So why did Elton John sing at rightwing U.S. broadcaster Rush Limbaugh's wedding?



Rightwing U.S. broadcaster Rush Limbaugh is an alleged homophobe and 'Aids denier'.

So he's hardly the sort of person you'd expect Sir Elton John to befriend.

But photos have emerged of the two posing together at Limbaugh's wedding, at which Sir Elton controversially performed for a $1million fee.

Stike a pose: Elton John smiles happily as he poses with Rush Limbaugh and his fourth wife, Kathryn, in pictures released yesterday



The pictures show Elton smiling away with Limbaugh 59, and his longtime girlfriend (now fourth wife) Kathryn, 33, at the ceremony at Palm Beach’s Breakers Hotel.

Limbaugh is an outspoken opponent of gay marriages, such as Sir Elton’s to David Furnish.

The radio host is one of the most maligned figures in American media and is hated by the liberal left wing.

Just last year Limbaugh compared the swine flu virus to AIDS in Africa, saying they were both a 'hyped disease'.

'Everything in Africa's called AIDS,' he said last October. 'The reason is [that] they get aid money for it.

'AIDS is the biggest pile of - the biggest pot they throw money into.'

Tender moment: Elton John shares a private moment with the happy bride and groom

He previously caused outrage in 2007 when he claimed AIDS was not a problem for the heterosexual community.

'There was never any evidence that it was spreading [there], not sexually anyway, and if you said that, then you were accused of a hate crime.

'It was time to cough up money for education, and condoms, and cucumbers and all that, and we had rock stars like Bono establish philanthropic careers on the basis of all this, all based on 'science'.'

John has been associated with AIDS charities since the deaths of his friends Ryan White and Freddie Mercury, raising large amounts of money and using his public profile to raise awareness of the disease .

The singer founded the Elton John AIDS Foundation in 1992 as a charity to fund programmes for HIV/AIDS prevention, for the elimination of prejudice and discrimination against HIV/AIDS-affected individuals, and for providing services to people living with or at risk of contracting HIV/AIDS.

Having a laugh: Sir Elton performed at Limbaugh's June wedding to his fourth wife Kathryn for a $1million fee

Limbaugh posted the candid pictures on his new Facebook page yesterday, three months after the ceremony.

They show a beaming John posing happily with the bride and groom.

The couple married in front of 400 guests, including former Republican Karl Rove, former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani and controversial Fox News talk show host Sean Hannity.



Sir Elton's decision to perform caused an outcry at the time.

‘He is directly supporting Mr Limbaugh and his endeavours – his future happiness! – by agreeing to perform at the man’s wedding,’ said Queerty.com’s Ryan Tedder, calling the fee ‘bloody money and tainted’.

And it seems that John may have performed at a cut-price rate. Last year Reuters reported that the singer is the highest paid wedding performer, charging more than $2million for private gigs - with proceeds going towards his AIDS foundation.

Packed house: The couple wed in front of 400 guests, including former New York mayor Rudy Guiliani and controversial Fox news pundit, Sean Hannity



Wedded bliss: The couple meet six years ago when she was running a charity golf tournament and he was going through his third divorce



Furnish later revealed to People magazine that John justified his appearance by telling him: 'Life is about building bridges, not walls.'



Adding that he saw the performance as a chance to open minds among the right-wingers present at the ceremony.

Furnish said that Limbaugh treated his guest of honour very well: 'He said Rush and his bride were incredibly charming and welcoming.'

Adding that the two couples have tentative dinner plans at a future date in England.

Sea Legs: Sir Elton is given a helping hand to disembark from his luxury yacht in St. Tropez yesterday

Happy couple: Elton married long time partner David Furnish in a civil ceremony in December 2005

And while Sir Elton, 63, has his own fortune, perhaps that $1million came in handy.

Yesterday he was pictured enjoying a sunshine break in St Tropez with Furnish, 47.

The couple were spotted disembarking from their luxury yacht before stopping into Louis Vuitton for a spot of retail therapy.

