Woman who's had Elton John's shoe for half a century to attend Toronto concert tonight
Bonnie Haas wasn’t thrown out of the show back in 1971, she was quite literally given a boot from the concert.
“I haven’t seen him since” the New Zealand native told CTV News Toronto Wednesday.
It was Oct. 29, 1971 when Haas got tickets to see John at Western Springs Stadium on his first New Zealand tour. “We got free tickets from the promoter,” Haas, who worked in radio at the time, admitted.
“I got into the second row.”
Along with the memories from that show, Haas has also held on to something else.
“He took his boots off,” she said. “He had the Rocketman boots, and he threw them into the audience and I got one!”
The leather, gold and red, right-footed Mr. Freedom winged boot was an early signature style piece for the flashy musician. The fancy footwear is even referenced in the 2019 autobiographical film “Rocketman.”
Back then, a young Haas wasn’t looking at her new find as a collector’s item.
“I put them on,” she said. “I was so hyper. I had one black boot and one Elton John boot. I went with my boyfriend at the time, and I stuck my leg out the window and I was saying, ‘I got the boot! I got the boot.’”
Haas says after the show she wore the boot to a nightclub and went dancing.
Along with her record collection, the boot was one of the few possessions Haas brought with her when she moved to Canada 46 years ago. For decades, it has sat in a display case in her Toronto home, both as a decorative piece and conversation starter.
“People love it,” she said. “And they say, ‘You have to contact Elton.”
Haas says she has no idea what the boot is worth, nor does she have any interest in selling it.
“I went to the Bata Shoe Museum and I was chatting to them- and they said they would be interested for me to put it in there on show. But you know, I didn’t want to give it away.”
Half a century after getting it, both the boot and the musician it came from are still standing.
John is playing two shows in Toronto at Roger's Centre this week on Sept. 7 and 8.
Haas says she will wear the boot on Wednesday night when she attends.
“I’d love to meet him,” she said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Breast cancer screening should start at age 40, Canadian Cancer Society says
The Canadian Cancer Society says all provinces and territories should lower the starting age for breast cancer screening to 40.
DEVELOPING Live updates as Stormy Daniels testifies at Trump hush money trial
Adult film star Stormy Daniels is on the stand a second time Thursday as former U.S. president Donald Trump’s hush money case continues in Manhattan. Follow live updates here.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Canadian-Israeli man shot dead in Egypt; claim links killing to Gaza
A Canadian man 'of Jewish Israeli descent' has been shot dead in the Egyptian city of Alexandria in a suspected criminal case, a security source said, while a previously unknown militant group said it carried out the attack in reaction to the war in Gaza.
Here are the ultraprocessed foods you most need to avoid, according to a 30-year study
Studies have shown that ultraprocessed foods can have a detrimental impact on health. But 30 years of research show they don’t all have the same impact.
Ontario man frustrated after $3,500 paving job leaves driveway in shambles
An Ontario man considering having his driveway paved received a quote from a company for $7,000, but then, another paver in the neighbourhood knocked on his door and offered half that rate.
Why these immigrants to Canada say they're thinking about leaving, or have already moved on
For some immigrants, their dreams of permanently settling in Canada have taken an unexpected twist.
Bank of Canada says financial system is stable, but risks remain
The Bank of Canada says the Canadian financial system is stable, but risks remain due to debt servicing costs among households and businesses and stretched valuations of financial assets.
BREAKING Sheldon Keefe out as head coach of Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs have fired head coach Sheldon Keefe. The team made the announcement Thursday after the Original Six franchise lost to the Boston Bruins in seven games in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.