| Elton John | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Reginald Kenneth Dwight |
| Born | March 25, 1947 |
| Origin | Pinner, Middlesex, London, England |
| Genre(s) | Rock, Pop, piano rock, glam rock |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, singer-songwriter, producer |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals, piano, keyboards |
| Years active | 1964—present |
| Label(s) | Uni, MCA, Geffen, Rocket/Island, Universal, Interscope, Mercury, UMG |
| Associated acts | Billy Joel Eminem The Who Blue Bryan Adams Ronan Keating Mary J. Blige Anastacia Randy Newman Tim Rice Kiki Dee Freddie Mercury and Queen John Lennon |
| Website | EltonJohn.com |
Sir Elton Hercules John CBE[1] [2] (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight on 25 March 1947) is an English pop/rock singer, composer and pianist. Events 1199 - Richard I is wounded by a crossbow bolt while fighting France which leads to his death on April 6. Year 1947 ( MCMXLVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1947 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Pinner is a suburb in the London Borough of Harrow in Greater London, England, north-west of Charing Cross. Middlesex is one of the 39 historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland A music genre is a categorical and typological construct that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other Rock music is a genre of Popular music often though not necessarily employing Electric guitar, Bass guitar, and Drums. Pop music as a genre features a noticeable rhythmic element catchy melodies and hooks, a mainstream style and conventional structure Piano rock, sometimes referred to as piano pop, is a term for a style of Rock music that is based around the Piano, and sometimes around Glam rock (also known as glitter rock) is a sub-genre of Rock music that developed in the UK in the post- Hippie early 1970s which was "performed by A musician is a person who plays or writes Music. Musicians can be classified by their roles in creating or performing music An instrumentalist plays a Singer-songwriter is a term that refers to Performers who write, compose and sing their own material including Lyrics In the Music industry, a record producer or music producer has many roles among them controlling the recording sessions coaching and guiding the musicians organizing A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified for the purpose of making Music. Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, which is often contrasted with Speech. The piano is a Musical instrument played by means of a keyboard that produces sound by striking steel strings with Felt covered hammers A keyboard instrument is any musical instrument played using a Musical keyboard. In the Music industry, a record label can be a Brand and a Trademark associated with the Marketing of music recordings and Music Uni Records (short for the label's legal name Universal City Records) was a Record label owned by MCA Inc. MCA Records was an American -based record company owned by MCA Inc Geffen Records is an American Record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operated as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label The Rocket Record Company was a Record label founded by Elton John, with Bernie Taupin, Gus Dudgeon and Steve Brown among others Island Records is a Record label that was founded by British record producers in Jamaica. Interscope Records is an American Record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operates as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label Mercury Records is a Record label operating as a standalone company in the UK and as part of the Island Def Jam Music Group in the US and are both subsidiaries of Universal Music Group (UMG is the largest Business group and family of Record labels in the Recording industry. William Martin Joel (born May 9 1949 is an American Pianist and Singer-songwriter. Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17 1972 known as Slim Shady and his primary Stage name Eminem, is an Academy Award -winning The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964. The primary lineup consisted of guitarist Pete Townshend Blue is a Colour, the Perception of which is evoked by {Otherpeople|Brian Adams}} Bryan Adams OC, OBC, (born Bryan Guy Adams on November 5, 1959) is a Canadian rock Ronan Keating (born March 3, 1977 in Dublin, Ireland) is an Irish pop Singer who has had hits with boyband Mary Jane Blige (surname pronounced /blaɪʒ/) (born January 11, 1971) is an American Singer-songwriter, Rapper Anastacia (born Anastacia Lyn Newkirk on September 17 1968 is a Multi-platinum American singer and songwriter Randall Stuart “Randy” Newman (born November 28 1943 is an Academy Award –winning American Singer/songwriter, arranger, Composer Sir Timothy Miles Bindon Rice (born 10 November 1944 is an English Academy Award, Golden Globe Award, Tony Award and Grammy Award Kiki Dee (born Pauline Matthews, 6 March 1947, Little Horton, Bradford, West Yorkshire, England In the Freddie Mercury (born Farrokh Bulsara; 5 September 1946 – 24 November 1991 was a Zanzibar -born British Musician, best known as the lead Queen were an English rock band formed in 1970 in London by guitarist John Winston Ono Lennon, MBE (born The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British Order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by King George V. Events 1199 - Richard I is wounded by a crossbow bolt while fighting France which leads to his death on April 6. Year 1947 ( MCMXLVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1947 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Pop music as a genre features a noticeable rhythmic element catchy melodies and hooks, a mainstream style and conventional structure Rock music is a genre of Popular music often though not necessarily employing Electric guitar, Bass guitar, and Drums. A composer (literally meaning 'one who puts together' is a person who creates Music, usually in the medium of notation, for Interpretation and Performance A pianist (/'piənɪst/ is a Musician who plays the Piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces play with an ensemble or Orchestra
In his four-decade career, John has been one of the dominant forces in rock and popular music, especially during the 1970s. He has sold more than 250 million albums and over one hundred million singles,[3] making him one of the most successful artists of all time. He has more than 50 Top 40 hits including seven consecutive #1 U. The Top Forty or Top 40 is a music industry shorthand for the currently most-popular songs in a particular genre. S. albums, 59 Top 40 singles, 16 Top 10, 4 #2 hits, and nine #1 hits. He has won five Grammy awards and one Academy Award. The Grammy Awards (originally called the Gramophone Awards)—or Grammys —are presented annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences "The Oscar" redirects here for the film see The Oscar (film. His success has had a profound impact on popular music and has contributed to the continued popularity of the piano in rock and roll. Popular music is Music belonging to any of a number of musical styles that are accessible to the general public and are disseminated by one or more Rock and roll (also known as rock 'n' roll) is a form of Music that evolved in the United States in the late 1940s and early 1950s with roots in mostly African In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked him #49 on their list of the 100 greatest artists of all time. Rolling Stone is a United States -based Magazine devoted to Music, Politics, and Popular culture that is published [4]
Some of the characteristics of John's musical talent include an ability to quickly craft melodies for the lyrics of songwriting partner Bernie Taupin, his former rich tenor (now baritone) voice, his classical and gospel-influenced piano, the aggressive orchestral arrangements of Paul Buckmaster among others and the flamboyant fashions, outlandishly excessive eye glasses, and on-stage showmanship, especially evident during the 1970s. Bernie Taupin (born 22 May 1950 is an English Lyricist most famous for his collaboration with Elton John. The tenor is the highest male voice within the Modal register, just above the Baritone voice This article is related to a series of articles under the main article Voice type. Gospel music is Music that is written to express either personal or a communal belief regarding Christian life as well as (in terms of the varying music styles to An orchestra is an instrumental ensemble, usually fairly large with string brass woodwind sections and possibly a percussion section as well Paul Buckmaster is an artist Arranger, and Composer. He is perhaps best known for his collaborations with Elton John, but he has also worked as an
John was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a Museum located on the shores of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland Ohio, United States He has been heavily involved in the fight against AIDS since the late 1980s and was knighted in 1998. The rank of Knight Bachelor is a part of the British honours system. He entered into a civil partnership with David Furnish on 21 December 2005 and continues to be a champion for the LGBT social movements. David Furnish (born 25 October, 1962) is a Canadian Filmmaker who is the Civil partner of British Entertainer Events 69 - The end of the Year of the four emperors: Following Galba, Otho and Vitellius, Vespasian Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender social movements share related goals of social acceptance of Homosexuality, Bisexuality and Transgenderism Lesbian On April 9, 2008 Elton John held a benefit concert for the Hillary Clinton Presidential Campaign, and raised $2. Events 193 - Septimius Severus is proclaimed Roman Emperor by the army in Illyricum (in the Balkans) 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common New York junior Senator and former First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton had expressed interest in the 2008 United States presidential 5 million. [5]
Contents |
Biography
Childhood
John was born in Pinner, Middlesex in a council house of his maternal grandparents, with whom his newlywed parents (Sheila Eileen (Harris) and Stanley Dwight) were living. Pinner is a suburb in the London Borough of Harrow in Greater London, England, north-west of Charing Cross. Middlesex is one of the 39 historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. [6][7] He then moved to a nearby semi-detached house. [8] He was educated at Pinner County Grammar School until the age of 15 before pursuing a career in the music industry. [9][10]
When John began to seriously consider a career in music, his father tried to steer him toward a more conventional career such as banking. [9] He has stated that his wild stage costumes and performances were his way of letting go after such a restrictive childhood.
Both of John's parents were musically inclined, his father having been a trumpet player with a semi-professional big band that played military dances. The Dwights were avid record buyers, exposing John to all the popular singers and musicians of the day. John remembers being immediately hooked on rock and roll when his mother brought home records by Elvis Presley and Bill Haley & His Comets in 1956. This article is specifically about the rock and roll band See Bill Haley for biographical information regarding Haley himself Year 1956 ( MCMLVI) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. [9][10]
Musical interest
But the young Reginald Dwight was not merely interested in music—he was a piano prodigy. He started playing the piano at the age of 3, and at the age of 4, his mother was astonished to hear him picking out Winifred Atwell's "The Skater's Waltz" by ear. [9][10] It wasn’t long before the boy was being pressed into service as a performer at parties and family gatherings. He began taking piano lessons at the age of 7. He showed great musical aptitude at school, including the ability to compose melodies, and gained some notoriety by playing like Jerry Lee Lewis at school functions. At the age of 11, he won a junior scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music. The Royal Academy of Music in London, England, is a well known conservatoire and one of the leading music institutions in the world One of his instructors reports that, when he entered the Academy, she played a four-page piece by Handel, which he promptly played back like a "gramophone record. "[10]
For the next five years, John took the tube into central London to attend Saturday classes at the Academy, in addition to his regular school duties at Pinner County Grammar School. John has since stated that he enjoyed playing Chopin and Bach and singing in the choir during Saturday classes, but that he was not otherwise a diligent classical student. "I kind of resented going to the Academy," he says. "I was one of those children who could just about get away without practising and still pass, scrape through the grades. " He even claims that he would sometimes skip classes and just ride around on the Tube. However, several instructors have testified that he was a "model student", and during the last few years he was taking lessons from a private tutor in addition to his classes at the Academy. [10] Therefore, whatever his internal attitude might have been, it seems clear that he was dedicated to learning his craft.
John's mother Sheila, though also strict with her son, was more vivacious than her husband, and something of a free spirit. With Stanley Dwight uninterested in his son and often physically absent, John was raised primarily by his mother and maternal grandmother. When his father was home, the Dwights would have terrible arguments that greatly distressed their son. John was 15 when they divorced. Sheila was soon remarried to a local painter named Fred Farebrother, who turned out to be a caring and supportive stepfather. John affectionately referred to him as "Derf", his first name in reverse. [10] They moved into flat #1A in an eight-unit apartment building called Frome Court not far from both previous homes. It is here that John would write the songs that would launch his career as a rock star. In fact, he would live here until he had four albums simultaneously in the American Top 40. [11]
Early career (1962–1969)
At the age of 15, with the help of mother Sheila and stepfather "Derf", Reginald Dwight became a weekend pianist at the nearby Northwood Hills pub, playing on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights. Northwood Hills is a Suburb of London in the London Borough of Hillingdon. He played everything from Jim Reeves country songs "He'll Have to Go" to Irish tribute numbers "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling", old pub favourites such as, "Roll Out The Barrel", hits of the day, "King of the Road", and songs he had written himself. James Travis "Jim" Reeves ( August 20 1923 &ndash July 31 1964) was an American country and Pop singer Country music is a blend of popular musical forms originally found in the Southern United States and the Appalachian Mountains. " He'll Have to Go " is an American country and pop hit by Jim Reeves. Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world " When Irish Eyes Are Smiling " is a lighthearted song in tribute to Ireland. Beer Barrel Polka, also known as Roll Out the Barrel, is a song which became popular world-wide during World War II. " King of the Road " is a 1965 song written and originally recorded by country singer Roger Miller. 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. Bluesology was a 1960s English R&B group Set up in 1964 by Long John Baldry (vocals it featured Reg Dwight (the future Elton John) on keyboards 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 The Isley Brothers, Major Lance, Doris Troy and Patti LaBelle and The Bluebelles. The Isley Brothers (ˈaɪzliː are a Grammy-winning American R&B / soul group Major Lance ( April 4, 1939, Winterville, Mississippi &mdash September 3, 1994, Decatur, Georgia Doris Troy ( 6 January 1937 – 16 February 2004) was an American R&B Singer, known to her many fans Labelle is an American R&B / Soul group who melded Disco with Funk and Glam rock. In 1966, the band became musician Long John Baldry's supporting band and began touring cabarets in England. John William Baldry, popularly known as Long John Baldry, ( January 12 1941 &ndash July 21 2005) was an English
After failing lead vocalist auditions for King Crimson[12] and Gentle Giant, Dwight answered an advertisement in the New Musical Express placed by Ray Williams, then the A&R manager for Liberty Records. King Crimson is a Progressive rock band founded by guitarist Robert Fripp and drummer Michael Giles in 1969 Gentle Giant was a British Progressive rock band, one of the most experimental of the 1970s The New Musical Express (better known as the NME) is a Popular music Magazine in the United Kingdom which has been Ray Williams, (born in 1947, London, England) is an A&R music publicist Liberty Records was a United States -based Record label. It was started by chairman Simon Waronker in 1955 with Alvin Bennett as president At their first meeting, Williams gave Dwight a stack of lyrics written by Bernie Taupin, who had answered the same ad. Bernie Taupin (born 22 May 1950 is an English Lyricist most famous for his collaboration with Elton John. 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, Dwight was going by the name "Elton John", in homage to Bluesology saxophonist Elton Dean and Long John Baldry. Elton Dean ( October 28 1945 &ndash February 8 2006) was a Jazz musician who performed on alto Saxophone, Saxello John William Baldry, popularly known as Long John Baldry, ( January 12 1941 &ndash July 21 2005) was an English
The team of John and Taupin joined Dick James's DJM Records as staff songwriters in 1968, and over the next two years wrote material for various artists, like Roger Cook and Lulu. Dick James (born Reginald Leon Isaac Vapnick, 12 December 1920, in East End, London &mdash died 1 February 1986) DJM Records was the Record label of Dick James, distributed by Pye. Roger Frederick Cook (born 19 August 1940, in Fishponds Bristol, England) is a well-known Songwriter who has written many hits Lulu Kennedy-Cairns, OBE, (born Marie McDonald McLaughlin Lawrie on 3 November 1948 in Lennoxtown, East Dunbartonshire 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 easy-listening tunes for James to peddle to singers. Easy listening music is a style of Popular music and radio format that emerged in the mid-20th century evolving out of swing and Big band music
Their early output included an entry for British song for the Eurovision Song Contest in 1969, called "Can't Go On (Living Without You)" It came sixth of six songs. [13]
During this period John also played on sessions for other artists including playing piano on The Hollies' "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" and singing backing vocals for The Scaffold. The Hollies are an English Rock and roll band formed in the early 1960s. " He Ain't Heavy He's My Brother " is a Popular music ballad the first-released and best-known version of which was recorded by The Hollies in The Scaffold were a comedy poetry and music trio from Liverpool, England, consisting of Mike McGear (real name Peter Michael McCartney - brother of [14]
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. Caleb Quaye (born 1948 in London, England) is an Afro-European rock Guitarist and Studio musician best known for his work In 1969, with Quaye, drummer Roger Pope, and bassist Tony Murray, John recorded another single, "Lady Samantha", and an album, Empty Sky. Lady Samantha is a song by Elton John with lyrics by Bernie Taupin. Empty Sky is the debut Album of British Singer/songwriter Elton John, released in 1969. Despite good reviews, none of the records sold well.
1970s
John and Taupin now enlisted Gus Dudgeon to produce a follow-up with Paul Buckmaster as arranger. Gus Dudgeon (1942–2002 was a British Record producer, and the inventor of audio sampling as a musical device Elton John was released in the spring of 1970 on DJM Records/Pye Records in the UK and Uni Records in the USA, and established the formula for subsequent albums; gospel-chorded rockers and poignant ballads. Elton John is the eponymous second Album by British Singer/songwriter Elton John, released in 1970 Pye Records is a British Record label. In its first incarnation Pye's best known artists were Lonnie Donegan (1956-69 Petula Clark (1957-71 Uni Records (short for the label's legal name Universal City Records) was a Record label owned by MCA Inc. The first single from the album, "Border Song", only made the US Top 100 peaking at #92. " Border Song " is a gospel Ballad originally performed by British musician Elton John. After the second single "Your Song" made the U. " Your Song " is a Ballad composed and performed by musician Elton John. S. Top Ten, the album followed suit. John's first American concert took place at The Troubadour in Los Angeles (his introduction was provided by Neil Diamond), in August, backed by ex-Spencer Davis Group drummer Nigel Olsson and bassist Dee Murray. The Troubadour is a Nightclub located in West Hollywood California, USA at 9081 Santa Monica Boulevard just east of Doheny Drive Neil Leslie Diamond (born January 24, 1941) is an American Singer-songwriter and occasional Actor. The Spencer Davis Group was a mid 1960s British Beat group from Birmingham, England, founded by Spencer Davis (born 17 July 1939 Nigel Olsson (born 10 February 1949 in Wallasey, Merseyside, England) is a rock Drummer best known for his work with Elton John Dee Murray (3 April 1946 - 15 January 1992 was an English Bassist, best known as a member of Elton John 's original rock band Kicking over his piano bench Jerry Lee Lewis-style and performing handstands on the keyboards, John left the critics raving, and drew praise from fellow artists such as Quincy Jones and Bob Dylan. Quincy Delight Jones Jr (born March 14, 1933) also known as Q, is an American Music Impresario, conductor Bob Dylan (born Robert Zimmerman, May 24 1941 in Duluth, Minnesota) is an American singer-songwriter author poet and painter who has been a major
In the spring of 1970, John was recruited to provide piano and backing vocals on "Back Home", the song recorded by the England football squad which was about to depart to Mexico for the World Cup finals. The English national football team represents England in international football and is controlled by The Football Association, the governing body for football The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. The 1970 FIFA World Cup, the ninth staging of the World Cup was held in Mexico, from May 31 to June 21.
Elton John was followed quickly with the concept album Tumbleweed Connection in October 1970, which reached the Top Ten on the Billboard 200. Tumbleweed Connection is the third Album by British Singer/songwriter Elton John, released in 1970. The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard A frenetic pace of releasing two albums a year was now established.
The live album 17-11-70 (11-17-70 in the US) showcased John's talent as a rock pianist and father of piano rock. Piano rock, sometimes referred to as piano pop, is a term for a style of Rock music that is based around the Piano, and sometimes around Taped at a live show aired from A&R Studios on WABC-FM in New York City, and introduced by disc jockey Dave Herman, it featured extended versions of John/Taupin's early compositions that illustrate the gospel and boogie-woogie influences on John's piano playing. WPLJ (955 FM) is a Radio station in New York City. WPLJ is the flagship FM station of Citadel Broadcasting Corporation. The City of New York Dave Herman (born September 3, 1941 in Bryan Ohio) was an American collegiate and professional football tackle. John/Taupin is a songwriting team that consists of Elton John and Bernie Taupin. It also featured much interaction between John, bassist Dee Murray, and drummer Nigel Olsson. During the magnum opus 18:20 version of "Burn Down the Mission", the band interpolates Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup's "My Baby Left Me" and a full rendition of The Beatles' "Get Back" before a rampaging conclusion. " Burn Down the Mission " is the tenth and final song on Elton John 's album Tumbleweed Connection, released in 1970. Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup (also known as "Pop" Crudup) ( August 24 1905 — March 28 1974) was a Delta The Beatles were a pop and rock band from Liverpool, England formed in 1960 " Get Back " is a song primarily written by Paul McCartney and credited to Lennon/McCartney. Ironically, sales of the live album were reportedly heavily hit in the U. S. when an east coast bootlegger released the performance several weeks before the official album, including all 60 minutes of the aircast, not just the 40 minutes selected by Dick James Music. [15]
John and Taupin then wrote the soundtrack to the obscure film Friends and then the album Madman Across the Water, the latter reaching the Top Ten and producing the hit "Levon", while the soundtrack album produced the hit "Friends". Friends is a 1971 film directed by Lewis Gilbert and written by Gilbert Vernon Harris and Jack Russell Madman Across the Water is the fourth Studio album by British Singer/songwriter Elton John, released in 1971 " Levon " is a song recorded by Elton John with music written by him and lyrics written by Bernie Taupin.
In 1972, the final piece of what would become known as the Elton John Band fell into place, with the addition of Davey Johnstone (on guitar and backing vocals). Davey Johnstone (born 6 May 1951 in Edinburgh, Scotland) is a rock guitarist and vocalist best known for his work with Murray, Olsson, and Johnstone came together with John and Taupin's writing, John's flamboyant performance style, and producer Gus Dudgeon to create a hit-making chemistry for the next five Elton John albums. In the Music industry, a record producer or music producer has many roles among them controlling the recording sessions coaching and guiding the musicians organizing 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 John's absence.
The band released Honky Chateau, which became John's first American number 1 album, spending five weeks at the top of the charts and spawning the hit singles "Rocket Man (I Think It's Going To Be A Long, Long Time)" (which is often compared to David Bowie's "Space Oddity") and "Honky Cat". Honky Château is the fifth Studio album by British Singer/songwriter Elton John, released in 1972. " Rocket Man (I Think It's Going to Be a Long Long Time " is a Song composed by Elton John and Bernie Taupin, and popularized by John David Bowie (ˈboʊiː born David Robert Jones on 8 January 1947 is an English Musician, actor producer, and arranger. This article is about the song For the album which includes this song see Space Oddity (album. "Honky Cat" is a song from the 1972 Elton John Album Honky Chateau.
In May 1972, he legally changed his name by deed poll to Elton Hercules John. For the legal document of the same name see Deed poll. Deed Poll is a German -made Film, 2004
The 1973 pop album Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player came out at the start of 1973, and produced the hits "Crocodile Rock" and "Daniel"; the former became his first U. Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player is the sixth Studio album by British Singer/songwriter Elton John. " Crocodile Rock " is a Song written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin, and recorded in June 1972 at the Strawberry Studios " Daniel " was a major hit slow rock song by Elton John. S. number one hit. (Ironically this, like his other famous 1970s solo hits, would be popular in his native land but never top the UK Singles Chart; this achievement would have to wait two decades. The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official UK Charts Company (OCC on behalf of the British record industry ) Both the album and "Crocodile Rock" were the first album and single, respectively on the consolidated MCA Records label in the USA, replacing MCA's other labels including Uni. " Crocodile Rock " is a Song written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin, and recorded in June 1972 at the Strawberry Studios MCA Records was an American -based record company owned by MCA Inc
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, a double album considered by many to be John's best album, followed later in 1973. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road is the seventh Studio album by British Singer/songwriter Elton John, released in 1973 It gained instant critical acclaim and topped the chart on both sides of the Atlantic. It also temporarily established John as a glam rock star. Glam rock (also known as glitter rock) is a sub-genre of Rock music that developed in the UK in the post- Hippie early 1970s which was "performed by It contained the Number 1 hit "Bennie and the Jets", along with the popular and praised "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road", "Candle in the Wind", "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting", "Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding" and "Grey Seal" (originally recorded and released in 1970 as the B-side to the UK-only single, "Rock and Roll Madonna"). " Bennie and the Jets " is a song composed by Elton John and Bernie Taupin. "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" is a Ballad performed by musician Elton John. For the 1997 version in memory of Diana Princess of Wales see Candle in the Wind 1997. "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting" (sometimes written "Saturday Night's Alright (for Fighting") is a Rock & roll song performed by musician " Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding " is the opening song on the two-part album Goodbye Yellow Brick Road by Elton John. There is also a VHS and DVD as part of the Classic Albums series, discussing the making, recording, and popularity of "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" through concert and home video footage including interviews. DVD (also known as " Digital Versatile Disc " or " Digital Video Disc " - see Etymology)is Classic Albums is a documentary series about pop and rock albums that are considered the best or most distinctive of a well known band or musician or that exemplify
John then formed his own MCA-distributed label Rocket Records and signed acts to it — notably Neil Sedaka ("Bad Blood", on which he sang background vocals) and Kiki Dee — in which he took personal interest. The Rocket Record Company was a Record label founded by Elton John, with Bernie Taupin, Gus Dudgeon and Steve Brown among others Neil Sedaka (born March 13, 1939 in Brooklyn New York) is an American pop Singer, Pianist, and Songwriter Kiki Dee (born Pauline Matthews, 6 March 1947, Little Horton, Bradford, West Yorkshire, England In the 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 John Lennon took place, resulting in Elton John covering The Beatles' "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" 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". John Winston Ono Lennon, MBE (born Disambiguation Lucy in the Sky redirects here For the heroine of this name see Karolina Dean. In what would be Lennon's last live performance, the pair performed these two number 1 hits along with the Beatles classic "I Saw Her Standing There" at Madison Square Garden. " I Saw Her Standing There " is a song written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney and is the opening track on the The Beatles ' debut Album Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG, and known colloquially as The Garden, has been the name of four Arenas in New York City. 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.
Caribou was released in 1974, and although it reached number 1, it was widely considered a lesser quality album. Caribou is the eighth Studio album by British Singer/songwriter Elton John, released in 1974 (see 1974 in music) Reportedly recorded in a scant two weeks between live appearances, it featured "The Bitch Is Back" and John's versatility in orchestral songs with "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me". "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me" is the first single from British musician Elton John 's 1974 album Caribou; it was At the end of the year, the compilation album Elton John's Greatest Hits was released and reached number 1. Elton John's Greatest Hits is the ninth album by British Singer/songwriter Elton John, released on MCA Records, catalogue
Pete Townshend of The Who asked John to play a character called the "Local Lad" in the film of the rock opera Tommy, and to perform a song named "Pinball Wizard". Peter Dennis Blandford Townshend (born 19 May 1945 in Chiswick, London) is an English rock Guitarist, Singer, The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964. The primary lineup consisted of guitarist Pete Townshend Drawing on power chords, John's version was recorded and used for the movie release in 1975 and the single came out in 1976 (1975 in the U. In Music, a power chord (also fifth chord) is a note plus the note a fifth above usually played on Electric guitar. S. ). The song charted at number 7 in England. Bally subsequently released a "Captain Fantastic" pinball machine featuring an illustration of John in his movie guise. This article is about the Bally company a manufacturer of slot machines and pinball machines
In the 1975 autobiographical album Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy, John revealed his previously ambiguous personality, with Taupin's lyrics describing their early days as struggling songwriters and musicians in London. Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy is the ninth Studio album by British Singer/songwriter Elton John, released in 1975 The lyrics and accompanying photo booklet are infused with a specific sense of place and time that is otherwise rare in John's music. "Someone Saved My Life Tonight" was the hit single from this album and captured an early turning point in John's life. "Someone Saved My Life Tonight" is an Elton John song from his album Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy.
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 Wembley Stadium. Wembley Stadium is a Stadium in Wembley, located in the London Borough of Brent in London, England.
Rock-oriented Rock of the Westies entered the U. Rock of the Westies is the tenth Studio album by British Singer/songwriter Elton John, released in 1975 (see 1975 in music S. albums chart 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 John's previous releases was seen as lacking by some, both on the album and in the concerts that supported it.
Commercially, John 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 fashion sense. Fashion refers to styles of dress (but can also include cuisine literature art architecture and general comportment that are popular in a culture at any given time Also known for his glasses (he started wearing them as a youth to copy his idol Buddy Holly), his flamboyant stage wardrobe now included ostrich feathers, $5,000 spectacles that spelled his name in lights, and dressing up like the Statue of Liberty, Donald Duck, or Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart among others at his concerts made them a success and created interest for his music. Charles Hardin "Buddy" Holley (September 7 1936 – February 3 1959 was an American Singer-songwriter and a pioneer of Rock and roll. The Ostrich ( Struthio camelus) is a large Flightless bird native to Africa (and formerly the Middle East) Liberty Enlightening the World (La liberté éclairant le monde commonly known as the Statue of Liberty (Statue de la Liberté was presented Donald Duck is a cartoon character from The Walt Disney Company.
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 The Troubadour. 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. That year he also contributed some exemplary piano playing to Kevin Ayers' Sweet Deceiver album. Kevin Ayers (born 16 August 1944 in Herne Bay, Kent) is an English Songwriter and major influential force in the English Sweet Deceiver is the sixth studio album by Kevin Ayers and his last for Island Records.
In 1976, the live album Here and There in May, then the downbeat Blue Moves in October, which contained the memorable but even gloomier hit "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word". Here and There is a Live album by British Singer/songwriter Elton John, released in 1976 (see 1976 in music) Blue Moves is the eleventh Studio album by British Singer/songwriter Elton John, released in 1976. " Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word " is a song written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin. His biggest success in 1976 was the "Don't Go Breaking My Heart", a peppy duet with Kiki Dee that topped both the American and British charts. " Don't Go Breaking My Heart " is a duet by Elton John and Kiki Dee. Finally, in an interview with Rolling Stone that year entitled "Elton's Frank Talk", a stressed John stated that he was bisexual. Rolling Stone is a United States -based Magazine devoted to Music, Politics, and Popular culture that is published Bisexuality refers to sexual behavior with or attraction to people of both sexes or to a bisexual orientation
Besides being the 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 The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time 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 All Music Guide are all from this period too (Tumbleweed Connection, Honky Château, and Captain Fantastic). allmusic (previously All Music Guide) is a Metadata database about music owned by All Media Guide.
During the same period, John made a self-effacing guest appearance on the popular Morecambe and Wise show on the BBC. Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise, usually referred to as Morecambe and Wise, were a British comic Double act, working in variety, radio Film The two comics spent the episode pointing him in the direction of everywhere except the stage in order to prevent him singing.
Hiatus
John'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 Watford, an English football team of whom he was a lifelong devotee, and that he later bought. Watford Football Club is an English professional football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire. 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 A Single Man in 1978, employing a new lyricist, Gary Osborne; the album featured no Top 20 singles. A Single Man is the twelfth Studio album by British Singer/songwriter Elton John, released in 1978 2 years after his intended In 1979, accompanied by Ray Cooper, John became the first Western pop star to tour the Soviet Union (as well as one of the first in Israel), then mounted a two-man comeback tour of the U. Ray Cooper (born 19 August 1942 in Watford, Hertfordshire) is an English Musician. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. S. 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 Thom Bell. Thom Bell was the Record producer behind much of the Philadelphia soul subgenre of Soul music in the 1970s A disco-influenced album, Victim of Love, was poorly received. Disco is a Genre of dance-oriented music whose origins are hard to define Victim of Love is the thirteenth Studio album by British Singer/songwriter Elton John, released in 1979
1980s
In 1979, John and Taupin reunited. Taupin is Lyricist Bernie Taupin 's first solo album It is a spoken word album of some of his poetry 21 at 33, released the following year, was a significant career boost, aided by his biggest hit in four years, "Little Jeannie" (number 3 US), although the lyrics were written by Gary Osborne. 21 at 33 is the fourteenth Studio album by British Singer/songwriter Elton John, released in 1980 "Little Jeannie" is a song by Elton John and Gary Osborne, recorded by John and released as a single in 1980; the song appears Gary Osborne (born in London) is a English Singer and Songwriter (most notably a Lyricist) from the United Kingdom. (John also worked with lyricists Tom Robinson and Judie Tzuke during this period as well. Tom Robinson (born June 1, 1950, in Cambridge) is an English singer/ Songwriter and broadcaster probably best-known Judie Tzuke (born Judie Myers, 3 April 1956 in London) is an English Singer / Songwriter. ) His 1981 follow-up, The Fox, was recorded in part during the same sessions and also included collaborations with both lyricists. The Fox is the fifteenth Studio album by British Singer/songwriter Elton John, released in 1981 On 13 September 1980, John performed a free concert to an estimated 400,000 fans on The Great Lawn in Central Park in New York City, with Olsson and Murray back in the Elton John Band, and within hearing distance of his friend John Lennon's apartment building. Events 509 BC - The Temple of Jupiter on Rome 's Capitoline Hill is dedicated on the ides of September Year 1980 ( MCMLXXX) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar) Central Park is a large public Urban park in New York City, with about twenty-five million visitors annually The Dakota, constructed from October 25, 1880 to October 27, 1884, is an Apartment building located on the northwest corner of Three months later Lennon would be murdered in front of that same building. John mourned the loss in his 1982 hit "Empty Garden (Hey Hey Johnny)", from his Jump Up! album, his second under a new U. " Empty Garden (Hey Hey Johnny " is a hit ballad from British pop-rock performer Elton John 's 1982 album Jump Up!. Jump Up! is the sixteenth Studio album by British Singer/songwriter Elton John, released in 1982 S. recording contract with Geffen Records. Geffen Records is an American Record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operated as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label He performed the tribute at a sold-out Madison Square Garden show in August 1982, joined on stage by Yoko Ono and Sean Ono Lennon, Elton John's godchild. born in Tokyo on February 18 1933 is a Japanese Artist and Musician. Sean Taro Ono Lennon (aka Sean Ono Lennon, born 9 October 1975 is an American singer songwriter musician and actor
However, the 1980s were years of personal upheaval for John. In 1984 he surprised many by marrying sound engineer Renate Blauel. Renate Blauel (born ca1953 is a German music engineer who was married to Elton John for four and a half years In 1986 he lost his voice while touring Australia and shortly thereafter underwent throat surgery. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. 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 The Sun 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. The Sun is a Tabloid daily newspaper published in the United Kingdom and Ireland with the highest circulation of any daily English-language "
With original band members Johnstone, Murray and Olsson together again, John was able to return to the charts with the 1983 hit album Too Low For Zero, which included "I'm Still Standing" and "I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues", the latter of which featured Stevie Wonder on harmonica and reached number 4 in the U. Too Low For Zero is the seventeenth Studio album by British Singer/songwriter Elton John, released in 1983 " I'm Still Standing " is a song on English pop-rock performer Elton John 's 1983 album Too Low for Zero. " I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues " is a Song by British singer Elton John featuring Stevie Wonder on Harmonica. Stevie Wonder (born Stevland Hardaway Judkins on May 13 1950 name later changed to Stevland Hardaway Morris) is an S. , giving John his biggest hit there since "Little Jeannie". Indeed while he would never again match his 1970s success, he placed hits in the U. S. Top Ten throughout the 1980s — "Little Jeannie" (number 3, 1980), "Sad Songs (Say So Much)" (number 5, 1984), "Nikita" boosted by a mini-movie pop video directed by Ken Russell (number 7, 1986), an orchestral version of "Candle in the Wind" (number 6, 1987), and "I Don't Wanna Go On With You Like That" (number 2, 1988). " Nikita " is a song by English singer Elton John about the Cold War from his 1985 album Ice on Fire. His highest-charting single was a collaboration with Dionne Warwick, Gladys Knight, and Stevie Wonder on "That's What Friends Are For" (number 1, 1985); credited as Dionne and Friends, the song raised funds for AIDS research. Dionne Warwick (born Marie Dionne Warrick on December 12, 1940) is an acclaimed five-time Grammy Award -winning singer actress activist Gladys Maria Knight, "The Empress of Soul" (born May 28, 1944) is a seven-time Grammy Award -winning American " That's What Friends Are For " is a 1982 song written by Burt Bacharach and Carole Bayer Sager and introduced by Rod Stewart for the soundtrack His albums continued to sell, but of the six released in the latter half of the 1980s, only Reg Strikes Back (number 16, 1988) placed in the Top 20 in the United States. Reg Strikes Back is the twenty-first Studio album by British Singer/songwriter Elton John, released in 1988
In 1984, Watford reached the FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium, fulfilling a lifelong ambition for John, who by now was owner and chairman of the club. The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football, run by and named after During the traditional pre-match ritual of the crowd singing "Abide With Me", John burst into tears. " Abide with Me " is a Christian Hymn written by Henry Francis Lyte in 1847 while he lay dying from Tuberculosis; he survived only a Watford lost the game 2-0 to Everton, who have played in blue shirts since 1901. Everton Football Club is an English football club located in the city of Liverpool. 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 Live Aid, playing the Wembley Stadium leg of the marathon concert. Live Aid was a multi-venue rock music concert held on. The event was organized by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise funds for famine relief in Ethiopia 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 George Michael, still then of Wham!, to sing "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me". Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou (Γεώργιος Κυριάκος Παναγιώτου (born 25 June 1963 best known as George Michael, is a two-time Grammy Award winning "Wham" redirects here For other uses see Wham (disambiguation.
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 "Wrap Her Up", and also recruited teen idol Nik Kershaw as an instrumentalist on "Nikita". "Wrap Her Up" is a song on English pop-rock performer Elton John 's 1985 album Ice on Fire. Nik Kershaw (born Nicholas David Kershaw March 1 1958, Bristol, England) is an English Singer-songwriter, popular John also recorded material with Millie Jackson in 1985. Millie Jackson is an R&B / Soul music Singer / Songwriter. Her vocal performances are distinguished by long humorous and explicit spoken sections
In 1986, he played the piano on two tracks on the heavy metal band Saxon's album Rock the Nations. Saxon are an English heavy metal band formed in 1977 in Barnsley, Yorkshire. Rock the Nations is the eighth studio Album by heavy metal band Saxon released in 1986 (see 1986 in music)
In 1988, he performed five sold-out shows at New York's Madison Square Garden, giving him 26 for his career, breaking the Grateful Dead's house record. The Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in the San Francisco Bay Area. 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
John was deeply affected by the plight of Ryan White, an Indiana teenager with AIDS. Ryan Wayne White (December 6 1971 – April 8 1990 was an American teenager from Kokomo Indiana who became a national Poster child for HIV Along with Michael Jackson, John befriended and supported the boy and his family until White's death in 1990. Michael Joseph Jackson (born August 29 1958 is an American musician entertainer and businessman Himself a mess and confronted by his then-lover, John checked into a Chicago hospital in 1990 to combat his drug abuse, alcoholism, and bulimia. Drug abuse has a wide range of definitions related to taking a Psychoactive drug or Performance enhancing drug for a non-therapeutic or non-medical effect Alcoholism is a term with multiple and sometimes conflicting definitions Bulimia nervosa is an Eating disorder characterized by recurrent Binge eating, followed by compensatory behaviors referred to as "purging" In recovery, he lost weight and underwent hair replacement, and subsequently took up residence in Atlanta, Georgia. Hair transplantation is a surgical technique that involves moving skin containing Hair follicles from one part of the body (the donor site to bald or balding Also in 1990, John would finally achieve his first UK number one hit on his own, with "Sacrifice" (coupled with "Healing Hands") from the previous year's album Sleeping with the Past; it would stay at the top spot for six weeks. " Sacrifice " is a ballad performed by musician Elton John.
The 1991 film documentary Two Rooms 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. Two Rooms Celebrating the Songs of Elton John & Bernie Taupin is a 1991 Tribute album consisting of interpretations of sixteen songs written by Elton John That same year, the Two Rooms: Celebrating the Songs of Elton John & Bernie Taupin tribute album came out, featuring contributions from many top British and American rock and pop performers. Two Rooms Celebrating the Songs of Elton John & Bernie Taupin is a 1991 Tribute album consisting of interpretations of sixteen songs written by Elton John A tribute album is a recorded collection of Cover versions of songs or instrumental compositions Also in 1991, John's "Basque" won the Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Composition, 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 U. The Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Composition has been awarded since 1960 S. and UK. On November 24, 1991 Queen singer Freddie Mercury, a close friend of John's, died of AIDS. Queen were an English rock band formed in 1970 in London by guitarist Freddie Mercury (born Farrokh Bulsara; 5 September 1946 – 24 November 1991 was a Zanzibar -born British Musician, best known as the lead John was one of the few invited to attend the singer's private funeral services.
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 U. S. and UK to AIDS research. That year, he released the U. S. number 8 album The One, 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. The One is the twenty-third Studio album by British Singer/songwriter Elton John, released in 1992 John performed "Bohemian Rhapsody" and "The Show Must Go On" with Queen at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert, an AIDS charity event held at Wembley Stadium, London in honour of Queen's late front man Freddie Mercury. is a Song written by Freddie Mercury and originally recorded by the band Queen for their 1975 album ''A Night at the Opera''. Queen were an English rock band formed in 1970 in London by guitarist The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert for AIDS Awareness was an open-air concert held on Easter Monday, April 20 1992 at Freddie Mercury (born Farrokh Bulsara; 5 September 1946 – 24 November 1991 was a Zanzibar -born British Musician, best known as the lead "Bohemian Rhapsody" featured a duet with Axl Rose, a reconciliatory gesture given Rose's previous homophobic reputation. W Axl Rose (born William Bruce Rose Jr; February 6 1962 frequently called Axl Rose, is an American Musician, best known as the Frontman
In September of the same year, he performed "November Rain" with Rose's band Guns N' Roses for the 1992 MTV Video Music Awards at the Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles. " November Rain " is a song by the band Guns N' Roses, written by lead singer Axl Rose for their 1991 album Use Your Illusion I. Guns N' Roses is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1985 The MTV Video Music Awards were established in the end of the summer of 1984 by MTV to celebrate the top Music videos of the year Edwin W Pauley Pavilion, informally and commonly known as Pauley Pavilion, is an indoor arena located on the campus of UCLA in Los Angeles California The following year, he released Elton John's Duets, a collaboration with 15 artists ranging from Tammy Wynette to RuPaul. Duets is the twenty-fourth Studio album by British Singer/songwriter Elton John, released in 1993 Virginia Wynette Pugh, known professionally as Tammy Wynette ( May 5, 1942 - April 6, 1998) was an American country music singer-songwriter RuPaul (born RuPaul Andre Charles on November 17 1960) is an American drag performer Dance music singer Actor 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 Eric Clapton on "Runaway Train", which also charted. Eric Patrick Clapton, CBE (born 30 March 1945 is an English Blues-rock Guitarist, singer Songwriter and Composer
Along with Tim Rice, John wrote the songs for the 1994 Disney animated film The Lion King. Sir Timothy Miles Bindon Rice (born 10 November 1944 is an English Academy Award, Golden Globe Award, Tony Award and Grammy Award Year 1994 ( MCMXCIV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar) The Lion King is a 1994 American animated feature film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation, released in theaters on June 15 1994 (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 Academy Award for Best Song that year were John and Rice songs from The Lion King, with "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" winning. The Academy Award for Best Original Song is one of the awards given annually to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture The Lion King Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is the original motion picture soundtrack for Walt Disney's 1994, thirty-second animated feature "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" is an Academy Award -winning song from Disney's 1994 animated film The Lion King, composed by (John acknowledged his domestic partner, Canadian film-maker David Furnish, at the ceremonies. ) In versions sung by John, both that and "Circle of Life" became big hits, while the other songs such as "Hakuna Matata" achieved popularity with all ages as well. "Circle of Life" is an Academy Award -nominated song from Disney's 1994 animated film The Lion King, composed by Elton " Hakuna Matata " is a song from Disney 's 32nd animated feature The Lion King. "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" would also win John the Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance. The Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance has been awarded since 1966. After the release of the soundtrack, the album remained at the top of Billboard's charts for nine weeks. On November 10, 1999, the RIAA announced that the album The Lion King had sold 15 million copies and therefore was certified as a diamond record with room to spare. Events 1444 - Battle of Varna: The crusading forces of King Vladislaus III of Varna (aka Ulaszlo I of Hungary and Wladyslaw Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar)
John was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility in 1994. " Candle in the Wind 1997 " or " Goodbye England's Rose " is a remake of " Candle in the Wind " by Elton John that was released The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a Museum located on the shores of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland Ohio, United States He and Bernie Taupin had previously been inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1992. The Songwriters Hall of Fame is an arm of the National Academy of Popular Music. John was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1995. The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British Order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by King George V.
In 1995 John released Made in England (number #3, 1995), which featured the hit single "Believe" (number #15, 1995). Made in England is the twenty-fifth Studio album by British Singer/songwriter Elton John, released in 1995 Also, a compilation called Love Songs was released the following year. Love Songs is a 1996 Elton John Greatest hits album originally released by MCA Records.
The year 1997 found extreme highs and lows for John. Early in the year, vestiges of the flamboyant John resurfaced as he threw a 50th birthday party, costumed as Louis XIV, for 500 friends (the costume cost more than $80,000). Early years Birth and ancestry Louis XIV was born in the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye on September 5 1638 and bore the Heir apparent John also performed with the surviving members of Queen in Paris at the opening night (17th January, 1997) of "Le Presbytere N'a Rien Perdu De Son Charme Ni Le Jardin Du Son Eclat", a work by French ballet legend Maurice Bejart which draws upon AIDS and the deaths of Freddie Mercury and the company's principal dancer Jorge Donn. Queen were an English rock band formed in 1970 in London by guitarist Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city Maurice Béjart ( January 1, 1927 – November 22, 2007) was a French and Swiss Choreographer who ran the Freddie Mercury (born Farrokh Bulsara; 5 September 1946 – 24 November 1991 was a Zanzibar -born British Musician, best known as the lead Jorge Donn, El Palomar, Buenos Aires, Argentina, born on 25 February 1947, was an internationally-known Ballet dancer This was only the second time the three surviving members of Queen had performed together live since Mercury had died. Queen were an English rock band formed in 1970 in London by guitarist Unfortunately, later in 1997 John lost two close friends, designer Gianni Versace (who was murdered) and Diana, Princess of Wales (who died in a Paris car crash). Gianni Versace ( December 2, 1946 &ndash July 15, 1997) was an Italian Fashion designer and founder of Gianni Versace S
In early 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 Westminster Abbey. For the 1997 version in memory of Diana Princess of Wales see Candle in the Wind 1997. The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, which is almost always referred to by its original name of Westminster Abbey, is a large mainly Gothic church A recorded version, "Candle in the Wind 1997", then became the fastest- and biggest-selling single of all time, eventually going on to sell 5 million copies in the United Kingdom, 11 million in the U.S., and around 33 million worldwide, with the proceeds of approximately £55 million going to the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund. " Candle in the Wind 1997 " or " Goodbye England's Rose " is a remake of " Candle in the Wind " by Elton John that was released The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Fund was established after the death of Diana Princess of Wales, in 1997. It would later win John the Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance, an achievement he has yet to repeat. He hasn't performed the song since Princess Diana's funeral, as John stated it would only be played once to lend it significance and make it special.
1998 saw the production of Elaborate Lives: The Legend of Aida where John again teamed with Tim Rice. The musical was given its world premiere in Atlanta, GA at the Alliance Theatre where John was able to drop in on rehearsals from time to time. Dropping the cumbersome title as well as many of the production elements that gave the Atlanta production so many headaches, Aida went on to Chicago and eventually Broadway.
2000–present
In the 2000s, John began frequently collaborating with other artists. In 2000, John and Tim Rice teamed again to create songs for DreamWorks' animated film The Road To El Dorado. DreamWorks LLC, also known as DreamWorks Pictures, DreamWorks SKG, or DreamWorks Studios, is a major American Film studio The Road to El Dorado is a 2000 animated comedy film by DreamWorks SKG. In the musical theatre world, addition to a 1998 adaptation of The Lion King for Broadway, John also composed music for a Disney production of Aida in 1999 with lyricist Tim Rice, for which they received the Tony Award for Best Original Score and the Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album. Musical theatre is a form of Theatre combining Music, Songs spoken Dialogue and Dance. Broadway theater, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 39 large professional theaters with 500 seats or more located Aida is a musical drama in two acts based on Giuseppe Verdi 's Italian-language opera by the same name which is based on a story by Auguste Mariette The Tony Award for Best Original Score is the Tony Award given to the Composers and Lyricists of the best original score written for a musical The Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album has been awarded since 1959. He also released a live compilation album called Elton John One Night Only - The Greatest Hits from the show he did at Madison Square Garden in New York that same year. Elton John One Night Only - The Greatest Hits is a Live album released by Elton John in 2000
In 2001 he declared that Songs from the West Coast would be his final studio album, and that he would now concentrate on just live performances. Songs from the West Coast is the twenty-seventh Studio album by British Singer/songwriter Elton John, released worldwide on In 2004, however, he released a new album, Peachtree Road. Peachtree Road is the twenty-eighth Studio album by British Singer/songwriter Elton John, released in 2004
Also in 2001, John accepted an offer to appear as a guest on the BBC topical quiz show Have I Got News For You. Have I Got News for You is a British television panel show produced by Hat Trick Productions for the BBC. However, he changed his mind just hours before recording was due to begin, and so the producers recruited Ray Johnson, a taxi driver from Colchester, Essex, who worked part-time as an Elton John lookalike. A taxicab, also taxi or cab, is a type of Public transport for a single passenger or small group of passengers typically for a non-shared ride Colchester ( /ˈkəʊltʃɛstə/ is a town and the largest settlement within the borough of Colchester, in Essex, England. Essex is a county in the East of England. The County town is Chelmsford, and the highest point of the county is Chrishall Common A look-alike is a living person who closely resembles another living person 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. A special based on his career from his start until that year was also done and called "The Elton John Story" which is shown on the VH-1 Classic channel. VH1 Classic is an American Television network started on May 8, 2000. However, it has never been released on VHS or DVD.
John continued his successful collaborations with other artists during the 2000s. 'Your Song' was re-recorded several times during the first part of the decade with Alessandro Safina, British cellist Julian Lloyd Webber, and others. Alessandro Safina (born 14 October 1963) is an Italian Tenor known for his powerful smooth voice as well as his onstage Charisma Julian Lloyd Webber (born April 14 1951) is one of the world's most renowned solo cellists
Moreover, in 2001, John duetted with Eminem on the rapper's "Stan" at the Grammy Awards which appears on Eminem's compilation album Curtain Call: The Hits as its bonus track. Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17 1972 known as Slim Shady and his primary Stage name Eminem, is an Academy Award -winning " Stan " is the third single from The Marshall Mathers LP, by Rapper Eminem featuring Dido. The Grammy Awards (originally called the Gramophone Awards)—or Grammys —are presented annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences Curtain Call the Hits is a 2005 Compilation album by the Rapper Eminem. He also performed the song "Friends" for the soundtrack to The Country Bears written by Taupin along with starring as himself working in a garden. The Country Bears is a 2002 Live-action Film produced by Walt Disney Pictures, based on the Disney attraction Country Bear
Also in 2002, British boy band Blue released a version of "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word", which included John. Blue were an English pop Boy band consisting of four members Lee Ryan, Duncan James, Antony Costa, and Simon " Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word " is a song written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin. It went to number 1 in the UK as well as many other European countries. John achieved yet another number 1 single in the UK in 2005, being featured on 2Pac's posthumous song "Ghetto Gospel" from the rapper's album, Loyal to the Game. Tupac Amaru Shakur (June 16 1971 &mdash September 13 1996 also known by his Stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper " Ghetto Gospel " is a song by Rapper Tupac Shakur, which was remixed and released as the second single on his 2004 album Loyal to Loyal to the Game is an album containing remixes of previously unreleased music recorded by Tupac Shakur before his death in 1996 The song sampled "Indian Sunset" from John's 1971 album, Madman Across the Water. " Indian Sunset " is a 1971 Song, written and recorded by Elton John, with Lyrics by his long-time songwriting partner Bernie Taupin "Indian Sunset" was later released on the single "Electricity", which John wrote for the 2005 West End production of Billy Elliot the Musical. West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London 's "Theatreland" Billy Elliot the Musical is a musical based on the 2000 film Billy Elliot. 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 Thom Bell sessions, it became something of a Balearic fixture and eventually got a re-release on Southern Fried Records in 2003. The Balearic Islands ( Catalan and official Illes Balears; Spanish: Islas Baleares) are an Archipelago in the western Mediterranean Southern Fried Records is a London -based independent, Electronic dance music Record label founded and owned by Norman Cook, better "Are You Ready For Love" proceeded to go straight to number 1 in the UK and on Billboard's Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart. Billboard 's Hot Dance Club Play chart (also known as Club Play Singles, and formerly known as Hot Dance Music/Club Play and Hot Dance/Disco
John was one of the performers at the Live 8 concert at Hyde Park in London on 2 July 2005. The main Live 8 concert was held at Hyde Park, London, England on 2 July 2005, in front of over 200000 people Events 310 - Pope Miltiades is elected 626 - In fear of assassination Li Shimin ambushes and kills his rival Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. He performed as third act of the day and had also been promoting the concerts together with Bob Geldof, Bono etc. Robert Frederick Zenon Geldof, KBE, known as Bob Geldof (born 5 October 1951, is an Irish singer At the concert in London, he played "The Bitch is Back", "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting" and lastly, T. Rex's "Children of the Revolution" with The Libertines and Babyshambles' frontman, Pete Doherty. TRex (occasionally spelled T Rex or T-Rex) were an English rock band fronted by guitarist singer and songwriter Marc Bolan. This article refers to the song For the 1996 Australian movie see Children of the Revolution (film. The Libertines were an English Indie rock band Formed in London in 1997 by frontmen Pete Doherty (vocals/rhythm guitar and Carl Barât (vocals/lead This article is about the band Babyshambles For the song see Babyshambles (song Babyshambles are an English
Returning again to musical theatre, John composed music for a West End Theatre production of Billy Elliot the Musical in 2005 with playwright Lee Hall. Lee Hall (born 1966 in Newcastle upon Tyne) is an English playwright and screenwriter John's only theatrical project with Bernie Taupin so far is Lestat: The Musical, based on the Anne Rice vampire novels. Lestat is a Broadway musical inspired by Anne Rice 's The Vampire Chronicles. Anne Rice (born Howard Allen O'Brien on October 4, 1941) is a best-selling American Author of gothic and religious-themed However it was slammed by the critics and closed in May 2006 after 39 performances. [16] As for other movies, in 2002, his 1970s track "Tiny Dancer" was prominently featured in the film Almost Famous, and then his "The Heart of Every Girl" was the end title song from 2003's Mona Lisa Smile. "Tiny Dancer" is a 1971 song by Elton John with lyrics by Bernie Taupin. Almost Famous is a 2000 Comedy-drama film written and directed by Cameron Crowe, writer and director of Jerry Maguire. Mona Lisa Smile is a 2003 American Film that was produced by Revolution Studios and Columbia Pictures, directed by
Also in 2005, John recorded a duet with Australian country music artist Catherine Britt, titled "Where We Both Say Goodbye". Catherine Britt (born December 31, 1984 in Newcastle New South Wales, Australia) is a Country music artist who has had success in The duet peaked at #38 on the U. S. Billboard Hot Country Songs charts. Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States Then he did another one with the late, closeted gay R&B singer, Luther Vandross on "Anyone who had a heart" from his tribute album, So Amazing: An All-Star Tribute to Luther Vandross. In the English language, gay is an Adjective that in modern usage refers to Homosexuality. Luther Ronzoni Vandross ( April 20 1951 – July 1 2005) was an American R&B and soul Singer-songwriter So Amazing An All-Star Tribute to Luther Vandross is a Tribute album to the late soul legend Luther Vandross, recorded by various
Elton John's Christmas Party 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. Elton John's Christmas Party is a Christmas-themed compilation album from British Singer-songwriter Elton John. Events 1444 - Battle of Varna: The crusading forces of King Vladislaus III of Varna (aka Ulaszlo I of Hungary and Wladyslaw It sought to give away two dollars from each and every sale to the charity Elton John AIDS Foundation. The following year, on October 10, 2006, the album was re-released to the general market eleven months after its original and first release. Events 680 - Battle of Karbala: Shia Imam Husayn bin Ali, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, is decapitated But six songs of the original twenty-one were omitted from the new release. Therefore, it was left with only fifteen. Then another Elton John tribute album came out, this time from various artists at Studio 99 titled The Timeless Classics Of Elton John Performed By Studio 99, was released on CD on February 7, 2006. A tribute album is a recorded collection of Cover versions of songs or instrumental compositions Events 457 - Leo I becomes emperor of the Byzantine Empire. 1074 - Battle of Montesarchio in which the Prince Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar.
On September 19, 2006, John and Bernie Taupin released a sequel to Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy, reflecting again on the phenomenal success, the sadnesses, the creativity and the optimism within their 40 year songwriting partnership; The Captain & The Kid features ten new songs, including the first single "The Bridge", and for the first time ever, photographs of both John and Taupin are featured on the album front cover. Events 335 - Dalmatius is raised to the rank of Caesar by his uncle Constantine I. The Captain & the Kid is the twenty-ninth Studio album by British Singer/songwriter Elton John, released in 2006 "The Bridge" is the first single from Elton John 's 2006 album " The Captain & The Kid "
Among his many honours, John was named a Disney Legend for his numerous outstanding contributions to Disney's films and theatrical works[17] on October 9, 2006, by The Walt Disney Company. Established in 1987, the Disney Legends program recognizes men and women who have made an extraordinary and integral contribution to The Walt Disney Company. Events 768 - Carloman I and Charlemagne are crowned Kings of The Franks. It is the company's highest honour. Another measure of fame came back in July 2005 when Madame Tussauds made a statue of John to his measurements; it took more than 1,000 hours to complete.
In May 2006, Pet Shop Boys released their album Fundamental, the limited edition included "In Private", a new version of the Dusty Springfield single they had written in 1989. The capitalisation of song titles in this article is disputed Fundamental is the sixteenth Album, the ninth of entirely new music by the British band Pet Shop Boys. Mary Isabel Catherine Bernadette O'Brien OBE ( 16 April, 1939 &ndash 2 March, 1999) professionally known as Dusty Springfield 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 "Minimal". " Minimal " is a song by British Synthpop band Pet Shop Boys and is featured on their 2006 Album Fundamental His string of UK #1 duets continued later that year when the Scissor Sisters' released "I Don't Feel Like Dancin'", which John co-wrote. The Scissor Sisters is a Grammy Award -nominated American band that formed in 2001 " I Don't Feel Like Dancin' " is the first single from the second album by the American pop band Scissor Sisters, Ta-Dah Recorded in Las Vegas, it featured John on piano and was included on their album Ta-Dah. Ta-Dah is the second Studio album by American 5-piece band Scissor Sisters, released in September 2006. "I Don't Feel Like Dancin'" 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.
On November 12, 2006, in the Observer's Music Monthly "When Elton Met Jake" [18] John spoke in an interview with openly gay Scissor Sisters band member, Jake Shears as they talked about being gay music stars and other matters. Events 764 - Tibetan troops occupy Chang'an, the capital of the Chinese Tang Dynasty, for fifteen days Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Jake Shears (born Jason Sellards, 3 October 1978, Arizona) is the male lead Vocalist for the American music group Prior to that, he has also criticized the Roman Catholic Church's position on condoms whom he had blamed for the death of some of his friends who suffered from HIV/AIDS.
In 2007, John was featured in Timbaland's album Timbaland Presents Shock Value, in the song "2 Man Show". Timbaland Presents Shock Value is the second solo Studio album, and fifth album overall by Record producer and Rapper Timbaland John is also rumoured to be featured on a possible new Eminem album, which he has long awaited. [19]
March 2007 saw John celebrating his 60th birthday in more ways than one. He engaged in a joint party with artist Sam Taylor-Wood in the East End[20] and performed at Madison Square Garden for the 60th time (which is a record) to mark his 60th birthday. Sam Taylor-Wood (born 4 March 1967) is a contemporary artist working in Video, Photography, and Film. [21] He performed songs including Your Song, Rocket Man, Candle In the Wind and I'm Still Standing.
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 on March 27, 2007. Events 196 BC - Ptolemy V ascends to the throne of Egypt. 1309 - Pope Clement V excommunicates Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Rocket Man - Number Ones was released in 17 different versions worldwide, including a CD/DVD combo. Finally, on March 26, John's back catalogue - almost 500 songs from 32 albums - became available for legal download. Events 1026 - Pope John XIX crowns Conrad II as Holy Roman Emperor. "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. "[22] John performed at Madison Square Garden in a three-hour long and thirty-three song concert that is also streamed live via *MSN Music that day called Empty Garden. It also inspired a television special called Happy Birthday Elton! to occur which aired on ITV1 and My Network TV. This article deals with the ITV1 brand name as it is broadcast at present MyNetworkTV (unofficially abbreviated MyNet or MNT) is a Television network in the United States, owned by the Fox Broadcasting Company The concert was started with the audience singing "Happy Birthday". He opened with a classic song from his second album, "Sixty Years On", doubly paying homage to his 60th birthday. The show also featured behind-the-scenes footage from the superstar's private party, where Kate Thornton met and greeted famous guests. Kate Louise Thornton (born 7 February 1973) is an English journalist and television presenter best known in the UK as the first presenter of The show also saw famous friends of John giving their opinion of him. [23] On October 2, 2007, there was a DVD release of it titled Elton 60 - Live at Madison Square Garden and a box set with the live CD on October 9, 2007. Events 1187 - Siege of Jerusalem: Saladin captures Jerusalem after 88 years of Crusader rule Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Elton 60 - Live at Madison Square Garden is a 2-disc DVD release starring Elton John performing some of his biggest hits and even some fan favourites Events 768 - Carloman I and Charlemagne are crowned Kings of The Franks. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century.
On July 1, 2007, John performed at the Concert For Diana. "July 1st" redirects here For the Ayumi Hamasaki song see H (song. Concert for Diana was a concert held at the new Wembley Stadium in London, England, United Kingdom in honour of Diana Princess of He started the concert with Your Song and finished the concert with three songs; Saturday Night's Alright (For Fighting), Tiny Dancer, and Are You Ready For Love. "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting" (sometimes written "Saturday Night's Alright (for Fighting") is a Rock & roll song performed by musician He then commenced a European Tour and played at Live at the Marquee (festival) in Cork on July 9th 2007 to a rapturous reception. For the album by Dream Theater, see Live at the Marquee. Live at the Marquee is an annual Music festival which takes Cork (Corcaigh is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland 's third most populous city after Dublin and Belfast
In interviews, John has listed a number of other projects of his in various stages, including an adaptation of Romeo and Juliet. Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy written early in the [24] He also told Rolling Stone magazine that he plans for his next record to be in the R&B/hip-hop genre. Hip hop is a cultural movement which developed in New York City in the 1970s primarily among African Americans and Latinos. "I want to work with Pharrell {Williams}, Timbaland, Snoop {Dogg}, Kanye {West}, Eminem and just see what happens. Timothy Z Mosley (born March 10, 1971) better known by his Stage name Timbaland, is an American Record producer, Cordozar Calvin Broadus Jr (born October 20 1971 His mother nicknamed him " Snoopy " as a child because of the way he dressed and because of his love of Kanye Omari West (ˈkɑnjɛj born June 8 1977 is a ten-time Grammy Award -winning American Rapper, Record producer and Singer. It may be a disaster, it could be fantastic, but you don't know until you try. A disaster is the impact of a natural or human-made hazard that negatively affects society or environment. "[25] John claims to be a big fan of Blackstreet's 1996 hit, No Diggity. BLACKstreet is an American R&B group founded in 1992 by Teddy Riley, the inventor of New Jack Swing known for his work as a member of Guy. Year 1996 ( MCMXCVI) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar) " No Diggity " is a 1996 song by American R&B group BLACKstreet featuring Dr He is currently working on the upcoming album.
He played on 8 September 2007 in Vevey, a small village situated on Lake Geneva, Switzerland. Vevey is a town in Switzerland in the canton Vaud, on the north shore of Lake Geneva. Lake Geneva or Lake Léman (Lac Léman Léman Lac de Genève is the second largest freshwater Lake in Central Europe in terms of surface area (after Switzerland (English pronunciation; Schweiz Swiss German: Schwyz or Schwiiz Suisse Svizzera Svizra officially the Swiss Confederation Of this he said "The market square in Vevey is one of the most beautiful and magic places in Europe. Since visiting the area by chance in Summer 2003, I have always wanted to sing there. My friend Shania Twain who lives there, convinced me to set up that gig". Shania Twain ʃəˈnaɪə 'tweɪn OC (born Eilleen Regina Edwards, August 28 1965 is a Canadian Singer and Songwriter in the (Note: Shania Twain actually lives in the nearby town of Corseaux). Corseaux is a municipality in the district of Vevey in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland.
Other memorable concert projects in the decade have so far included Face-to-Face tours with fellow pianist Billy Joel which have been a fan favourite throughout the world since the mid-1990s. William Martin Joel (born May 9 1949 is an American Pianist and Singer-songwriter. In October 2003, John announced that he had signed an exclusive agreement to perform 75 shows over three years at Caesars Palace on the Las Vegas Strip. Caesars Palace, sometimes referred to colloquially as simply Caesars, is a luxury Hotel and Casino located on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise The Las Vegas Strip (also known as The Strip) is an approximately 4 mile (6 The show, entitled The Red Piano, was a multimedia concert featuring massive props and video montages created by David LaChapelle. David LaChapelle (born March 11, 1963 in Fairfield Connecticut) is a photographer and director who works in the fields of Fashion, Advertising Effectively, he and Celine Dion share performances at Caesar's Palace throughout the year - while one performs, one rests. Céline Marie Claudette Dion ( OC OQ (born March 30 1968 in Charlemagne Quebec) is a Canadian pop Singer The first of these shows took place on 13 February 2004. Events 1258 - Baghdad falls to the Mongols, and the Abbasid Caliphate is destroyed "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " [26] A two year global tour sandwiched between commitments in Las Vegas, some of the venues of which are new to John.
Personal life
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 is believed to refer to "an enduring pattern of emotional romantic and/or sexual attractions to men women or both sexes Major depressive disorder, also known as major depression, unipolar depression, unipolar disorder, clinical depression, or simply depression Bulimia nervosa is an Eating disorder characterized by recurrent Binge eating, followed by compensatory behaviors referred to as "purging" Baldness involves the state of lacking hair where it often grows especially on the head In 2007, the Sunday Times Rich List estimated John's wealth to be £225 million and ranked him as the 319th richest British person. The Sunday Times Rich List 2007 was published on 29 April 2007. [27]
Sexual orientation and extended relationships
In a 1976 Rolling Stone interview he announced that he was bisexual. Year 1976 ( MCMLXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. 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. Machismo is a prominently exhibited or excessive Masculinity. Shirley MacLaine (born April 24, 1934) is an American Academy Award -winning Film and Theater Actress, well-known Tom Snyder ( May 12, 1936 - July 29, 2007) was an American television personality, News anchor and She said, 'Oh c'mon, Tom. Let's stop all this stupid macho business. It really is a bit passé now. '" [28]
John married German recording engineer Renate Blauel on Valentine's Day, 1984, in Sydney, but they divorced four years later. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Renate Blauel (born ca1953 is a German music engineer who was married to Elton John for four and a half years Valentine's Day or Saint Valentine's Day is a Holiday celebrated on February 14 Year 1984 ( MCMLXXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1984 Gregorian calendar) Sydney (ˈsɪdniː is the most populous city in Australia, with a Metropolitan area population of approximately 4 John later renounced his bisexuality and came out as being gay instead. In the English language, gay is an Adjective that in modern usage refers to Homosexuality.
He met his Canadian-born partner David Furnish, a former advertising executive and now film maker, in 1993. Advertising is a form of Communication that typically attempts to persuade potential Customers to Purchase or to consume more of a particular Brand On 21 December 2005, they entered into a civil partnership. Events 69 - The end of the Year of the four emperors: Following Galba, Otho and Vitellius, Vespasian The night before the event, a host of his closest celebrity friends helped him celebrate his stag party at the cabaret nightclub Too2Much in London's West End. A bachelor party (United States South Africa also known as a stag party or stag night or stag do (UK Ireland Canada and New Zealand bull's [29] On the actual day, 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,[30] thought to have cost £1 million. Sam Taylor-Wood (born 4 March 1967) is a contemporary artist working in Video, Photography, and Film. Jay Jopling (born 1963 is a British Contemporary art Dealer and Gallerist. The Guildhall in Windsor Berkshire, England, is the town hall Berkshire (ˈbɑːkʃə or /ˈbɑːkʃɪə/ say Baak-shuh/-sheer sometimes abbreviated to Berks) is a Home County in the South [31] Many famous guests were invited, but were delayed just outside John's Windsor household in a traffic jam of guests waiting to get inside. [32]
John does not have any children, but does have ten godchildren as of March 2006. A godparent, in many denominations of Christianity, is someone who sponsors a child's Baptism. Besides the aforementioned Sean Ono Lennon, these include Elizabeth Hurley's son Damian Charles, David and Victoria Beckham's son Brooklyn, and the daughter of Seymour Stein. Sean Taro Ono Lennon (aka Sean Ono Lennon, born 9 October 1975 is an American singer songwriter musician and actor Elizabeth Jane Hurley (born 10 June 1965 is an English model and former actress who became known as a girlfriend of Hugh Grant in the 1990s David Robert Joseph Beckham, and is also a member of the England national team. Victoria Caroline Beckham (née Adams; born 17 April 1974 is an English pop Singer, Songwriter, Dancer turned Fashion Seymour Stein (born 1942 in Brooklyn New York) is an entrepreneur in the music industry who has been a part of the business since getting his first job as a clerk for Billboard
Within the music industry, John is sometimes known as "Sharon", a nickname originally given to him by good friend Rod Stewart. Roderick "Rod" David Stewart, CBE (born 10 January 1945 is a Singer and Songwriter born and raised in London England and currently [33] In return, Elton calls Rod "Phyllis".
Drugs, alcohol and health
Throughout his career, John has battled addictions to alcohol and cocaine. Cocaine ( benzoylmethyl ecgonine) is a Crystalline Tropane Alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the Coca plant 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. The term drug overdose (or simply overdose or OD) describes the Ingestion or application of a Drug or other substance in quantities [34] 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. "[35]
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. Medical uses Morphine can be used as an analgesic in hospital settings to relieve pain in Myocardial infarction pain in
After many years of struggling with drug and alcohol addiction, John finally checked himself into a rehabilitation clinic in 1990. Drug rehabilitation (often drug rehab or just rehab) is an umbrella term for the processes of medical and/or psychotherapeutic treatment for dependency 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. For other uses see Pacemaker (disambiguation A pacemaker (or artificial pacemaker, so as not to be confused with the heart's natural pacemaker "[36]
Residence
Aside from his main home, 'Woodside' at Old Windsor in the English county of Berkshire, John splits his time in his various residences in Atlanta, Nice, Holland Park in London; and Venice. Old Windsor is a large Village in the English county of Berkshire. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Nice (nis Niçard Occitan: Niça norm or Nissa, Italian: Nizza or Nizza Marittima, Greek Holland Park is a district and a public park in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, in west central London in England. Venice ( Italian: Venezia, Venetian: Venesia or Venexia) is a city in Northern Italy, the capital of the John is an art collector, and is believed to have one of the largest private photography collections in the world. A Museum is distinguished by a collection of often unique objects that forms the core of its activities for exhibitions Education, Research Photography (fә'tɒgrәfi or fә'tɑːgrәfi (from Greek φωτο and γραφία is the process and Art of recording pictures by means of capturing [37]
Spending
During the 2000 court case, in which John sued both his former manager John Reid, the CEO of Reid's company and accountants PricewaterhouseCoopers, he admitted spending £30 million in just under two years — an average of £1. PricewaterhouseCoopers (or PwC is one of the world's largest Professional services firms 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. PolyGram was the name from 1972 of the Major label recording company started by Philips as a holding company for its music interests in 1945 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 Saint-Tropez in the summer of 1984 — but that he could not remember the exact occasion on which the deal was made. San Tropez redirects here For other uses see Saint-Tropez (disambiguation Saint-Tropez ( Sant Tropetz in Occitan language [38] After losing the case, he faced an £8 million bill for legal fees.
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. Christie's is a leading art business and a fine arts Auction house His reason for selling them was stated as: I do not find enough time to drive them. The sale raised £2 million[39] 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 Jaguar XJ220 is a mid-engined Sports car produced by Jaguar in collaboration with Tom Walkinshaw Racing as Jaguar Sport between 1992 The auction room was told how John'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. See also Aston Martin V8 Vantage for other models sharing this name The Aston Martin V8 Vantage was hailed at its 1977 introduction as "Britain's The car was painted in black, red and yellow; the colours of John'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. Ferrari SpA is an Italian Sports car manufacturer based in Maranello, Italy MCA Inc (or Music Corporation of America) was an American Corporation in the music and television businesses Rod Stewart had been among a group of friends who had ridden in the car. [40]
- 1973 Rolls-Royce Phantom VI — Lawrence Cohen from Hertfordshire spent over twice as much on a car valued at £110,000. See also Rolls-Royce Phantom for other models sharing this name The Phantom VI was an ultra-exclusive Rolls-Royce model produced 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 Corniche was Rolls-Royce's Coupé and Convertible version of the Silver Shadow produced between 1971 and 1996 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. Mulliner Park Ward was a Coachbuilder based in London UK The company produced Rolls-Royce Motor cars including the Rolls-Royce Phantom and the Rolls-Royce Harlesden is a suburban town in the London Borough of Brent. Its main focal point is the Jubilee Clock which commemorates Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee.
- 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. Driving Miss Daisy is a 1989 film adapted from the Alfred Uhry play of the same title for Warner Brothers. 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, John sold the contents of his Holland Park home in a bid to create more room for his collection of contemporary art. The auctioneer 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. Sotheby's ( is the world's second oldest Auction house in continuous operation (the oldest being Stockholms Auktionsverk founded in 1674 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. [41]
Despite his extravagant lifestyle and excessive spending, John's fortune is estimated at £250 million, making him one of the wealthiest people in the music and entertainment industry.
Sports and other interests
- In 1976, John became involved in Watford Football Club and fulfilled a childhood dream by becoming its chairman and director. Watford Football Club is an English professional football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire. 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. Vicarage Road, a Stadium in Watford, Hertfordshire, England, is the home of the football club Watford and their tenants
- A longtime tennis enthusiast, John wrote the song "Philadelphia Freedom" in tribute to longtime friend Billie Jean King and her World Team Tennis franchise of the same name. Tennis is a sport played between two players ( singles) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles) Billie Jean King ( née Moffitt) (born November 22, 1943, in Long Beach, California) is a retired Tennis World TeamTennis is a league of team Tennis in the United States. 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. Elton John AIDS Foundation (EJAF is one of the world's leading Nonprofit organizations that was established by Sir Elton John in 1992 in the USA * EJAF(USA The fund was involved in The Reign, too. The Reign is an annual Musical award show designed by a group of Inner-city children in 2003 to raise funding and awareness for HIV/AIDS
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. Ryan Wayne White (December 6 1971 – April 8 1990 was an American teenager from Kokomo Indiana who became a national Poster child for HIV Freddie Mercury (born Farrokh Bulsara; 5 September 1946 – 24 November 1991 was a Zanzibar -born British Musician, best known as the lead 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. amfAR The Foundation for AIDS Research (formerly The American Foundation for AIDS Research) is an International Non-profit organization for HIV The song won John 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). The Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal has been awarded since 1966 The Song of the Year is one of the four most prestigious awards in the Grammy Awards ceremony, if not in all of the American music industry Burt Bacharach (ˈbækəræk born May 12, 1928) is an American Pianist and Composer. Carole Bayer Sager (born March 8 1947) is an American Lyricist, Songwriter and Singer. In April 1990, John performed "Skyline Pigeon" at the funeral of White, a teenage hemophiliac he had befriended. " Skyline Pigeon " is a song by Elton John with lyrics by Bernie Taupin. Haemophilia (also spelled as hemophilia
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. Elton John AIDS Foundation (EJAF is one of the world's leading Nonprofit organizations that was established by Sir Elton John in 1992 in the USA * EJAF(USA This cause continues to be one of his personal passions. In early 2006, John 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.
To raise money for his AIDS charity, John hosts annually a glamorous White Tie & Tiara Ball, to which many famous celebrities are invited. On June 28, 2007, the 9th annual White Tie & Tiara Ball took place. Events 1098 - Fighters of the First Crusade defeat Kerbogha of Mosul. The menu consisted of a truffle soufflé followed by Surf and Turf (fillet mignon with Maine lobster tail) and a giant Knickerbocker Glory ice cream. An auction followed the dinner held by Stephen Fry. Stephen John Fry (born 24 August 1957 is an English Humorist, Writer, Wit, Actor, Novelist, filmmaker A Rolls Royce ‘Phantom’ drophead coupe and a piece of Tracey Emin's artwork both raised £800, 000 for the charity fund, with the total amount raised reaching £3. Tracey Emin RA (born 3 July, 1963) is an English Artist of Turkish Cypriot origin one of the group known as Britartists 5 million. [42] Later on in the event, John sang "Delilah" with Tom Jones and "Big Spender" with Shirley Bassey. Sir Thomas John Woodward, (born 7 June 1940 known by his stage name Tom Jones, is a Welsh pop music singer particularly noted for his powerful voice " Big Spender " is a song written by Cy Coleman and Dorothy Fields for the Musical play Sweet Charity. Dame Shirley Veronica Bassey DBE (born 8 January 1937 Cardiff, Wales) is a Welsh Singer. [43] Tickets for the Ball cost £1,000 a head. The event raised £4. 6 million for his AIDS Foundation in 2006. [44]
Every year since 2004, he has opened a shop, selling his second hand clothes. Called "Elton's Closet" the sale this year of 10,000 items was expected to raise $400,000[45]
Musical style and voice
In the 1970s, 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. A string instrument (or stringed instrument) is a Musical instrument that produces Sound by means of Vibrating strings In the Hornbostel-Sachs In Music, an arrangement refers either to a rewriting of a piece of existing Music with additional new material or to a fleshing-out of a compositional sketch such Coupled with Taupin's often cryptic 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". " Take Me to the Pilot " is a rock song performed by British musician Elton John.
"Your Song", one of his earliest popular hits, incorporates some other features found in many of his songs:
- It is strophic in form, with the verse repeated before the chorus begins;
- The piano accompaniment is prominent, though the song also features an orchestra;
- It uses a slowly building crescendo that brings the song to a tutti climax. In Music, strophic form (or chorus form) is a sectional and/or Additive way of structuring a piece of Music based on the Tutti is an Italian word literally meaning all or together. As a musical term it is used in various ways Other songs that follow this pattern include "Don't Let the Sun Go Down On Me" and "Rocket Man". "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me" is the first single from British musician Elton John 's 1974 album Caribou; it was
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. The Four Seasons (known off and on since 1967 as Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons - although not shown that way on any of their hit records is an American The term falsetto (Italian diminutive of falso, false refers to the Vocal register occupying the frequency range just above the Modal voice register and
In January 1987, John underwent throat surgery to remove potentially cancerous nodules from his vocal cords while on tour, a necessity he originally claimed was due to an infection, but later claimed was the result of excessive drug abuse. [46]
The problems with his voice can clearly be heard in his raspy singing on the Live In Australia album (released 1987). Live in Australia with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra is a Live album by Elton John and the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra recorded at the He made a full recovery from the surgery, but he continued to use illegal drugs until 1990. The illegal drug trade or drug trafficking is a global Black market consisting of the cultivation manufacture distribution and sale of illegal Drugs 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. James Lipton (born September 19, 1926) is an American writer Poet, and dean Emeritus of the Actors Studio Drama School Lipton commented on the "swooping falsetto" on "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" to which John replied, ". . . which I don't have anymore. "
Popularity
John continues to inspire musicians today, particularly Rufus Wainwright, Ben Folds, Adrian Evans, and Ryan Adams. Benjamin Scott Folds (born September 12, 1966) is an American Singer-songwriter and the former frontman of the Band Ben Folds Five David Ryan Adams (born November 5, 1974) is an American alt-country / rock Singer-songwriter from Jacksonville Thom Yorke (Radiohead), Billie-Joe Armstrong (Green Day) and Axl Rose (Guns N' Roses) are also said to be fans. Thomas Edward Yorke (born 7 October 1968 is a Grammy -winning English Musician, best known as the lead singer and principal songwriter of the Radiohead Billie Joe Armstrong (born February 17 1972 in Oakland, California) is the lead vocalist, main Lyricist, Pianist and Green Day is an American rock trio W Axl Rose (born William Bruce Rose Jr; February 6 1962 frequently called Axl Rose, is an American Musician, best known as the Frontman Guns N' Roses is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1985 Final Fantasy music composer Nobuo Uematsu was also greatly influenced by him throughout his life, claiming, "No one writes a melody like him. is a Japanese Video game music Composer and Musician, best known for scoring numerous Final Fantasy titles "
John is known to be fond of Björk, The Killers, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Radiohead, The Hives, Starsailor, Travis and Ray LaMontagne. Björk Guðmundsdóttir (born 21 November 1965 is an Icelandic Singer-songwriter, Composer, actress and music producer. The Killers are an American rock band from Las Vegas Nevada. Formed in 2002 the group consists of Brandon Flowers ( vocals, keyboards Radiohead The Hives are a Swedish Rock band that first rose to prominence in the early 2000s as a leading group of the garage rock revival, playing Garage punk. Starsailor are an English Rock band from Chorley. As of 2006 they have had three charting albums and ten Top 40 singles in the UK since Travis is an English Given name. It is also a common surname. Raymond Charles "Ray" LaMontagne (lɑːmɒnˈteɪːn GenAm approximation la-mon-TAYN (born June 18 1973 is an American folk Singer-songwriter
Awards
Discography
- Further information: Elton John discography
Musical theatre
- The Lion King (1997)
- Aida (1998)
- Billy Elliot (2005)
- Lestat (2005)
Filmography
- The Country Bears, U. This is a list of Elton John awards. Awards and achievements Academy Awards 1995 - Best Original Song for " An extensive Discography of English Musician / Singer-songwriter Elton John. The Lion King is a Tony and Olivier Award -winning Broadway and West End musical based on the 1994 Disney animated Aida is a musical drama in two acts based on Giuseppe Verdi 's Italian-language opera by the same name which is based on a story by Auguste Mariette Billy Elliot the Musical is a musical based on the 2000 film Billy Elliot. Lestat is a Broadway musical inspired by Anne Rice 's The Vampire Chronicles. The Country Bears is a 2002 Live-action Film produced by Walt Disney Pictures, based on the Disney attraction Country Bear S. (2002) Himself
- Spice World, UK (1997) Himself
- Tommy, UK (1975) Pinball Wizard
- Born to Boogie, U. Spice World is a debut feature film of the four-time BRIT Award -winning English pop Girl group The Spice Girls directed Tommy is a 1975 Musical film, based on The Who's 1969 "rock opera" album musical Tommy. Born to Boogie is a 1972 concert film based around a concert at Wembley Empire Pool starring Marc Bolan and T S. (1972) Himself
Pseudonyms
Over the years, John has used various pseudonyms on recordings on which he has appeared. Not counting his work in which he was credited as Reg Dwight or Elton John, these pseudonyms include [47]:
- As Rockaday Johnny: Played piano on Jackson Browne's song "Redneck Friend", from his 1974 album For Everyman. Clyde Jackson Browne (born October 9, 1948) is a German -born American rock Singer-songwriter and Musician. For Everyman is the second Album by American Singer/songwriter Jackson Browne, released in 1973 (see 1973 in music)
- As Ann Orson: Co-composed the songs "Hard Luck Story" (a 1974 single by Kiki Dee) and "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" (a 1976 single by John and Kiki Dee). Co-composer of these songs was 'Carte Blanche', a pseudonym for Bernie Taupin. (Orson Carte being a pun on "horse and cart").
- As Reggae Dwight: Co-composed (with Toots Taupin) the song "Jamaica Jerk-Off" on the 1973 album Goodbye Yellow Brick Road; the name both punningly refers to his given name and the style of music the song is played in. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road is the seventh Studio album by British Singer/songwriter Elton John, released in 1973 "Toots" is a reference to Toots Hibbert of pioneering reggae group Toots and the Maytals. Toots Hibbert (born Frederick Nathaniel Hibbert 10 December 1945, May Pen, Parish of Clarendon, Jamaica) is a Ska The Jamaican musical group Toots and the Maytals, originally called simply The Maytals, are one of the best known Ska and Reggae vocal groups
- As Redget Buntovan: Played piano on the rock group Blue's 1977 LP Another Night Time Flight, which was produced by John and Clive Franks. (A spoonerism for "Budget Rent-O-Van" and a reference to his real name Reg. A spoonerism is an error in speech or deliberate play on words in which corresponding Consonants Vowels or Morphemes are switched (see )
- As Tripe: Co-composer of "The Man Who Loved To Dance", a 1977 B-side by Kiki Dee. Co-composer 'Onions' was really Bernie Taupin.
- As Dinah Card: Co-composer of "Cartier Commercial", a 1980 B-side by John. Co-composer was 'Carte Blanche', a pseudonym for Bernie Taupin. (Dinah Card being a pun on "Diner's Card". )
- As Lord Choc Ice: Sole composer and credited performer of "Choc Ice Goes Mental" and "Earn While You Learn", both issued as B-sides of Elton John singles in 1983.
- As Nancy Treadlight: Piano on "Come Down In Time" by Sting, from the Elton John/Bernie Taupin tribute album Two Rooms. STING ( S equence T o and with' IN' G raphics is a free Web-based suite of programs for a comprehensive analysis of the relationship between protein sequence
Elton John Band
See also
- John/Taupin
- List of best selling music artists
- List of number-one hits (United States)
- List of artists who reached number one on the Hot 100 (U.S.)
- List of number-one dance hits (United States)
- List of artists by total number of USA number one singles
- List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. Dance chart
References
- ^ The middle name, after the horse named Hercules on the British sitcom Steptoe and Son, is not usually used when referring to him, however The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed. uses the name in its entry. The Elton John Band is the band headed by Elton John Current members Elton John - piano lead vocals Guy Babylon - keyboards John/Taupin is a songwriting team that consists of Elton John and Bernie Taupin. When adding to this page please ensure that your claims are sourced Pre-Hot 100 era 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 This is a list of artists and the titles of their number one singles in order of total number one singles on the U This is a list of recording artists who have reached number one on Billboard magazine 's Hot Dance Club Play chart Steptoe and Son is a British sitcom written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson about two rag and bone men living in Oil Drum Lane a fictional street It is officially part of his name, as reflected in this certificate notifying the change of name of a company director (Elton John).
- ^ He was made a CBE in 1996 - In the 1998 New Year's Honours list he was made a Knight Bachelor
- ^ UKMIX - Forums - View topic - Elton John Sales
- ^ The Immortals: The First Fifty. Rolling Stone Issue 946. Rolling Stone.
- ^ Elton John raises $2.5 million for Clinton
- ^ 55 Pinner Hill Road - On This Very Spot
- ^ Family detective: Elton John - Telegraph
- ^ 111 Potter Street - On This Very Spot
- ^ a b c d Elton John, Philip Norman, Fireside, 1991
- ^ a b c d e f His Song: The Musical Journey of Elton John, Elizabeth Rosenthal, Billboard Books, 2001
- ^ Frome Court - On This Very Spot
- ^ King Crimson FAQ. Elephant Talk (archived page from elephant-talk. com). Retrieved on 2007-09-20. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 451 - The Battle of Chalons takes place in North Eastern France.
- ^ : : SandieShaw.com : :
- ^ In his 1981 book "Thank U Very Much - Mike McCartney's Family Album" Scaffold singer Mike McGear (McCartney) describes a meeting with John during which John advises him he used to sing background vocals for the group.
- ^ Heylin, Clinton (1996). Bootleg: The Secret History of the Other Recording Industry. New York: St. Martin's Griffin, 66. ISBN 0-312-14289-7.
- ^ BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Sir Elton vampire musical closes
- ^ Disney Legends - Elton John
- ^ Guardian.co.uk: "When Elton Met Jake November 12 2006"
- ^ Elton John - Elton'S Eminem Collaboration Cancelled After Proof Shooting
- ^ Flash of pearlies from Hugh at Elton's star-studded party | the Daily Mail
- ^ http://www.nme.com/news/elton-john/27292 NME article on 60th birthday concert at Madison Square Gardens
- ^ Elton John to Put Entire Music Catalog Online. Events 764 - Tibetan troops occupy Chang'an, the capital of the Chinese Tang Dynasty, for fifteen days March 21, 2007. Events 630 - Byzantine emperor Heraclius restores the True Cross to Jerusalem.
- ^ 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
- ^ http://www.stipkocontent.com/contentengine/publish/buzzine/interviews/article_1604.shtml
- ^ 6ABC.com article: "Elton John Wants to Make Hip-hop Album"
- ^ http://www.eltonjohn.com/home_index.asp?page=now/projects/redpiano.asp
- ^ Search the Sunday Times Rich List 2007
- ^ Cover Story: Elton John: It's Lonely at the Top: David Bowie : Rolling Stone
- ^ http://www.itv.com/news/d2e43dd7a7c16245875bc3ac947c7586.html
- ^ Elton's 'wedding' sealed with a kiss | the Daily Mail
- ^ Elton's £100,000 wedding warm-up | the Daily Mail
- ^ BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Stars pack Elton 'wedding' party
- ^ Ladies' laddy - Telegraph
- ^ "Elton John", Biography Channel, 2005
- ^ CNN.com: "Larry King Live: Interview With Elton John Aired January 25, 2002"
- ^ The Independent: "THE DIARY, SIR ELTON JOHN: Lazy days in the South of France August 29, 1999"
- ^ Art or Porn? Elton John's Photos Seized. Events 41 - After a night of negotiation Claudius is accepted as Roman Emperor by the Senate See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 708 - Copper coins are minted in Japan for the first time (Traditional Japanese date: August 10, 708) Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar) ABC News. Retrieved on 2008-03-03. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1284 - Statute of Rhuddlan incorporated the Principality of Wales into England 1575 - Indian
- ^ BBC News | UK | Sir Elton's £30m spending spree
- ^ BBC News | SHOWBIZ | Sir Elton to sell classic cars
- ^ Elton John's "Red Devil" Ferrari Testarossa - Forbes.com
- ^ http://www.findaproperty.com/story.aspx?storyid=4831
- ^ White tie and tiara ball - Telegraph
- ^ Chopard and Elton John - The White Tie and Tiara Ball 2007
- ^ Fashion guru Trinny shows...what not to bare at Elton's White Tie and Tiara party | the Daily Mail
- ^ Elton John turns rags to riches for charity - People - Entertainment
- ^ Elton John: 'Cannabis behind Throat Op'
- ^ Norman, Philip: Sir Elton, pp. 516-553
External links
- Elton John discography at MusicBrainz
- Elton John's official website
- Elton John AIDS Foundation (EJAF)
- Elton John at the Internet Movie Database
- Official Elton John MySpace
- Disney Legends profile
- Cornflakes & Classics--A Musical History of Elton John
- Elton John at Live 8
- Larry King Live: Transcript of Elton John Interview on 25 January 2002
- Larry King Live: Transcript of Elton John Encore Interview on 15 March 2008
- Spots related to Elton John's childhood and career
- Eltonography The online illustrated Elton John discography
- Elton John's Photo Acceptable After All - Javno News
- Photo Owned By Elton John Isn't Indecent - AP
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | John, Elton |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | English musician |
| DATE OF BIRTH | March 25, 1941 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Pinner, Middlesex, London, England |
| DATE OF DEATH | |
| PLACE OF DEATH | |
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