Farmer performs as Elton John tribute to diversify farm income
Farmer Richard Reeves from South Gloucestershire performs as an Elton John tribute act to diversify his farm income.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
An original Mr Blobby costume from the 1990s is expected to fetch thousands of pounds at auction in Hannam. The costume was worn at the former Blobbyland in Cricket St Thomas, Somerset. But another story from the region features a farmer who turns into a pop star.
By day, Richard Reeves is a farmer in South Gloucestershire. By night, he performs as an Elton John tribute act. Reeves is a tenant on his farm, which limits how he can use the land to add income. So he has turned to music to support the business. He and his band of school friends have become one of the UK's leading Elton John tribute acts.
Reeves started farming at age 11 or 12, milking cows after school and at weekends. He gradually took on more work, went self-employed, and eventually got his own tenant farm. He says farming now requires extra income streams. His attention to detail with glasses, costumes, and playing style aims to make audiences believe they are seeing Elton John with his band from the mid-1970s.
When Reeves was 14, his father took him to an Elton John concert. A friend suggested writing to Elton to ask for a meeting. Elton agreed, and Reeves described the encounter as "fantastic, really really pleasant and nice" and said he was "completely starstruck." Now Reeves is wowing audiences himself, with a UK tour lined up for September.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | BBC One |
|---|---|
| Reeves and his band of school friends have become one of the UK's leading Elton John tribute acts. | |
| Reeves has a UK tour lined up for September. | |
| Richard Reeves is a tenant farmer in South Gloucestershire who performs as an Elton John tribute act to diversify his farm income. |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
BBC ONE West presented the story as a light-hearted human interest piece, focusing on the contrast between farming and performing. The tone was positive and admiring, highlighting Reeves' dedication to detail and his personal connection to Elton John. The report also briefly mentioned a separate story about a Mr Blobby costume auction, but the main focus was on Reeves' dual life.
- “By day he is a farmer but by night he's Elton John”
- “Up at five to milk the cows but when the sun goes down on them Richard becomes Captain Fantastic”
- “I really want to deliver a show that will make people really believe that they are seeing Elton John with his band back in the mid seventies”
Broadcast Timeline
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