Yamaha Unveils the Elton John Limited Edition Signature Series Red Piano

BUENA PARK, CA Elton John and Yamaha have been partners in creating great music since 1993. Now, they are joining forces for a new project: the Elton John Limited Edition Signature Series Red Piano, based on John's hit Vegas show, The Red Piano. This special piano is not just for great artists like John. Now, the public can own a piece of Yamaha history and as an added bonus, the musical genius of John.

"The whole concept, and even the title, for my Las Vegas show came from the Yamaha red piano that is center stage throughout," said John. "It just seemed such a perfect fit for the whole dynamic, wild, colorful David LaChapelle production. It's the focus of my show. Whilst classic and beautiful, a black piano looked too ordinary for Vegas my high gloss red piano is truly the star of the show! I am delighted that Yamaha has decided to produce this limited edition."

The special artist edition of the Mark IV Disklavier is the exact color of the piano that John plays in his Red Piano show and is autographed by the pop icon. In addition, the piano features five exclusive Elton John recordings including "Your Song," "Tiny Dancer," "Rocket Man," "Take Me to the Pilot," and "Candle in the Wind." The songs are solo recordings of John singing and playing the piano. Therefore, whoever owns the piano, also gets a private concert. Only an extremely limited number 30 pianos will run in the first edition series and no more than 50 pianos will ever be sold.

"Elton is the quintessential crown jewel of the Yamaha artist family," said Corporate Director of Artist Affairs, Chris Gero. "The new Elton John Signature Red Piano is our way of paying tribute to one of the greatest rock legends of all time. The Elton John Signature Red Piano will aim to embody the spirit and energy that is uniquely Elton."

Elton John has a trusted and decade-long relationship with Yamaha Grand Pianos. The Grammy®-, Tony®- and Oscar®-winning songwriter selectively plays the Yamaha Concert series pianos. After releasing more than 40 albums in the United States alone, the British pop icon also writes and performs for Broadway and Motion Picture musicals. He is also constantly working with charities close to his own heart, including the Elton John AIDS Foundation, which he founded.

The Yamaha Mark IV Disklavier is a hybrid acoustic/digital piano that offers a range of interactive capabilities. In addition to the acoustic piano craftsmanship and quality that Yamaha has become known for, the Mark IV's Smart PianoSoft will play select commercial audio CDs (nearly 1,000 to choose from) and accompany them with beautiful piano performances. Yamaha's SmartKey software can teach non-musicians to play simple popular melodies while embellishing their performance with professional arrangements. The Elton John Signature Red Piano will be sold under the model numbers DC1M4 EJ (5'3"), DC3M4t EJ (6'1"), and DC6M4t EJ (6'11).

For more information on Yamaha Corporation of America's Artist Affairs division, please contact Tiffany Napper at 615-599-0800. Yamaha's ever-growing list of artists can be viewed by going to www.yamahaartists.com.