Babylon wrote Goodbye Superman within three days of his father's untimely death, performing it for the first time at the memorial service. His mother initially thought that he had composed an instrumental piece, and was surprised and deeply moved, when he began singing.
"For one thing, I was amazed that he could perform at all, given the circumstance, and then when he started singing, I just could not believe the maturity of those lyrics," she said. "He sang everything we were all feeling. When he finished, there wasn't a dry eye in the house."
Ben has recorded both renditions of Goodbye Superman, each of which is available on iTunes and other mp3 stores. One is a piano-only version, and the other is fully orchestrated, with all instruments played by Ben, who also does the vocals. Assisting him in the recording were Jesse Johnstone and Grammy award-winning engineer and producer Greg Penny, who worked with Elton and Guy on the Made in England album.
Having been a friend to the Babylon family for many years, Elton has remained close to Kathy and her three children, since Guy's death.
"Elton has given us so much love and support,'' says Kathy. ''We know are truly blessed and are grateful.''
At some point, Ben would like to do a full album and form a band and tour.
Meanwhile, he has a couple of live dates.
On June 18 at 6:30 p.m., Babylon (who is seen below) will open the Rock Nation Stone Temple Pilots tribute show at Borderline Bar & Grill, 99 Rolling Oaks Drive, in Thousand Oaks, CA. For information, phone 805-446-4435.
And July 8 at 8:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m., Ben will be a special guest of the Kathryn Keats Show at Yoshi's Jazz Club, 510 Embarcadero West, Jack London Square, Oakland, California 94607. Learn more by dialing 510-238-9200.
