Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, songwriter and pianist. Acclaimed by critics and musicians, particularly for his work during the 1970s, his music and showmanship have had a significant, lasting impact on the music industry. His songwriting partnership with lyricist Bernie Taupin is one of the most successful in history. John was raised in Pinner and learned to play piano at an early age, winning a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music, where he studied for five years. He formed the blues band Bluesology in 1962, but left in 1967 to embark on a solo career and met Taupin that same year. For two years, they wrote songs for other artists, and John worked as a session musician. In 1969, John released his debut album Empty Sky, and a year later formed the Elton John Band, also releasing his first hit single, "Your Song". John's critical and commercial success was at its peak in the 1970s, when he released a string of chart-topping albums both in the US and UK, which began with Honky Château (1972) and culminated with Rock of the Westies (1975). His success continued in the 1980s and 1990s, having several hit singles and albums in both decades, and he has continued to record new music since. John has also had success in musical films and theatre, composing music for The Lion King (1994), Aida (2000), and Billy Elliot the Musical (2005). John's final tour, Farewell Yellow Brick Road (2018–2023), became the highest-grossing tour ever at the time. His life and career were dramatised in the 2019 biopic Rocketman. John is an HIV/AIDS charity fundraiser and has been involved in the fight against AIDS since the late 1980s. He established the Elton John AIDS Foundation in 1992, which has raised over £300 million since its inception, and a year later he began hosting his annual AIDS Foundation Academy Awards Party, which has since become one of the biggest high-profile Oscar parties in the Hollywood film industry. John was the chairman and director of Watford Football Club from 1976 to 1987, and again from 1997 to 2002, and is an honorary life president of the club. From the late 1970s to the late 1980s, John developed a severe addiction to drugs and alcohol, but has been clean and sober since 1990. In 2005 he entered a civil partnership with his long-term partner, the Canadian filmmaker David Furnish. They married in 2014, when same-sex marriage became legal in England and Wales. John has had more than fifty top-40 hits on the UK Singles Chart and US Billboard Hot 100, including nine number ones in both countries, as well as seven consecutive number-one albums in the US. He has sold over 300 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling music artists of all time. He is the most successful solo artist in the history of the US Billboard charts. His tribute single to Diana, Princess of Wales, "Candle in the Wind 1997", a rewritten version of his 1974 single, sold over 33 million copies worldwide and is the best-selling chart single of all time. In 2021, he became the first solo artist with UK top 10 singles across six decades. Among John's numerous awards, he is one of 19 entertainers to win the EGOT, which includes an Emmy Award, five Grammy Awards, two Academy Awards, and a Tony Award. He also won two Golden Globes, a Laurence Olivier Award, and the Kennedy Center Honor. He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1992 and the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame in 1994, and is a fellow of The Ivors Academy. He was appointed Knight Bachelor for services to music and charity in 1998 and was appointed a member of the Order of the Companions of Honour in 2020.
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References
Title | Summary | |
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Herbie Flowers - "Jump Into the Fire" Bass Player - Has Died | ... recordings for artists including Elton John , David ... | |
Roger Pope | ... known for playing drums for Elton John , on tour and on ... | |
Terry O'Neill | ... iconic snapshot backstage after Elton John’s ... | |
Me | ... his 2019 autobiography Me , Elton John talks about ... | |
The Lost Weekend: A Love Story | ... | Self (archive footage): Elton John | |
Gilbert Gottfried's Amazing Colossal Podcast {Mark Hudson} | ... Wynn steps out of character, Elton John takes a dip and ... | |
Uninvited | ... music of Alanis Morissette , Elton John and Harry ... | |
Blood on the Tracks: The John Lennon Story | ... , Yoko Ono , Stevie Wonder , Elton John , John Sinclair ... |
Connection Chains
- From Back Off Boogaloo to Elton John in 19 Steps
- From Old Dirt Road to Elton John in 17 Steps
- From Aerial Pandemonium Ballet to Elton John in 15 Steps
- From Harry Nilsson to Elton John in 15 Steps
- From November 28 to Elton John in 14 Steps
- From Unichappell Music to Elton John in 13 Steps
- From Elton John to Bob Corff in 12 Steps
- From I Yam What I Yam to Elton John in 12 Steps
- From Elton John to Kirby Johnson in 12 Steps
- From Dream Love to Elton John in 11 Steps
- From Unichappell Music to Elton John in 11 Steps
- From Joy to Elton John in 11 Steps
- From Elton John to So Long Dad in 11 Steps
- From Elton John to Tommy Shepard in 11 Steps
- From Elton John to Aerosmith in 10 Steps
- From Six Continents Music to Elton John in 10 Steps
- From Jesse Ed Davis to Elton John in 10 Steps
- From Unichappell Music to Elton John in 10 Steps
- From Elton John to September 21 in 10 Steps
- From Elton John to The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy in 10 Steps
- From Take 54 to Elton John in 9 Steps
- From These Are the Brave to Elton John in 9 Steps
- From Nicky Hopkins to Elton John in 9 Steps
- From Harry Nilsson to Elton John in 9 Steps
- From Garbage Can Ballet to Elton John in 9 Steps
- From Elton John to Everybody's Talkin' in 9 Steps
Connections
- Elton John is one of the many artists that recorded Makin' Whoopee!
- Elton John recorded a duet of "Makin' Whoopee" with Rod Stewart
- Makin' Whoopee! was recorded by many artists including Elton John
- Rod Stewart recorded a duet of "Makin' Whoopee" with Elton John