Local piano player attending Elton John concert thanks to generosity of fans

(FOX 9) - As a popular piano entertainer, Daina De Prez knows more than a dozen Elton John songs by heart.

But soon she'll get to see him perform them in person for the very first time.

"I feel fortunate. I feel so lucky, and it's a once-in-a-lifetime experience for me," De Prez told FOX 9.

De Prez has been a regular at piano bars like Nye's around the Twin Cities for more than 20 years.

She says Elton John's showmanship and ability to command the stage have been an inspiration to her since she started tickling the ivories.

"I always wanted to run the band from the piano bench but when I saw him, I went like, you can run the band from the piano bench because the piano player can be that person," said De Prez.

In an interview with the Star Tribune last week about Sir Elton's influence on her in advance of his farewell tour landing at the Xcel Energy Center on Tuesday, De Prez said she's never seen him in concert because she can't afford it.

A local pianist is going to see Elton John perform for the first time thanks to the generosity of strangers.

Within hours, a couple who can't make it to the show offered De Prez their tickets saying she's the perfect person to go in their place.

"One piano player going to see another piano player," said De Prez. "I felt like there are some wonderful generous people in the world and I just got contacted by one of them on the phone."

De Prez says she plans to take her daughter to see the "Rocket Man" say goodbye yellow brick road.

And it's probably going to be a long, long time before her spirits are ready to come back down to earth.

"Wow. Thank you. Yes I'm going to have a really good time. It's going to be incredible. I'm already excited," said De Prez.