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Nigel was Elton John's original drummer. With guitarist Davey Johnstone and bassist Dee Murray, Nigel played on all the classic Elton albums: Honky Chateau, Don't Shoot Me..., Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Caribou, and Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy. The three also provided very distinctive backing vocals; their sound is now considered legendary among rock aficionados.
Elton replaced Nigel and Dee in 1975 after releasing the straight-to-#1 album Captain Fantastic, and Nigel proceeded to make a name for himself as a studio musician as well as record several albums as a solo artist. In 1980, Nigel and Dee re-joined Elton on tour and in the studio for 4 more years. Then came another break with Elton, this time for good...or was it? In 1991, Nigel and Davey briefly joined forces in Davey's band Warpipes. Their wonderful album Holes in the Heavens won critical raves, but Artful Balance records went bankrupt and the band was forced to throw in the towel.
Nigel now does occasional session work; donates his time to various charitable causes; and races vintage cars in California, where he lives with his lovely wife Schanda and his son Justin.
Such is the legacy of Nigel's time with Elton John that people still ask, "Will Nigel ever play in Elton's band again?" Stranger things have happened, but in Nigel's words, "Would it be the same without Dee?"
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