When Elton John postponed his Aberdeen show from 2021 to 2023, fans were left devastated – except the Clark family.
Despite being lifelong Elton fans, the news that the show would be delayed due to the superstar undergoing a hip replacement was welcome news.
It meant that Newtonhill teen Ramsay would not miss the show as feared.
At the time, the then 16-year-old was an in-patient at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary undergoing chemotherapy and was too unwell to leave.
Mum Fiona and dad Alex said the family sung Elton songs in the ward to celebrate the cancellation and were “over the moon”.
Since that moment, the family from Newtonhill said the goal was on “getting well enough for Elton”.
Cancer diagnosis came ‘completely out of the blue’
Ramsay, now 18, was diagnosed with lymphoblastic lymphoma last year after a GP took a precaution and sent him to the hospital for tests.
The news came “completely out of the blue”, and the family was stunned.
But the worst of Ramsay’s treatment is over and he is out of hospital.
Now he is on the “maintenance” period which still involves chemotherapy but is less intensive.
Last month, he was one of 24 men who took to the catwalk for Friends of Anchor’s Brave – and now he is looking forward to the next big date on the calendar: Elton John at the P&J Live.
Enjoying Elton John’s Aberdeen show – despite cancer
Despite no longer needing a wheelchair, exercise still leaves him exhausted – but his mum fully expects him to be giving it his all during the dazzling concert.
“Knowing Ramsay he will give it 120% and then spend the next two weeks in bed”, she said.
“We will be enjoying and bopping away. If Ramsay has to spend some time in bed afterwards so be it – having the experience will be worth it.
“When you get a bolt of the blue like we did you learn to enjoy what you can.”
Mrs Clark bought the tickets as soon as they became available in 2019 as the first-ever act announced for The P&J Live.
Looking forward to Elton John ‘has kept me going’ during cancer journey
“I have been waiting a long long long time for Elton”, said Ramsay.
“It has been something to look forward to and quite frankly has kept me going and on track.
“I am super excited. I have only been to a few concerts so I don’t really know what to expect.”
The family are all fans of the popstar, but started listening at different times. Mr Clark, 60, was first introduced to him with his early work, and Mrs Clark, 46, said she grew up with him in the 1980s.
Former Portlethen Academy pupil Ramsay, who plays the cello, enjoys the musicality and the arrangements of Elton’s work.
“It is not like a new band where they will be here today and gone tomorrow,” added Mrs Clark.
‘I’m still standing’ became the family mantra
The family said there are tracks “for every occasion”, including times when you want a singalong in the car or are feeling down.
During one of Ramsay’s hospital stays one of his favourite songs I’m Still Standing became the family’s mantra.
The line “If this was a circus, you’d be a clown right now” had such an impact that when Ramsay lost his hair, that he received a colourful clown wig.
“Sometimes it’s the daft things that keep you going”, said Mrs Clark.
But following a stay in the hospital with intrepid sepsis in January, Mrs Clark said things got “pretty ropey”.
“We are making every day count,” she said. “This is just going to be amazing for us.
“There will be lots of selfies and lots of videos of us singing at the top of our lungs.”
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