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Inforces in the rock world during the 1970s, with a string of seven consecutive #1 records on the U.S. album charts, 23 Top 40 singles, 16 Top 10 ones, and six #1 hits. His success had a profound impact on ], and contributed to the continued popularity of the piano in ]. Key musical elements in John's success included his melodic gifts matched with the contributions of his lyricist partner ], his rich ] and ]-chorded piano, aggressive ] arrangements, and his ] fashion sense and on-stage showmanship. In 2004, ] ranked <ref>{{cite web| title = Elton John| work = Billy Joel. Rolling Stone Issue 946| publisher = Rolling Stone| url = http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/5940022/49_elton_john}}</ref> #49 on their list of the .<ref>{{cite web| title = The Immortals: The First Fifty| work = Rolling Stone Issue 946| publisher = Rolling Stone| url =http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/5939214/the_immortals_the_first_fifty}}</ref><ref>http://www.classicbands.com/eltonjohn.html</ref> He continues to be a major public figure, and has been heavily involved in the fight against ] since the late ]. He was inducted into the ] in ] and was ] in ], and has remained an enduringly successful artist. Elton is also a champion of gay rights. Inforces in the rock world during the 1970s, with a string of seven consecutive #1 records on the U.S. album charts, 23 Top 40 singles, 16 Top 10 ones, and six #1 hits. His success had a profound impact on ], and contributed to the continued popularity of the piano in ]. Key musical elements in John's success included his melodic gifts matched with the contributions of his lyricist partner ], his rich ] and ]-chorded piano, aggressive ] arrangements, and his ] fashion sense and on-stage showmanship. In 2004, ] ranked <ref>{{cite web| title = Elton John| work = Billy Joel. Rolling Stone Issue 946| publisher = Rolling Stone| url = http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/5940022/49_elton_john}}</ref> #49 on their list of the .<ref>{{cite web| title = The Immortals: The First Fifty| work = Rolling Stone Issue 946| publisher = Rolling Stone| url =http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/5939214/the_immortals_the_first_fifty}}</ref><ref>http://www.classicbands.com/eltonjohn.html</ref> He continues to be a major public figure, and has been heavily involved in the fight against ] since the late ]. He was inducted into the ] in ] and was ] in ], and has remained an enduringly successful artist. Elton is also a champion of gay rights.


==Biography==
===Childhood===
Reginald Kenneth Dwight was born in ], ], a ] suburb. His father, Stanley Dwight, was an officer in the ] and was frequently away; his mother's name was Sheila Harris. His childhood home was 55 Pinner Hill Road. Reginald was educated at ] and ].


Stanley Dwight had once played trumpet with an American-styled big band called Bob Miller and The Milkmen. He and Sheila were avid record buyers, exposing Reginald to the music of pianists ], ], and ], and to singers ], ], ], ], ], ], and ]. Aged 3 Reginald started playing the piano, while by age 4, his parents recognised Reginald's talent, and would often ask him to play at parties.

His mother was buying him records by rock 'n' roll acts like Presley and ]. By the time he started attending the ] on a scholarship at age 11, Reginald's musical inspiration was rock 'n' roll.

Reginald preferred playing by ear. Subprofessor Helen Piena once said that upon the boy's entrance into the Academy, she'd played him a four-page piece by ], which he promptly played back for her like a "gramophone record." Reginald enjoyed playing ] and ] and singing in the choir during his Saturday classes at the Academy, but was not otherwise a diligent classical student. As he remembered decades later, "I kind of resented going to the Academy. I was one of those children who could just about get away without practising and still pass, scrape through the grades." Sometimes, he would play truant and ride around ]. Yet Piena saw Reginald as a "model student."

A student at the Academy for five years, Reginald rounded out the little free time he had with a newspaper route and a job at a wine shop on Saturday afternoons after class. At Pinner Country Grammar School, he was more advanced musically than his peers and had an aptitude for songwriting, dashing off good melodies for his composition assignments.

Reginald's record collection grew rapidly. He took sustenance in the early rock 'n' roll piano pioneers, annoying his father, who wanted him to concentrate on the classics, and frightening his mother with a fascination for music of the sexual, androgynous ]. Reginald gained some notoriety by playing like ] at ] functions, and even sang.

In 1962, Reginald's parents divorced.

===Early career (1962–1969)===
At age 15, with the help of caring father figure Farebrother{{Fact|date=March 2007}}, Reginald Dwight became a weekend pianist at the nearby Northwood Hills pub, playing on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights. The crowd was often rough &ndash; sometimes an unruly patron would dump a pint of beer into Reginald's piano &ndash; and the youngster had to work hard to please them. He played everything from ] ] songs ("He'll Have to Go") to ] ] numbers ("When Irish Eyes Are Smiling"), decades-old ditties ("Beer Barrel Polka"), hits of the day ("King of the Road"), and songs he had written himself. He received a modest, steady income and substantial tips. "During that whole period, I don't think I ever missed a gig," he said later. A stint with a short-lived group called the Corvettes rounded out his time.

In 1964, Dwight and his friends formed a band called Bluesology. By day, he ran errands for a music publishing company; he divided his nights between solo gigs at a London hotel bar and working with Bluesology. By the mid-1960s, Bluesology was backing touring American soul and R&B musicians like ], ], ] and ]. In 1966, the band became musician ]'s supporting band and began touring cabarets in England.

After failing lead vocalist auditions for both ] and ], Dwight answered an advertisement in the '']'' placed by ], then the A&R manager for ]. At their first meeting, Williams gave Dwight a stack of lyrics written by ], who had answered the same ad. Dwight wrote music for the lyrics, and then mailed it to Taupin, and thus began a partnership that continues to this day. In 1967, what would become the first Elton John/Bernie Taupin song, "Scarecrow", was recorded; when the two first met, six months later, Reginald Dwight had changed his name to '''Elton John''', by ], in homage to Bluesology saxophonist ] and Long ''John'' Baldry.

]'', Elton John's 1969 ], went largely unnoticed.]]
The team of John and Taupin joined ]'s ] as staff songwriters in 1968, and over the next two years wrote material for various artists, like ] and ]. Taupin would write a batch of lyrics in under an hour and give it to John, who would write music for them in half an hour, disposing of the lyrics if he couldn't come up with anything quickly. For two years, they wrote ] tunes for James to peddle to singers.

Their early output included an entry for British song for the ] in ], called ''"Can't Go On (Living Without You)"'' It came sixth of six songs.<ref>http://www.sandieshaw.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=773&sid=017e2a49eed0aa995e7346cf214a7a90</ref>

During this period John also played on sessions for other artists including playing piano on ]' ] and singing backing vocals for ].<ref> In his 1981 book "Thank U Very Much - Mike McCartney's Family Album" Scaffold singer Mike McGear (McCartney) describes a meeting with Elton John during which John advises him he used to sing background vocals for the group.</ref>

On the advice of music publisher Steve Brown, John and Taupin started writing more complex songs for John to record for DJM. The first was the single "I've Been Loving You" (1968), produced by Caleb Quaye, former Bluesology guitarist. In 1969, with Quaye, drummer Roger Pope, and bassist Tony Murray, John recorded another single, "]," and an album, '']''. Despite good reviews, none of the records sold well.

===1970s===

John and Taupin now enlisted ] to produce a follow-up with ] as arranger.
'']'' was released in the spring of 1970 on ]/] in the UK and ] in the USA, and established the formula for subsequent albums; gospel-chorded rockers and poignant ballads. After the first single "]" made the ], the album followed suit. John's first American concert took place at ] in Los Angeles (his introduction was provided by Neil Diamond), in August, backed by ex-] drummer ] and bassist ]. Kicking over his piano bench ]-style and performing handstands on the keyboards, John left the critics raving, and drew praise from fellow artists such as ] and ].

In the spring of 1970, John was recruited to provide piano and backing vocals on "]", the song recorded by the ] football squad which was about to depart to ] for the ] finals.

''Elton John'' was followed quickly with the concept album '']'' in October 1970, which reached the Top Ten on the ]. A frenetic pace of releasing two albums a year was now established.

The live album '']'' ('']'' in the US) showcased Elton's talent as a rock pianist and father of ]. Taped at a live show aired from A&R Studios on ] in ], and introduced by disc jockey ], it featured extended versions of John/Taupin's early compositions that illustrate the gospel and boogie-woogie influences on John's piano playing. It also featured much interaction between John, bassist ], and drummer ]. During the magnum opus 18:20 version of "]", the band interpolates ]'s "My Baby Left Me" and a full rendition of ]' "]" before a rampaging conclusion.

John and Taupin then wrote the soundtrack to the obscure film '']'' and then the album '']'', the latter reaching the Top Ten and producing the hit "]", while the soundtrack album produced the hit "Friends".

]'']]

In 1972, the final piece of what would become known as the '''Elton John Band''' fell into place, with the addition of ] (on guitar and backing vocals). Murray, Olsson, and Johnstone came together with John and Taupin's writing, John's flamboyant performance style, and ] ] to create a hit-making chemistry for the next five Elton John albums. Known for their instrumental playing, the members of the band were also strong backing vocalists who worked out and recorded many of their vocal harmonies themselves, usually in Elton's absence.

The band released '']'', which became Elton's first American number 1 album, spending five weeks at the top of the charts and spawning the hit singles "]" and "]".

The 1973 pop album '']'' came out at the start of 1973, and produced the hits "]" and "]"; the former became his first US number one hit. (Ironically this, like his other famous 1970s solo hits, would be popular in his native land but never top the ]; this achievement would have to wait two decades.) Both the album and "Crocodile Rock" were the first album and single, respectively on the consolidated ] label in the USA, replacing MCA's other labels including Uni.

'']'', a double album considered by many to be Elton John's best album, followed later in ]. It gained instant critical acclaim and topped the chart on both sides of the Atlantic. It also temporarily established Elton John as a ] star. It contained the Number 1 hit "]", along with the popular and praised "]", "]", "]", "]" and "Grey Seal".

John then formed his own MCA-distributed label ] and signed acts to it — notably ] ("Bad Blood", on which he sang background vocals) and ] — in which he took personal interest. Instead of releasing his own records on Rocket, he opted for $8 million offered by MCA. When the contract was signed in 1974, MCA reportedly took out a $25 million insurance policy on John's life.

In 1974 a collaboration with ] took place, resulting in Elton John covering ]' "]" and Lennon's "One Day at a Time", and in return Elton John and band being featured on Lennon's "Whatever Gets You Thru The Night". In what would be Lennon's last live performance, the pair performed these two number 1 hits along with the Beatles classic "]" at ]. Lennon made the rare stage appearance to keep the promise he made that he would appear on stage with Elton if "Whatever Gets You Thru The Night" became a number 1 single.

]''.]]

'']'' was released in 1974, and although it reached number 1, it was widely considered a lesser quality album. Reportedly recorded in a scant two weeks between live appearances, it featured "The Bitch Is Back" and John's versatility in orchestral songs with "]". At the end of the year, the compilation album '']'' was released and reached number 1.

] of ] asked John to play a character called the "Pinball Wizard" in the film of the rock opera '']'', and to perform the song of the same name. Drawing on ]s, John's version was recorded and used for the movie release in 1975 and the single came out in 1976 (1975 in the US). The song charted at number 7 in England. ] subsequently released a "Captain Fantastic" pinball machine featuring an illustration of Elton John in his movie guise.

In the 1975 autobiographical album '']'', Elton John revealed his previously ambiguous personality, with Taupin's lyrics describing their early days as struggling songwriters and musicians in ]. The lyrics and accompanying photo booklet are infused with a specific sense of place and time that is otherwise rare in John's music. "]" was the hit single from this album and captured an early turning point in John's life.

The album's release signalled the end of the Elton John Band, as an unhappy and overworked John dismissed Olsson and Murray, two people who had contributed much of the band's signature sound and who had helped build his live following since the beginning. Johnstone and Ray Cooper were retained, Quaye and Roger Pope returned, and the new bassist was Kenny Passarelli; this rhythm section provided a heavier-sounding backbeat. James Newton-Howard joined to arrange in the studio and to play keyboards. John introduced the lineup before a crowd of 75,000 in London's ].

Rock-oriented '']'' entered the ] at number 1 like ''Captain Fantastic'', a previously unattained feat. However, the material was almost universally regarded as not on a par with previous releases. The musical and vocal chemistry Olsson and Murray brought to Elton's previous releases was seen as lacking by some, both on the album and in the concerts that supported it.

Commercially, Elton owed much of his success during the mid-1970s to his concert performances. He filled arenas and stadiums worldwide, and was arguably the hottest act in the rock world.
John was an unlikely rock idol to begin with, as he was short of stature at 5'7" (1.70 m), chubby, and gradually losing his hair. But he made up for it with impassioned performances and over-the-top ]. Also known for his glasses (he started wearing them as a youth to copy his idol ]), his flamboyant stage wardrobe now included ] feathers, $5,000 spectacles that spelled his name in lights, and dressing up like the ], ], or ] among others at his concerts made them a success and created interest for his music.

To celebrate five years of unparalleled success since he first appeared at the venue, in 1975 John played a two-night, four-show stand at ]. With seating limited to under 500 per show, the chance to purchase tickets was determined by a postcard lottery, with each winner allowed two tickets. Everyone who attended the performances received a hardbound "yearbook" of the band's history.

In 1976, Elton released the live album '']'' in May, then the downbeat '']'' in October, which contained the memorable but even gloomier hit "]". His biggest success in 1976 was the "]", a peppy duet with ] that topped both the American and British charts. Finally, in an interview with '']'' that year entitled "Elton's Frank Talk", a stressed John stated that he was ].

Besides being his most commercially successful period, 1970 - 1976 is also held in the most regard critically. Of the six Elton John albums to make ''Rolling Stone'''s 2003 ] list, all are from this period, with ''Goodbye Yellow Brick Road'' ranked highest at number 91; similarly, the three Elton John albums given five stars by ] are all from this period too (''Tumbleweed Connection'', ''Honky Château'', and ''Captain Fantastic'').

During the same period, John made a self-effacing guest appearance on the popular '']'' show on the ]. The two comics spent the episode pointing him in the direction of everywhere except the stage in order to prevent him singing.

===Early retirement, hiatus, and return to the musical scene===

Elton's career took a hit after 1976. In November 1977 John announced he was retiring from performing; Taupin began collaborating with others. John secluded himself in any of his three mansions, appearing publicly only to attend the matches of ], an English football team of whom he was a lifelong devotee, and that he later bought. Some speculated that John's retreat from stardom was prompted by adverse reactions to the ''Rolling Stone'' article.

Now only producing one album a year, John issued '']'' in 1978, employing a new lyricist, Gary Osborne; the album featured no Top 20 singles. In 1979, accompanied by ], John became the first Western pop star to tour the ] (as well as one of the first in ], then mounted a two-man comeback tour of the US in small halls. John returned to the singles chart with "Mama Can't Buy You Love" (number 9, 1979), a song from an EP recorded in 1977 with Philadelphia soul producer ]. A ]-influenced album, '']'', was poorly received.

=== 1980s ===
In 1979, John and Taupin reunited. '']'', released the following year, was a significant career boost, aided by his biggest hit in four years, "]" (number 3 US), although the lyrics were written by ]. (John also worked with lyricists ] and ] during this period as well.) His 1981 follow-up, '']'', was recorded in part during the same sessions and also included collaborations with both lyricists. On ] ] Elton John performed a free concert to an estimated 400,000 fans on The Great Lawn in ] in ], with Olsson and Murray back in the Elton John Band, and within hearing distance of his friend ]'s ]. Three months later Lennon would be murdered in front of that same building. Elton mourned the loss in his 1982 hit "Empty Garden (Hey Hey Johnny)", from his '']'' album, his second under a new US recording contract with ]. He performed the tribute at a sold-out Madison Square Garden show in August ], joined on stage by ] and ], Elton's godchild.

However, the 1980s were years of personal upheaval for John. In 1984 he surprised many by marrying sound engineer ] since lots of people presumed that he was gay. While the marriage lasted four years, John later maintained that he had realised that he was homosexual before he married, proving them right. In 1986 he lost his voice while touring ] and shortly thereafter underwent throat surgery. John continued recording prolifically, but years of cocaine and alcohol abuse, initiated in earnest around the time of ''Rock of the Westies''' 1975 release, were beginning to take their toll. In 1987 he won a libel case against ] who had written about his allegedly having underaged sex; afterwards he said, "You can call me a fat, balding, talentless old queen who can't sing — but you can't tell lies about me."

With original band members Johnstone, Murray and Olsson together again, Elton was able to return to the charts with the 1983 hit album '']'', which included "I'm Still Standing" and "]", the latter of which featured ] on harmonica and reached number 4 in the US, giving Elton John his biggest hit there since "Little Jeannie." Indeed while he would never again match his 1970s success, he placed hits in the US Top Ten throughout the 1980s — "]" (number 3, 1980), "Sad Songs (Say So Much)" (number 5, 1984), "]" boosted by a mini-movie pop video directed by Ken Russell (number 7, 1986), an orchestral version of "]" (number 6, 1987), and "I Don't Wanna Go On With You Like That" (number 2, 1988). His highest-charting single was a collaboration with ], ], and Stevie Wonder on "]" (number 1, 1985); credited as Dionne and Friends, the song raised funds for ] research. His albums continued to sell, but of the six released in the latter half of the ], only '']'' (number 16, 1988) placed in the Top 20 in the US.

In 1984, Watford reached the ] final at ], fulfilling a lifelong ambition for John, who by now was owner and chairman of the club. During the traditional pre-match ritual of the crowd singing "]", John burst into tears. Watford lost the game 2-0 to ], who always played in blue kit. After the game a large banner was unfurled among the Everton supporters, saying "SORRY ELTON - I GUESS THAT'S WHY THEY CALL US THE BLUES".

In 1985, John was one of the many performers at ], playing the ] leg of the marathon concert. He played "Bennie and the Jets" and "Rocket Man"; performed "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" with Kiki Dee for the first time in years; and introduced his friend ], still then of ], to sing "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me".

This was an example of John's endearing support of young artists and embrace of all new music, which continues to this day. He enlisted Michael to sing backing vocals on his single "]", and also recruited teen idol ] as an instrumentalist on "Nikita". John also recorded material with ] in 1985.

In 1988, he performed five sold-out shows at New York's Madison Square Garden, giving him 26 for his career, breaking the ]'s house record. But that year also marked the end of an era. Netting over $20 million, 2,000 items of John's memorabilia were auctioned off at Sotheby's in London, as John bade symbolic farewell to his excessive theatrical persona. (Among the items withheld from the auction were the tens of thousands of records John had been carefully collecting and cataloguing throughout his life.) In later interviews, he deemed 1989 the worst period of his life, comparing his mental and physical deterioration to Elvis Presley's last years.

=== 1990s ===
Elton John was deeply affected by the plight of ], an Indiana teenager with ]. Along with ], John befriended and supported the boy and his family until White's death in 1990. Himself a mess and confronted by his then-lover, John checked into a Chicago hospital in 1990 to combat his ], ], and ]. In recovery, he lost weight and underwent hair replacement, and subsequently took up residence in ]. Also in 1990, John would finally achieve his first UK number one hit on his own, with "]" (backed with "Healing Hands") from the previous year's album '']''; it would stay at the top spot for six weeks.

The 1991 film documentary '']'' described the unusual writing style that John and Bernie Taupin use, which involves Taupin writing the lyrics on his own, and John then putting them to music, with the two never in the same room during the process. That same year, the '']'' ] came out, featuring contributions from many top British and American rock and pop performers. Finally in 1991, John's "Basque" won the ], and a guest concert appearance he had made on George Michael's reverent treatment of "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" was released as a single and topped the charts in both the US and UK.

In 1992 he established the Elton John AIDS Foundation, intending to direct 90 percent of the funds it raised to direct care, and 10 percent to AIDS prevention education. He also announced his intention to donate all future royalties from sales of his singles in the US and UK to AIDS research. That year, he released the US number 8 album '']'', his highest-charting release since 1976's ''Blue Moves'', and John and Taupin signed a music publishing deal with Warner/Chappell Music for an estimated $39 million over 12 years, giving them the largest cash advance in music publishing history. John performed "]" and "]" with ] at the ], an AIDS charity event held at ], ] in honour of Queen's late front man ]. "Bohemian Rhapsody" featured a duet with ], a reconciliatory gesture given Rose's previous homophobic reputation.

In September of the same year, he performed "]" with Rose's band ] for the 1992 ] at the ] in Los Angeles. The following year, he released '']'', a collaboration with 15 artists ranging from ] to ]. This also included a new collaboration with Kiki Dee, entitled "True Love", which reached the Top 10 of the UK charts, and a duet with ] on "Runaway Train", which also charted.

In 1994, along with ], he wrote the songs for the ] animated film '']''. (Rice was reportedly stunned by the rapidity with which John was able to set his words to music.) ''The Lion King'' went on to become the highest-grossing traditionally-animated feature of all time, with the songs playing a key part. Three of the five songs nominated for the ] that year were John and Rice songs from '']'', with "]" winning. (John acknowledged his domestic partner, Canadian film-maker ], at the ceremonies.) In versions sung by John, both that and "]" became big hits, while the other songs such as "]" achieved popularity with all ages as well. "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" would also win John the ]. After the release of the soundtrack, the album remained at the top of Billboard's charts for nine weeks. On ], ], the ] announced that the album ''The Lion King'' had sold 15 million copies and therefore was certified as a ] with room to spare.

Elton John was inducted into the ] in his first year of eligibility in 1994. He and Bernie Taupin had previously been inducted into the ] in 1992. Elton John was made a ] in 1995.

In 1995 John released '']'' (number 13, 1995), which featured the hit single "Believe" (number 13, 1995). Also, a compilation called '']'' was released the following year.

]
The year 1997 found extreme highs and lows for John. Early in the year, vestiges of the flamboyant Elton resurfaced as he threw a 50th birthday party, costumed as ], for 500 friends (the costume cost more than $80,000). Unfortunately, later that year he lost two close friends, designer ] and ].

In September, Taupin altered the lyrics of "Candle in the Wind" for a special version mourning the death of Diana, and John performed it at her funeral in ]. A recorded version, "]", then became the fastest selling single of all time, eventually going on to sell over 30 million copies worldwide, with the proceeds of approximately £55 million going to the ]. John would later win the ] for the single, and has not performed it since.

=== 2000s - Present Day ===
Other memorable concert projects in the decade have so far included:
* Face-to-Face tours with fellow pianist ] have been a fan favourite throughout the world since the mid-1990s.
* In October 2003 Elton announced that he had signed an exclusive agreement to perform 75 shows over three years at ] in ]. The show, entitled ''The Red Piano'', is a multimedia concert featuring massive props and video montages created by ]. Effectively, he and ] share performances at Caesar's Palace throughout the year - while one performs, one rests. The first of these shows took place on ] ]. <ref>http://www.eltonjohn.com/home_index.asp?page=now/projects/redpiano.asp</ref>
* A two year global tour sandwiched between commitments in Las Vegas, some of the venues of which are new to Elton.

In the 2000s, John began frequently collaborating with other artists. In 2000, John and Tim Rice teamed again to create songs for ]' animated film '']'' and was also the narrator. In the ] world, addition to a 1998 adaptation of ''The Lion King'' for ], John also composed music for a Disney production of '']'' in 1999 with lyricist Tim Rice, for which they received the ] and the ].

In 2001 he declared that '']'' would be his final studio album, and that he would now concentrate on just live performances. In 2004, however, he released a new album, '']'' which, despite some favourable reviews, was his least commercially successful album in every country it was released in.

Also in 2001, John accepted an offer to appear as a guest on the ] topical quiz show '']''. However, he changed his mind just hours before recording was due to begin, and so the producers recruited Ray Johnson, a ] driver from ], ], who worked part-time as an Elton John ]. He said next to nothing during the programme, while captions praising Johnson and slagging off John were added to the final cut of the programme when it was broadcast 24 hours later.

John continued his succesful collaborations with other artists during the 2000s. 'Your Song' was re-recorded several times during the first part of the decade with ], British Cellist etc.

Moreover, in 2002, John duetted with ] on the rapper's "]" at the ] which appears on Eminem's compilation album '']'' as its bonus track. This went a long way towards absolving Eminem of charges of ] and thus paving the way for Eminem's greater mainstream acceptance.

Previously, in 2003, British boyband ] had released a version of "Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word", which included John. It went to number 1 in the UK as well as many other European countries. Elton achieved yet another number 1 single in the UK in 2005, being featured on ]'s posthumous song "]" from the rapper's album, '']''. The song sampled "]" from John's 1971 album, '']''. "Indian Sunset" was later released on the single "Electricity", which John wrote for the 2005 ] production of '']''. The single benefited from some clever marketing. Over 75% of the sales were downloads, thanks to an Elton John competition where fans could send a text message including an answer to the question and then receive a download of the track. "Electricity" remains one of his biggest solo hits of the 2000s.

However, his biggest hit was "Are You Ready For Love". Although it was pretty much ignored when it was first recorded during the late 1970s ] sessions, it became something of a ] fixture and eventually got a re-release on ] in 2004. "Are You Ready For Love" proceeded to go straight to number 1 in the UK and on Billboard's ] chart.

Elton John was one of the performers at the ] on ] ]. He performed as third act of the day and had also been promoting the concerts together with ], ] etc. At the concert in London, he played "]", "]" and lastly, ]'s "]" with ] and ]' frontman, ].

Returning again to musical theatre, John composed music for a ] production of '']'' in 2005 with playwright ]. John's only theatrical project with Bernie Taupin so far is '']'', based on the ] vampire novels. However it was slammed by the critics and closed in ] ] after 39 performances. <ref>http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/5013218.stm</ref>. As for other movies, in 2002, his 1970s track "]" was prominently featured in the film '']'', and then his "The Heart of Every Girl" was the end title song from 2003's '']''.

'']'' compilation album with two of his own Christmas songs and the rest being various artists he chose to be on there was initially released exclusively to Hear Music outlets at every Starbucks coffee shop on November 10, 2005. It sought to give away two dollars from each and every sale to the charityElton John AIDS Foundation. The following year, on ], 2006, the album was re-released to the general market eleven months after its original and first release. But six songs of the original twenty-one were omitted from the new release. Therefore, it was left with only fifteen.

On ], 2006, Elton John and Bernie Taupin released a sequel to ''],'' reflecting again on the phenomenal success, the sadnesses, the creativity and the optimism within their 40 year songwriting partnership; '']'' features ten new songs, including the first single "]", and for the first time ever, photographs of both John and Taupin are featured on the album front cover.

Among his many honors, Elton John was named a ] for his numerous outstanding contributions to Disney's films and theatrical works <ref>http://legends.disney.go.com/legends/detail?key=Elton+John</ref> on ], 2006, by ]. It is the company's highest honor. Another measure of fame came back in July 2005 when ] made a statue of Elton John to his measurements; it took more than 1,000 hours to complete.

In ] ], ] released their album '']'', the limited edition included "In Private", a new version of the ] single they had written in ]. The song, this time, had been recorded as a duet with John and was later released as bonus track on Pet Shop Boys' top 20 hit "]". His string of UK #1 duets continued later that year when the ]' released "]", which John co-wrote. Recorded in Las Vegas, it featured John on piano and was included on their album '']''. "]" became the fourth best selling single in the UK in 2006 and it stayed in the UK top 40 for 27 weeks. John also co-wrote "Intermission" from the same album.

In interviews Elton has listed a number of other projects of his in various stages, including an adaptation of '']''. <ref>http://www.stipkocontent.com/contentengine/publish/buzzine/interviews/article_1604.shtml </ref> He also told '']'' magazine that he plans for his next record to be in the ] genre. "I want to work with ], ], ], ], ] and just see what happens. It may be a ], it could be fantastic, but you don't know until you try." <ref name=6abc></ref>

In 2007, Elton John was featured in Timbaland's new album ], in the song "2 Man Show."

March 2007 saw John celebrating his 60th birthday in more ways than one. He engaged in a joint party with artist ] in the ].<ref>http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/showbiz/showbiznews.html?in_article_id=442194&in_page_id=1773&ico=Homepage&icl=TabModule&icc=picbox&ct=5</ref> and performed at ] for the 60th time to mark his 60th birthday.<ref>http://www.nme.com/news/elton-john/27292 NME article on 60th birthday concert at Madison Square Gardens</ref> ] will air a programme featuring him performing at his birthday party called ''Happy Birthday Elton'', where he performs songs including ''Your Song'', ''Rocket Man'', ''Candle In the Wind'' and ''I'm Still Standing''. It will also feature behind-the-scenes footage from the superstar's private party, where ] meets and greets famous guests.<ref>http://www.itv.com/listings/Programme.aspx?itvgenre=2&channeldate=29/03/2007&channelid=HTW&scheduleid=29086531&prognum=961813&episode=961813&isfilm=No&types=subtitles</ref>

To celebrate his record-setting achievement at Madison Square Gardens, a banner marking "Most Performances by a Single Artist" at the Garden will be raised to the rafters and placed within Madison Square Garden's Music Hall of Fame. Moreover, he released a greatest-hits compilation CD, entitled '']''. ''Rocket Man - Number Ones'' was released in 17 different versions worldwide. Finally, on March 26, Elton's staggering back catalogue - almost 500 songs from 32 albums - became available for legal download. "I knew that the entire catalog - not just the hits - needed care and attention to be released in this way," he said in a statement. "Now that it's happening, I'm pleased for the fans' sake." <ref>. ], ].</ref>
Elton John will be performing at Madison Square Garden in a concert that will be streamed live via * that day, too.


== Personal life == == Personal life ==

Revision as of 17:31, 27 March 2007

Elton John
Musical artist

Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight on 25 March 1947) is a multiple Grammy- and Academy Award-winning English pop/rock singer, composer and pianist.

Accomplishments

Inforces in the rock world during the 1970s, with a string of seven consecutive #1 records on the U.S. album charts, 23 Top 40 singles, 16 Top 10 ones, and six #1 hits. His success had a profound impact on popular music, and contributed to the continued popularity of the piano in rock and roll. Key musical elements in John's success included his melodic gifts matched with the contributions of his lyricist partner Bernie Taupin, his rich tenor and gospel-chorded piano, aggressive string arrangements, and his flamboyant fashion sense and on-stage showmanship. In 2004, Rolling Stone Magazine ranked Elton John #49 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. He continues to be a major public figure, and has been heavily involved in the fight against AIDS since the late 1980s. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994 and was knighted in 1998, and has remained an enduringly successful artist. Elton is also a champion of gay rights.


Personal life

File:Civil partnership elton john.jpg
Document of Civil Partnership

John has had a complicated personal history in both his sexual orientation, as well as personal battles with drugs, depression, bulimia, baldness, and spending.

Sexual orientation and extended relationships

In a 1976 Rolling Stone interview he announced that he was bisexual. He stated his belief that everyone is bisexual to a degree. On rigid notions of macho gender expression, he cited Shirley MacLaine: "Shirley MacLaine said the right thing to Tom Snyder on TV. She said, 'Oh c'mon, Tom. Let's stop all this stupid macho business. It really is a bit passé now.'".

John married German recording engineer Renate Blauel on Valentine's Day, 1984, but they divorced four years later. John later renounced his bisexuality and came out as a homosexual instead.

He met his partner David Furnish, a former advertising executive and now film maker, in 1993. On 21 December 2005, they entered into a civil partnership. A low-key ceremony with their parents, photographer Sam Taylor-Wood and her husband Jay Jopling, and John and Furnish's dog Arthur in attendance was held at the Guildhall, Windsor, followed by a lavish party at their Berkshire mansion. Many famous guests were invited, but were delayed just outside John's Windsor household in a traffic jam of guests waiting to get inside.

John does not have any children, but does have ten godchildren as of March 2006. Besides the aforementioned Sean Ono Lennon, these include Elizabeth Hurley's son Damian Charles and David and Victoria Beckham's son Brooklyn.

Within the music industry, Elton is sometimes known as "Sharon", a nickname originally given to him by good friend Rod Stewart. In return, Elton calls Rod "Phyllis".

Drugs, alcohol and health

Throughout his career, John has battled addictions to alcohol and cocaine. By 1975, the pressures of stardom began to take a serious toll on the musician. During "Elton Week" in Los Angeles that year, John suffered a drug overdose. He also battled the eating disorder bulimia. In a CNN Interview with Larry King in 2002, King asked if John was aware of Princess Diana's eating disorder. John replied, "Yes, I did. We were both bulimic. I was also a bulimic."

He is also rumoured to have struggled with significant financial difficulties caused by his profligate spending. In the mid-late 1990s, John formed a friendship with pop singer Michael Jackson, who later dedicated his 1997 album Blood on the Dance Floor to him for the support John had given him during his struggle with addiction to prescription painkillers.

In 1987 he had an operation to remove polyps from his vocal cords. Physicians speculated that John's heavy use of marijuana may have contributed to the formation of the polyps..

After many years of struggling with drug and alcohol addiction, John finally checked himself into a rehabilitation clinic in 1990. He has cited the highly-publicised case of Ryan White, who died that same year of complications from AIDS (and at whose funeral John performed), as a major motivating factor in his decision to enter rehab.

In July 1999, he was fitted with a pacemaker due to an irregular heart beat.

Residence

Aside from his main home in Windsor, England, John splits his time in his various residences in Atlanta, Georgia; Nice, France; Holland Park in London; and Venice, Italy. Elton John is a noted art collector, and is believed to have one of the largest private photography collections in the world.

Spending

During the 2000 court case, where John sued both his former manager John Reid, the CEO of Reid's company and accountants Price Waterhouse Coopers, he admitted spending £30 million in just under two years - an average of £1.5 million a month, the High Court in London heard. The singer's lavish lifestyle saw him spend more than £9.6m on property and £293,000 on flowers between January 1996 and September 1997. John accused the pair of being negligent, and PWC of failing in their duties. Mark Hapgood QC for defendants PWC suggested that John went "spending mad" following a £42m deal with recording company Polygram in February 1996. When quizzed by Mr Hapgood about the £293,000 spent on flowers, John said: Yes, I like flowers. John stated that the terms of the contract, whereby John paid Reid 20% of his gross earnings, were agreed in St Tropez in the summer of 1984 - but that he could not remember the exact occasion on which the deal was made. After losing the case, he faced an £8 million bill for legal fees.

Elton John decided with his fleet manager John Newman to sell 20 of his collection of 28 cars at Christie's - including several Ferraris, Aston Martins, and six post-war Bentleys. His reason for selling them was stated as: I do not find enough time to drive them. The sale raised £2 million The cars sold included:

  • 1993 Jaguar XJ220 - the most expensive car in the collection, with a 213mph top speed and only 852 miles on the clock - sold for £234,750. The auction room was told how Sir Elton's chauffeur refused to drive the car after he "twitched it" on a flyover and was scared by its power.
  • 1978 Aston Martin V8 Vantage Coupe - known as "The Beast", because of its roar, went for £80,750. The car was painted in black, red and yellow; the colours of Sir Elton's favourite Watford Football Club.
  • Two Ferraris - a 1992 512 Testarossa and a 1987 Testarossa given to John by MCA Records on the occasion of his 40th birthday. Rod Stewart had been among a group of friends who had ridden in the car.
  • 1973 Rolls-Royce Phantom VI - Lawrence Cohen from Hertfordshire spent over twice as much on a car valued at £110,000. It was fitted with a 36-speaker stereo system which cost £28,000. It was so powerful that it once blew out the rear window, after which the glass in the car had to be reinforced.
  • 1985 Bentley Continental Convertible - in Tudor Red, the car used in the video for Nikita. The car's body was specially crafted by coachbuilder Mulliner Park Ward of Harlesden, and a long list of special fitments include colour-coded radiator veins and parchment trim piped in red.
  • 1969 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud Mk3 - supplied new in Arizona, it was a purchase by John in Atlanta and named Daisy after the film Driving Miss Daisy which was filmed close to his Atlanta home. Flown to the UK in 1994 by KLM, it spent two years being restored at the cost of £100,000. It sold for £90,000.

In 2003, Elton John sold the contents of his Holland Park home in a bid to create more room for his collection of contemporary art. The auctioneer's Sotheby's catalogue had a list of more than 400 items, expected to fetch £800,000, including: Biedermeier furniture; early 16th and 17th century items including an Edward Bower estimated at £20,000-£30,000 and a portrait of Elizabeth Honeywood from the circle of William Larkin, which was estimated at £30,000-£40,000. John's bedroom featured a painting by 19th-century French artist Jacques-Noël-Marie Frémy, which was exhibited at the 1814 Paris Salon, and is estimated at £12,000-£18,000 .

Sports and other interests

  • In 1976, Elton John became involved in Watford Football Club and fulfilled a childhood dream by becoming its chairman and director. He invested large sums of money and the club rose into the First Division after a number of key acquisitions. He sold the club to Jack Petchey in 1987, but remained their life-long president. In 1997 he re-purchased the club from Petchey and once again became chairman. He stepped down in 2002 when the club needed a full-time chairman although he continued as president of the club. Although no longer the majority shareholder, he stills holds a significant financial interest. In June 2005 he held a concert at Watford's Vicarage Road ground, donating the funds to the club.
  • A longtime tennis enthusiast, Elton wrote the song "Philadelphia Freedom" in tribute to longtime friend Billie Jean King and her World Team Tennis franchise of the same name. John and King also co-host an annual pro-am event to benefit AIDS charities, most notably John's own Elton John AIDS Foundation, for which King is a chairperson.

Charity

John has long been associated with AIDS charities after 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. For example, in 1986 he joined with Dionne Warwick, Gladys Knight, and Stevie Wonder to record the single "That's What Friends Are For", with all profits being donated to the American Foundation for AIDS Research. The song won Elton and the others the Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal (as well as Song of the Year for its writers, Burt Bacharach and Carole Bayer Sager). In April 1990, John performed "Skyline Pigeon" at the funeral of White, a teenage hemophiliac he had befriended.

John 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. This cause continues to be one of his personal passions. In early 2006, Elton donated the smaller of two bright-red Yamaha pianos from his Las Vegas show to auction on eBay to raise public awareness and funds for the foundation. For his AIDS charity, John has hosted annually a glamorous White Tie and Tiara Ball, to which many famous celebrities are invited.

Every year since 2004, he has opened a shop (this year in Manhattan, before in London and Atlanta), selling his second hand clothes. Called "Elton's Closet" the sale this year of 10,000 items was expected to raise $400,000

Musical style and voice

In the 1970s, Elton John's sound immediately set him apart from most others by being piano-based in a rock 'n' roll world dominated by guitars. Another early characteristic was a set of dynamic string arrangements by Paul Buckmaster. Coupled with Taupin's often opaque but emotionally resonant lyrics, the results were unique in the history of music. Songs in this style included "Sixty Years On", "Burn Down the Mission", "Take Me to the Pilot", "Levon", "Madman Across the Water", and the best-known of these, "Tiny Dancer".

"Your Song", one of his earliest popular hits, incorporates some other features found in many of his songs:

John also has a distinctive vocal style. In particular, his phrasing is often a bit metronomic and sometimes has a curiously off-kilter, "rushed" quality especially at the end of lines (example: the phrase "like a puppy child" in the song "Amoreena"). He also, at least in his classic period in the 1970s, would sometimes sweep up from his normal tenor into a Four Seasons-like falsetto.

Elton John underwent throat surgery to remove potentially cancerous nodules from his vocal cords in January 1987 while on tour, a necessity he originally said was due to an infection, but later said was the result of excessive drug abuse.

The problems with his voice can clearly be heard in his raspy singing on the Live In Australia album (released 1987). He made a full recovery from the surgery, but he continued to indulge in illegal drugs until 1990. The surgery in 1987 also had an after-effect on John's voice, and he found that he could no longer sing in falsetto as well as he previously could, and that he now sang in a lower range. During an interview with James Lipton, John had claimed to embrace this new tone, feeling it gave a more "masculine" quality that contrasted with his earlier work.

The change in Elton John's voice has been largely played down, though he stated, commenting fifteen years after the surgery, that he was "singing better than ever." Studio effects were evidently added to his voice on his first UK number 1 hit "Sacrifice" (1990). The release of Songs From The West Coast, his 2001 album, showed very clearly how different his voice is to his prime.

Elton John continues to inspire musicians today, particularly Rufus Wainwright, Ben Folds, Adrian Evans, and Ryan Adams, however, more unlikely artists like Thom Yorke (Radiohead), Billie-Joe Armstrong (Green Day) and even Axl Rose (Guns N' Roses) are said to be fans. Final Fantasy music composer Nobuo Uematsu was also greatly influenced by him throughout his life, claiming "no one writes a melody like him."

Awards

Discography

For a complete album discography, see Elton John discography.

Singles

For a complete singles discography, see Elton John singles discography.

Band members

Current members
Previous band members

See also

References and notes

  1. This middle name, after the horse named Hercules on the British sitcom Steptoe and Son, appears little used (it only receives 801 Google results as of 27/05/06), however The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed. uses the name in its entry. It is officially part of his name, as reflected in this certificate notifying the change of name of a company director (Elton John).
  2. He was made a CBE in 1996 - In the 1998 New Year's Honours list he was made a Knight Bachelor
  3. "Elton John". Billy Joel. Rolling Stone Issue 946. Rolling Stone.
  4. "The Immortals: The First Fifty". Rolling Stone Issue 946. Rolling Stone.
  5. http://www.classicbands.com/eltonjohn.html
  6. http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/davidbowie/articles/story/8718858/elton_john_its_lonely_at_the_top
  7. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/showbiz/showbiznews.html?in_article_id=372279&in_page_id=1773
  8. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/4546670.stm
  9. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jhtml?xml=/opinion/2003/11/02/do0210.xml&sSheet=/opinion/2003/11/02/ixop.html
  10. "Elton John", Biography Channel, 2005
  11. CNN.com: "Larry King Live: Interview With Elton John Aired January 25, 2002"
  12. http://www.femalefirst.co.uk/celebrity/11352004.htm
  13. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/1024745.stm
  14. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/showbiz/1283409.stm
  15. http://www.forbes.com/2001/06/04/0604vow.html
  16. http://www.findaproperty.com/story.aspx?storyid=4831
  17. http://www.theage.com.au/news/people/elton-john-turns-rags-to-riches-for-charity/2006/04/11/1144521337887.html
  18. http://www.femalefirst.co.uk/celebrity/11352004.htm

External links

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