LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Tom Cridland may as well be glued to the piano at this point in his life.
His care for the keys has allowed him to tap into the emotional power of music.
“Connection to the music you can’t control, in my opinion,” Cridland said.
“If you connect with music properly, you just feel that it touches your soul in a way that you can’t really describe.”
For anyone who hears Cridland play, it’s hard not to also notice his style.
Far from quiet or mild, the flare is familiar to that of a certain Rocketman.
His fellow Englishman Sir Elton John.
“In terms of Elton as a character, he’s not ordinary. His existence is so colorful and larger than life,” Cridland said.
“He tries to get the best out of everyone, I find that very inspiring. I feel like he’s anchored my life and given me direction.”
Cridland became enamored with the music legend in 2010 while growing close to bandmate Nigel Olsson.
He was inspired by Sir Elton’s individuality and his status as a sober man.
A perspective that helped pull Cridland out of a dark place, deep in a struggle with alcohol.
“It started off with wonderful memories when I met my wife-to-be at university and some of my best friends and it descended into trying to chase the feeling that you have when you’re a teenager,” Cridland said.
“Blacking out in Ubers, blacking out at my girlfriend’s house, being beaten up several times because I was in such a vulnerable state. Nearly drinking myself to death on several occasions.”
The transition from near death to a new lease on life took place in part due to the pandemic.
It was during lockdown that Cridland began learning to play Elton John’s music and ultimately taking his talents to the stage.
Just two years later, his passion has grown into a nationwide tour.
100 shows in roughly six months, billed as a tribute to Sir Elton for the impact he had on Cridland.
What he calls lifesaving.
“I’m satisfied but I’m always trying to move onto the next thing because that’s another thing I take from Elton in terms of a source of inspiration with his work ethic. I’ve got to put in that extra effort to make up for lost time,” Cridland said.
“If anyone is struggling out there, hopefully, people might look into my story a bit, how I took it up maybe use that as a source of inspiration.”
Cridland will be in Lexington performing at the Lyric Theatre on Wednesday, April 10.
If you want to learn more about Cridland, the tour, and tickets, click here.
