From a dive bar In New Orleans
To Carnegie Hall
Tom started playing to get sober in 2022. Three years later he had performed at Carnegie Hall, the Adelphi Theatre and Teatro Tivoli.
Tom Cridland
is Sir El Tom.
Tom is an Anglo-Portuguese musician from London. He is regarded as one of the world's best tribute acts to Elton John, and is also a composer and record producer in his own right.
He started playing piano aged 30 during the Covid-19 lockdowns in 2021. He began simply with the aim of distracting himself from his addiction to alcohol, inspired by Elton's own sobriety.
His first performance was in January 2022 at the Carrollton Station, a juke joint in New Orleans. He then developed the show in Tennessee, with residencies at the Players Inn, a dive bar in Bellevue. By May 2023 he was playing to 1,500 people at McKelligon Canyon Amphitheatre in Texas.
Defiantly old school, he puts the music first, with extraordinary attention to detail. In contrast to most of the modern day industry, he plays 100% live, with no backing tracks or lip-syncing at all.
"I think everyone who lip-syncs on stage in public when you pay like 75 quid to see them should be shot."
The Troubadour, West Hollywood · 5 August 2024
Elton John Band Lineage
Sir El Tom initially toured with a three-piece band, just as Elton himself began his touring career in a trio with Nigel Olsson, Tom's close friend, on drums and Dee Murray on bass.
On August 5th 2024, Nigel Olsson returned to the Troubadour in West Hollywood to play with Sir El Tom, nearly 54 years to the day of Nigel's legendary debut "Elton John Band" performance in America at the same venue in August 1970 alongside Elton John and Dee Murray.
Nigel has since joined Sir El Tom onstage at Capitólio in Lisbon (October 2024) and at The Belasco in Los Angeles (November 2025).
"Thank you for saving my life."
Tom first met Sir Elton himself in person at his Oscars party and thanked him for saving his life.
Read in The Guardian →
EJAF Oscars Party, Los Angeles · 2023
Every American state.
Theatres, amphitheatres,
arenas and stadiums
worldwide.
- Carnegie Hall
- Adelphi Theatre
- Teatro Tivoli
- Casino Estoril
- Qualistage
- The Troubadour
- McKelligon Canyon Amphitheatre
- Théâtre du Gymnase Marie Bell
- Emerson Colonial Theatre
- The Granada Theatre
- Balboa Theatre
- The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center
- Perot Theatre
- Sioux City Orpheum
- Robinson Center
- Koger Center for the Arts
- Buskirk-Chumley Theater
- Performing Arts Center San Luis Obispo
- Scottsdale Performing Arts Center
- Sunrise Theatre
- Sharon Lynne Wilson Center for the Arts
- Attucks Theatre
- Polk Theatre
- Poncan Theatre
- State Theatre of Ithaca
- Royal Oak Music Theatre
- Kirkland Performance Center
- Bank of America Performing Arts Center
- Simsbury Meadows Performing Arts Center
- Paramount Theatre
- Midwest Trust Center
- Macomb Center for the Performing Arts
- F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre
- Le Petit Theatre
- Miniaci Performing Arts Center
- Neal S. Blaisdell Concert Hall
- Toronto Opera House
@sireltom
In the studio with the greats.
Tom wrote and performed on the album he produced for The Stylistics, Falling In Love With My Girl, and the single with Shania Twain, "Yes, I Will". He has worked in the studio with Nigel Olsson, Davey Johnstone and Elton himself.
Sessions tracked at Abbey Road, Metropolis, Sunset Sound and The Village.
Greatest Music of All Time.
Tom interviews guests and friends on his Greatest Music of All Time podcast.
SLO ReviewRead the full review →“Rejoice. Tribute band music, which has been going through a rather uneventful, overly-saturated period lately, finally has a legitimate star.”
“He's Tom Cridland, a 33-year-old Englishman whose Central Coast debut at the Performing Arts Center SLO was, in almost every way, magnificent.”
What they're saying.
“From first piano note in late 2020 to performing a concert in front of 1,500 people at McKelligon Canyon Amphitheatre in Texas in 2023”
— The Guardian“Tom Cridland has made it his career to play the songs of Elton John”
— KCRW“Learning to play the piano — especially Elton John's music — helped him overcome a life-threatening drinking problem”
— Men's Health“Learned piano in lockdown and now gigs around the world in tribute to his idol”
— Daily Mirror“It was learning the piano and all Elton's songs that kept him sober and lead to a successful new career as a tribute act”
— BBC“Tours the world as an Elton tribute act”
— Daily Express“Cridland got to meet his idol at the star's buzzy Oscar party”
— New York Post“I love Tom and Deborah Cridland”
— Nigel Olsson“Olsson — who is still Sir Elton's drummer today — took to the stage at the Troubadour to perform with Elton tribute act”
— Virgin Radio