Spectacle is really the brainchild of Elton John and his life-business partner, David Furnish, two of the show's executive producers. John also was Costello's first guest when Spectacle premiered last fall, and it was obvious from his impassioned remarks about fellow musicians Laura Nyro, David Ackles and Leon Russell that he was a man on a mission.
Other guests have included Lou Reed, Herbie Hancock, She & Him, Rene Fleming, Rufus Wainwrightand former President Bill Clinton, on how his training as a musician informed his political career.
David and I wanted to make a music show about music that's in-depth, not just a sound bite," John said recently. Most of the time on TV you never get that chance, you're just going on to plug a new record. But there's nothing on television that gives people an insight into musicians anymore. There are great shows where people perform, but not where they're interviewed in any depth. So we thought, 'Wouldn't it be great?'