AceShowbiz - Elton John is convinced he can force outspoken U.S. radio host Rush Limbaugh to relax his stance against gay marriage after performing at his wedding. The British rocker was stunned when Limbaugh invited him to play at the ceremony - because he always thought the hardline conservative was anti-gay.

He tells the new issue of Rolling Stone magazine, "I could not believe when I was asked to play. I thought it was a joke. I had dialog with him before and he said, 'I'm not anti-gay, I want you to come, bring (partner) David (Furnish).'"

And now Elton is hoping to use his relationship with Limbaugh to make the top-rated radio star see sense about gay marriage. He adds, "My goal is for Rush to say, 'I support civil partnerships'. If I rang him right now, I think he might agree. He was one of the first people to congratulate us on the baby."

Elton and Furnish became fathers to a baby boy, born via surrogate, at Christmas.