Welcome to The 22nd Row…
The Very First Internet Resource
by, for & about Elton John & Bernie Taupin Fans
The
22nd Row is a free-of-charge,
interactive E-newsletter & mail list that is delivered only to E-mail
accounts.
The 22nd Row is not an official newsletter of Elton
John or Bernie Taupin or their associates, but it is written and read
by their fans, for their fans and about their fans.
Evolving
from a simple Internet e-mail list in June 1992, The 22nd Row Digest
and Mail List is believed to be the very first Internet resource dedicated
to the discussion of the music, songwriting, recordings and performances
of Elton John and Bernie Taupin. In June 1992, The 22nd Row involved
18 fans. Today, July 2002, there are over 1300 fans who receive The
22nd Row at their E-mail account.
From
1992-1994, The 22nd Row was pretty much the only forum for Elton
discussion on the Internet. In fact, from 1992-1996, what is today's
22nd Row came out EVERY DAY, 365 days-a year. With the cornucopia
of Elton and Taupin resources on the net, today's 22nd Row, comes
out much less frequently, anywhere from daily (during new album releases)
to two to three times per month during slower periods.
In
late 1993, what is today's 22nd Row, also started the very first
website dedicated to the subject of Elton John and Bernie Taupin. That
website was available until 1999 and has been on hiatus until now, July
2002; it featured an abridged discography of Elton's major recordings,
new bulletins, concert dates, and, the first unofficial information
about the Elton John AIDS Foundation. It's fun to notice that a number
of fan sites include images, scans, and writings that first appeared
on The 22nd Row's original website.
Today,
there are hundreds, if not thousands, of fine Internet resources dedicated
to Elton and Bernie. At the top of that list, are, of course, the OFFICIAL
sites for Elton John, the Elton John AIDS Foundation, and Bernie Taupin's
Farm Dogs. Most all of the other sites are created by very dedicated
fans who give each site a unique, personalized perspective that is informative,
as well as a loving tribute this duo.
Within
today's context of Elton- and Bernie-dom on the 'net, the purpose of
this site is modestly focussed into things that are still unique to
The 22nd Row. In other words, since there are so many Elton and
Bernie specialists out there, this site aims to celebrate those fans
and what they have contributed to the fandom via the web, while also
giving fans a chance to be part of The 22nd Row.
Specifically,
this site:
- Tells
fans how to subscribe to and write for The 22nd Row.
-
Tells what The 22nd Row has been all about through archives,
humour pieces and essays.
- And
most importantly, celebrates Elton, Bernie and their fans and their
friendship through archives of previous writings from The 22nd Row
and links to other fan's sites.
The
22nd Row's endurance can be accounted for by the loyalty of its
participants, The Row's special focus on "music first," and
the richness of the music that Bernie and Elton have created.
Thank
you for your support through the years.
Warm Regards,
Jim
McKay,
Founder and Facilitator
The 22nd Row
July
2002
Chicago
