Elton John

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Elton John

Elton John's versatility as pop, rock and pop rock singer, composer and pianist is what makes him remain popular since early 70's until today, with a career spanning five decades. He has sold over 250 million records and has over 50 Top 40 hits, making him one of the most successful musicians of all time. His performances are effortless, in his rich tenor and gospel-chorded piano, aggressive string arrangements, and his flamboyant fashion sense and on-stage showmanship hat aways captures the audience. He made piano popular in Rock 'n' Roll.

About

Sir Elton John was born Reginald Kenneth Dwight on March 25,1947 in Pinner, Middlesex, a London suburb to parents Stanley Dwight and Sheila Harris. His father Stanley was an officer in the Royal Air Force who once played trumpet with an American-styled big band called Bob Miller and The Millermen. Both parents were avid listeners to the music of pianists Winifred Atwell, Nat King Cole, and George Shearing, and to singers Rosemary Clooney, Frank Sinatra, Kay Starr, Johnny Ray, Guy Mitchell, Jo Stafford, and Frankie Lain – such musicians being the first influences to Reginald.

Reginald started showing his musical inclination at age 3 by playing the piano by ear. By the time that he was 4, his parents recognized Reginald's talent, and would often ask him to play at parties.

Rock 'n' roll was the genre that attracted him after discovering Elvis Presley. Soon his mother was buying him records of Presley and Bill Haley and his Comets. He got a scholarship at age 11 at the Royal Academy of Music with rock 'n' roll on his mind. While at the Academy for five years, he made use of his free time with a newspaper route and a job at a wine shop on Saturday afternoons after class. At Pinner Country Grammar School, he showed his musical aptitude for songwriting.

In 1962, his parents divorced, and he depended on his friendship with a painter named Fred Farebrother, a caring father figure who helped him became a weekend pianist at the nearby Northwood Hills pub, playing on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights at the age of 15.

In 1964, Dwight and his friends formed a band called Bluesology. By day, he ran errands for a music publishing company; and by night either performed solo at a London hotel bar or worked 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. In 1966, the band became musician Long John Baldry's supporting band and began touring cabarets in England.

He auditioned to be lead vocalist for King Crimson and Gentle Giant, and failed. He then tried out for the New Musical Express of Ray Williams, then the A&R manager for Liberty Records. He got the job and was made to work with Bernie Taupin, the lyricist. Their partnership lives to this day. In 1967, their first song, "Scarecrow", was recorded. Six months after their first meeting, Reginald Dwight had changed his name to Elton John, by deed poll, in homage to Bluesology saxophonist Elton Dean and Long John Baldry.

The team of John and Taupin joined Dick James's DJM Records as staff songwriters in 1968, and over the next two years wrote materials for various artists, like Roger Cook and Lulu. Their early output included an entry for British song for the Eurovision Song Contest in 1969, called "Can't Go On (Living Without You)" that took the sixth place among six awardees.

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. As advised by 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.

John's first American concert took place at The Troubadour in Los Angeles, backed by ex-Spencer Davis Group drummer Nigel Olsson and bassist Dee Murray. He left the critics raving, and drew praise from fellow artists such as Quincy Jones and Bob Dylan performing Jerry Lee Lewis-style.

In 1972, the Elton John Band was formed together with Ray Cooper (percussion), Davey Johnstone (on guitar and backing vocals), Dee Murray (bass), and Nigel Olsson (drums). The members' individual excellence combined with producer Gus Dudgeon's created a hit-making chemistry for the next five Elton John albums.

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". He performed with Lennon on what became the latter's last live performance at Madison Square Garden. Lennon made the rare stage appearance to keep his promise that he would appear onstage with Elton if "Whatever Gets You Thru The Night" became a number 1 single.

The Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy album's release signaled the end of the Elton John Band, as an unhappy and overworked John dismissed Olsson and Murray. Johnstone and Cooper were retained, former Bluesology guitarist 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.

Finally, in an interview with Rolling Stone that year entitled "Elton's Frank Talk", a stressed John stated that he was bisexual.

In November 1977, John announced that he was retiring from performing and secluded himself in any of his three mansions, appearing publicly only to cheer the Watford Football Club, an English football team that he later bought. Taupin began collaborating with others. Two years later John and Taupin reunited. 21 at 33, was released that same year and became a hit.

Elton mourned the loss of his friend John Lennon in his 1982 hit "Empty Garden (Hey Hey Johnny)", from his Jump Up! album, his second under a new US recording contract with Geffen Records. 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's godchild.

With original band members Johnstone, Murray and Olsson together again, Elton 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 US, giving Elton John his biggest hit there since "Little Jeannie."

In 1984, he surprised many by marrying sound engineer Renate Blauel. The marriage lasted four years. In 1986 he lost his voice while touring Australia and he underwent throat surgery. 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."

John checked into a Chicago hospital in 1990 to combat his drug abuse, alcoholism, and bulimia. In recovery, he lost weight and underwent hair replacement, and subsequently took up residence in Atlanta, Georgia.

The 1991 film documentary Two Rooms described the unusual writing style of John and Taupin -- Taupin writing the lyrics on his own, and John then putting them to music, with the two never in the same room during the process. That same year, the 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.

In 1992, he established the Elton John AIDS Foundation, intending to direct 90 percent of the funds it raised to direct care, and 10 percent to AIDS prevention education. He also announced his intention to donate all future royalties from sales of his singles in the US and UK to AIDS research.

Elton John was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility in 1994. He and Bernie Taupin had previously been inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1992. Elton John was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1995. He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II on February 24 1998, granting him the title of "Sir". The honour was officially for his charitable work.

In September 1997, 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. While John sang, Prince Charles was seen in tears. A recorded version, "Candle in the Wind 1997", then became the fastest selling single of all time, eventually going on to sell over 30 million copies worldwide, with the proceeds of approximately £55 million going to the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund.

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. In 2004, however, he released a new album, Peachtree Road which, was his least commercially successful album in every country it was released in, despite some favorable reviews.

On November 29, 2001, saddened by the death of fellow musician George Harrison because of cancer, John made a guest appearance on Harrison's When We Was Fab, in 1988, and sang background vocals in the video.

He met his partner David Furnish, a former advertising executive and now film maker, in 1993. Furnish helped John overcome his drug addiction. On December 21, 2005, they entered into a civil partnership. A low-key ceremony with only their parents present was held at the Guildhall, Windsor, followed by a lavish party at their Berkshire mansion.

Awards & Certifications

Awards

Certification

Chart Toppers

Complete Chart Toppers List

News

Tours & Concerts

tour title - tour description

mm/dd/yy - city, stateCode (venue)

Announcements

Discography

Albums

The Captain and the Kid Released:2006 Universal	Peachtree Road Released:2004 Universal	Songs from the West Coast Released:2001 Universal	The Big Picture Released:1997 Rocket Records
Made in England Released:1995 Rocket/Island	Duets Released:1993 MCA	One Released:1992 Island	Sleeping with the Past Released:1989 Universal
Reg Strikes Back Released:1988 MCA	Leather Jackets Released:1986 MCA	Ice on Fire Released:1985 Label:MCA	Breaking Hearts Released:1984 Label:MCA
Too Low for Zero Released:1983 MCA	Jump Up! Released:1982 Rocket	The Fox Released:1981 Mercury	21 at 33 Released:1980 Rocket
Victim of Love Released:1979 Universal Special Products	A Single Man Released:1978 MCA	Blue Moves Released:1976 MCA	Rock of the Westies Released:1975 Rocket/Island
Captain Fantastic and Brown Dirt Cowboy Released:1975 Rocket/Island	Caribou Released:1974 MCA	Goodbye Yellow Brick Road Released:1973 MCA	Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player Released:1973 Rocket/Island
Honky Château Released:1972 MCA	Madman Across the Water Released:1971 MCA	Tumbleweed Connection Released:1971 Rocket/Island	Elton John Released:1970 Rocket/Island
Empty Sky Released:1969 Rocket/Island

Singles

Complete Singles List

Compilations & Live Releases

Compilations

Live Releases

Other artists

Similar artists

Influences

Contemporaries

Trivia

• Pete Townshend of The Who asked John to play a character called the "Pinball Wizard" in the film of the rock opera Tommy, and to perform the song of the same name.

• Elton John is known for his glasses that he started wearing them as a youth to copy his idol Buddy Holly and also for his flamboyant stage wardrobe that 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.

• John Lennon was murdered in front of the same building where Elton John performed a free concert to an estimated 400,000 fans on September 13, 1980 with Olsson and Murray back in the Elton John Band.

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

• Elton John was deeply affected by the plight of Ryan White, an Indiana teenager with AIDS. Along with Michael Jackson, John befriended and supported the boy and his family until White's death in 1990.

• Elton told The Observer Music Monthly magazine on Veteran's Day during November 11, 2006, that he would like to see all organized religion banned. "From my point of view, I would ban religion completely, even though there are some wonderful things about it. I love the idea of the teachings of Jesus Christ and all of the beautiful stories about it, which I loved in Sunday School and I collected all the little stickers and put them in my book. But the reality is that organized religion doesn't seem to work. It turns people into hateful lemmings and it's not really compassionate."

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

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

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

• Elton's main home is in Windsor, England, but he also has residences in Atlanta, Georgia; Nice; Holland Park in London; and Venice. He is also believed to have one of the largest private photography collections in the world.

• He sold 20 of his collection of 28 cars including several Ferraris, Aston Martins, and six post-war Bentleys. His reason for selling? “I do not find enough time to drive them.”

• He has been involved with two football clubs: Watford Football Club and St, Kilda Football Club in the Australian Football League, in fulfillment of his childhood dream.

• He is a co-owner of the Sunset Strip restaurant “Le Dome” in Hollywood.

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

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