MONTEREY, Calif. — Legendary musician Nigel Olsson, a driving force behind the music of superstar entertainer Elton John since the 1970s, will drive a pace car during the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion featuring the 60th anniversary celebration of Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.
Described as a museum springing to life, the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, Aug. 17-20, is the largest event held during the famed Monterey Classic Car Week, and is the only event where cars are doing what they were originally intended to do … race. Approximately 550 race cars are invited to compete in the world’s premier motoring event and are accepted based on the car’s authenticity, race provenance and period correctness. Formula Junior will be celebrated across two run groups at the Reunion during their 60th anniversaries, and the 70th anniversary of Ferrari will be recognized.
Olsson will provide hot laps for Rolex guests and other VIPs throughout the weekend. He is a longtime motor racing enthusiast and has competed and served as a pace car driver for the Historic Motor Sports Association (HMSA), which provides the technical scrutineering and on-track coordination for the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion.
The Wallasey, Cheshire, England, native played drums and sang backup vocals on many classic Elton John albums, including Honkey Chateau (1972), Don’t Shoot Me I’m Only the Piano Player (1973), Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (1973), Caribou (1974), and Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy (1975). Chart-topping songs from those multi-platinum albums include “Rocket Man,” “Crocodile Rock,” “Candle in the Wind,” “Saturday’s All Right for Fighting,” “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me,” and “Philadelphia Freedom.” Olsson played on John’s 2016 album release Wonderful Crazy Night.
Olsson has been behind the drum kit for more than 2,000 Elton John concerts, including the 2,000th show in St. Petersburg, Russia, on Nov. 9, 2014. In addition to his long tenure with John, he is a sought after session musician who has also composed, recorded, and produced his own solo albums.
Source : speedsport.com
Comments
