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Elton John (1947)
Reginald Kenneth Dwight
Summary
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor. He has worked with lyricist Bernie Taupin as his songwriter partner since 1967; they have collaborated on more than 30 albums to date.
In his four-decade career John has sold more than 250 million records, making him one of the most successful artists of all time. His single "Candle in the Wind 1997" has sold over 33 million copies worldwide, and is the best selling single in Billboard history. He has more than 50 Top 40 hits, including seven consecutive No. 1 US albums, 56 Top 40 singles, 16 Top 10, four No. 2 hits, and nine No. 1 hits. He has won six Grammy Awards, four Brit Awards, an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award and a Tony Award. In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked him Number 49 on its list of the 100 greatest artists of all time.
John was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994. Having been named a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1996, John received a knighthood from HM Queen Elizabeth II for "services to music and charitable services" in 1998. He has been heavily involved in the fight against AIDS since the late 1980s, and In 1992, he established the Elton John AIDS Foundation and a year later began hosting the annual Academy Award Party, which has since become one of the most high-profile Oscar parties in the Hollywood film industry. Since its inception, the foundation has raised over $200 million. John entered into a civil partnership with David Furnish on 21 December 2005 and continues to be a champion for LGBT social movements. In 2008, Billboard magazine ranked him as the most successful male solo artist on "The Billboard Hot 100 Top All-Time Artists" .
Biography
life and career
Early life
John was born Reginald Kenneth Dwight on 25 March 1947, the eldest child of Stanley and only child of Sheila Eileen Dwight (née Harris) and was raised in Pinner, Middlesex in a council house of his maternal grandparents. His parents did not marry until he was 6 years old, when the family moved to a nearby semi-detached house. He was educated at Pinner Wood Junior School, Reddiford School and Pinner County Grammar School, until age 17, when he left just prior to his A Level examinations to pursue a career in the music industry.
When John began to seriously consider a career in music, his father, who served as a Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force, tried to steer him toward a more conventional career, such as banking. John 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 the Bob Millar Band, a semi-professional big band that played at military dances. The Dwights were keen record buyers, exposing John to the popular singers and musicians of the day, and 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.
John started playing the piano at the age of 3, and within a year, his mother heard him picking out Winifred Atwell's "The Skater's Waltz" by ear. After performing at parties and family gatherings, at the age of 7 he took up formal piano lessons. He showed 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. According to one of his instructors, John promptly played back, like a "gramophone record", a four-page piece by Handel that he heard for the first time.
For the next five years he attended Saturday classes at the Academy in central London, and has 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 practicing 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.
John's mother, 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. When John was 14, they divorced. His mother then married a local painter, Fred Farebrother, a caring and supportive stepfather who John affectionately referred to as "Derf", his first name in reverse. They moved into flat No. 1A in an eight-unit apartment building called Frome Court, not far from both previous homes. It was there that John would write the songs that would launch his career as a rock star; he would live there until he had four albums simultaneously in the American Top 40.
Pub pianist to staff songwriter (1962–1969)
At the age of 15, with the help of his mother and stepfather, Reginald Dwight became a weekend pianist at a nearby pub, the Northwood Hills Hotel, playing Thursday to Sunday nights for £35 a week and tips. Known simply as "Reggie", he played a range of popular standards, including songs by Jim Reeves and Ray Charles, as well as songs he had written himself. A stint with a short-lived group called the Corvettes rounded out his time.
In 1964, Dwight and his friends formed a band called Bluesology. By day, he ran errands for a music publishing company; he divided his nights between solo gigs at a London hotel bar and working with Bluesology. By the mid-1960s, Bluesology was backing touring American soul and R&B musicians like The Isley Brothers, Major Lance, Billy Stewart, Doris Troy and Patti LaBelle and The Bluebelles. In 1966, the band became musician Long John Baldry's supporting band and played 16 times at The Marquee Club.
After failing lead vocalist auditions for King Crimson and Gentle Giant, Dwight answered an advertisement in the New Musical Express placed by Ray Williams, then the A&R manager for Liberty Records. At their first meeting, Williams gave Dwight a stack of lyrics written by Bernie Taupin, who had answered the same ad. Dwight wrote music for the lyrics, and then mailed it to Taupin, beginning a partnership that . 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.
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. 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. Their early output included a contender for the British entry for the Eurovision Song Contest in 1969, for Lulu, called "Can't Go On ". It came sixth of six songs. In 1969, John also provided piano for Roger Hodgson on his first ever musical recording.
During this period, John was also a session musician for other artists including playing piano on The Hollies' "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" and singing backing vocals for The Scaffold.
Debut album to Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (1969–1973)
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" , produced by Caleb Quaye, former Bluesology guitarist. In 1969, with Quaye, drummer Roger Pope, and bassist Tony Murray, John recorded another single, "Lady Samantha", and an album, Empty Sky.
For their follow-up album, Elton John, John and Taupin enlisted Gus Dudgeon as producer and Paul Buckmaster as musical arranger. Elton John was released in the April 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. The first single from the album, "Border Song", made into the US Top 100, peaking at Number 92. The second single "Your Song" made the US Top Ten, peaking at number eight and becoming John's first hit single as a singer. The album soon became his first hit album, reaching number four on the Billboard 200 album chart.
Backed by ex-Spencer Davis Group drummer Nigel Olsson and bassist Dee Murray, John's first American concert took place at The Troubadour in Los Angeles in August 1970, and was a success.
The concept album Tumbleweed Connection was released in October 1970, and reached the Top Ten on the Billboard 200. The live album 17-11-70 (11-17-70 in the US) was recorded at a live show aired from A&R Studios on WABC-FM in New York City. Sales of the live album were heavily hit in the US 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.
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". In 1972, Davey Johnstone joined the Elton John Band on guitar and backing vocals. 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".
The 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 US Billboard Hot 100 number one hit. 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.
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road gained instant critical acclaim and topped the chart on both sides of the Atlantic, remaining at Number 1 for two months. It also temporarily established John as a glam rock star. 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"). 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.
Rocket Records to 21 at 33 (1974–1979)
John 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. 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". 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. 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. Reportedly recorded in a scant two weeks between live appearances, it featured "The Bitch Is Back" and the lushly orchestrated "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me".
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 the song "Pinball Wizard". Drawing on power chords, John's version was recorded and used for the movie release in 1975 and the single came out in 1976 . 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.
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. 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.
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.
The rock-oriented Rock of the Westies entered the US albums chart at number 1 like Captain Fantastic, a previously unattained feat. Elton John's 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 Mozart ,among others, at his concerts.
To celebrate five years 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 played piano on Kevin Ayers' Sweet Deceiver, and was among the first and few white artists to appear on the black music series Soul Train on American television.
In 1976, the live album Here and There was released in May, followed by the Blue Moves album in October, which contained the single "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word". His biggest success in 1976 was "Don't Go Breaking My Heart", a duet with Kiki Dee that topped both the American and British charts. Finally, in an interview with Rolling Stone that year entitled "Elton's Frank Talk", John stated that he was bisexual.
Besides being the most commercially successful period, 1970 - 1976 is also held in the most regard critically. Within only a three year span, between 1972-75 John saw seven consecutive albums reach Number 1 in the charts, which had not been accomplished before. Of the six Elton John albums to make the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time in Rolling Stone'in 2003, 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 Allmusic (Tumbleweed Connection, Honky Château, and Captain Fantastic) are all from this period too.
During the same period, John made a guest appearance on the popular Morecambe and Wise Show on the BBC. The two comics spent the episode pointing him in the direction of everywhere except the stage in order to prevent him singing.
In November 1977 John announced he was retiring from performing; Taupin began collaborating with others. Now only producing one album a year, John issued A Single Man in 1978, employing a new lyricist, Gary Osborne; the album produced no singles that made the Top 20 in the US but the two singles from the album released in the UK, Part-Time Love and Song for Guy, both made the Top 20 in the UK with the latter reaching the Top 5. In 1979, accompanied by Ray Cooper, John became one of the first Western solo artist to tour the Soviet Union , then mounted a two-man comeback tour of the US in small halls. John returned to the singles chart with "Mama Can't Buy You Love" , a song originally rejected in 1977 by MCA before being released, recorded in 1977 with Philadelphia soul producer Thom Bell. Elton reported that Thom Bell was the first person to give him voice lessons; Bell encouraged John to sing in a lower register. A disco-influenced album, Victim of Love, was poorly received. In 1979, John and Taupin reunited, though they would not collaborate on a full album until 1983's "Too Low For Zero". 21 at 33, released the following year, was a significant career boost, aided by his biggest hit in four years, "Little Jeannie" , although the lyrics were written by Gary Osborne.
The 80s:The Fox to Sleeping with the Past (1981–1989)
His 1981 album, The Fox, was recorded in part during the same sessions as 21 at 33, and also included collaborations with Tom Robinson and Judie Tzuke. On 13 September 1980, John, with Olsson and Murray back in the Elton John Band, performed a free concert to an estimated 400,000 fans on The Great Lawn in Central Park in New York City. His 1982 hit "Empty Garden ", came from his Jump Up! album, his second under a new US recording contract with Geffen Records.
He married his close friend and sound engineer, Renate Blauel on Valentine's Day 1984 - the marriage lasted three years. The Biography Channel Special detailed the loss of Elton's voice in 1986 while on tour in Australia. Shortly thereafter he underwent throat surgery, which permanently altered his voice. Several non-cancerous polyps were removed from his vocal cords, resulting in a change in his singing voice. In 1987 he won a libel case against The Sun which published allegations of sex with rent boys.
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 US, giving John his biggest hit there since "Little Jeannie". He placed hits in the US Top Ten throughout the 1980s – "Little Jeannie" , "Sad Songs " , "Nikita" boosted by a mini-movie pop video directed by Ken Russell , a live orchestral version of "Candle in the Wind" , and "I Don't Wanna Go On With You Like That" . His highest-charting single was a collaboration with Dionne Warwick, Gladys Knight, and Stevie Wonder on "That's What Friends Are For" ; credited as Dionne and Friends, the song raised funds for AIDS research. His albums continued to sell, but of the six released in the latter half of the 1980s, only Reg Strikes Back placed in the Top 20 in the United States.
In 1985, Elton John was one of the many performers at Live Aid held at Wembley Stadium. John played "Bennie and the Jets" and "Rocket Man"; then "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". 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". John also recorded material with Millie Jackson in 1985. In 1986, he played the piano on two tracks on the heavy metal band Saxon's album Rock the Nations.
In 1988, he performed five sold-out shows at New York's Madison Square Garden, giving him 26 for his career. Netting over $20 million, 2,000 items of John's memorabilia were auctioned off at Sotheby's in London.
The 90s: "Sacrifice" to Aida (1990–1999)
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. The following year, John's "Basque" won the Grammy for Best Instrumental, and a guest concert appearance he had made on George Michael's cover of "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" was released as a single and topped the charts in both the US and UK. At the 1991 Brit Awards in London, Elton John won the award for Best British Male.In 1992 he released the US number 8 album The One, featuring the hit song "The One". John and Taupin then 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. In April 1992, John appeared at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert at Wembley Stadium, performing "The Show Must Go On" with the remaining members of Queen, and "Bohemian Rhapsody" with Axl Rose of Guns N' Roses and Queen. In September, John performed "The One" at the 1992 MTV Video Music Awards, and also closed the ceremony performing "November Rain" with Guns N' Roses. The following year, he released Duets, a collaboration with 15 artists including Tammy Wynette and RuPaul. This also included a new collaboration with Kiki Dee, entitled "True Love", which reached the Top 10 of the UK charts.
Along with Tim Rice, Elton John wrote the songs for the 1994 Disney animated film The Lion King, which became the 3rd highest-grossing animated feature of all time. At the 67th Academy Awards ceremony, The Lion King provided three of the five nominees for the Academy Award for Best Song, which John won with "Can You Feel the Love Tonight". Both that and "Circle of Life" became hit songs for John. "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" would also win Elton John the Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance at the 37th Grammy Awards. After the release of the The Lion King soundtrack, the album remained at the top of Billboard's charts for nine weeks. On 10 November 1999, the RIAA certified The Lion King "Diamond" for selling 15 million copies.
In 1995 John released Made in England , which featured the single "Believe". John performed "Believe" at the 1995 Brit Awards, and picked up the prize for Outstanding Contribution to Music. A compilation called Love Songs was released in 1996.
Early in 1997 John held a 50th birthday party, costumed as Louis XIV, for 500 friends. John also performed with the surviving members of Queen in Paris at the opening night of Le Presbytère N'a Rien Perdu De Son Charme Ni Le Jardin De Son Éclat, a work by French ballet legend Maurice Béjart which draws upon AIDS and the deaths of Freddie Mercury and the company's principal dancer Jorge Donn. Later in 1997, two close friends died: designer Gianni Versace was murdered; Diana, Princess of Wales died in a Paris car crash on 31 August.
In early September, John contacted his writing partner Bernie Taupin, asking him to revise the lyrics of his 1973 song "Candle in the Wind" to honour Diana, and Taupin rewrote the song accordingly. On 6 September 1997, John performed "Candle in the Wind 1997" at the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales in Westminster Abbey. The song became the fastest, and biggest-selling single of all time, eventually selling over 33 million copies worldwide. The best-selling single in UK Chart history, it sold 4.86 million copies in the UK. The best-selling single in Billboard history, and the only single ever certified Diamond in the United States, the single sold over 11 million copies in the U.S. The song proceeds of approximately £55 million were donated to the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund. It would win John the Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance at the 40th Grammy Awards ceremony in 1998. John has publicly performed "Candle in the Wind 1997" only once, at Diana's funeral, vowing never to perform it again unless asked by Diana's sons.
In the musical theatre world, in 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 at the 54th Tony Awards, and the Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album at the 43rd Grammy Awards. The musical was given its world premiere in the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta. It went on to Chicago and eventually Broadway. 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 City that same year.
2000 to present
In 2000, John and Tim Rice teamed again to create songs for DreamWorks' animated film The Road to El Dorado. In August 2003, John scored his fifth UK number one single when "Are You Ready for Love" topped the UK Charts. 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. John's only theatrical project with Bernie Taupin so far is Lestat: The Musical, based on the Anne Rice vampire novels. However it was slammed by the critics and closed in May 2006 after 39 performances.
John was named a Disney Legend for his numerous outstanding contributions to Disney's films and theatrical works on 9 October 2006, by The Walt Disney Company. In 2006 he told Rolling Stone magazine that he plans for his next record to be in the R&B/hip-hop genre. "I want to work with Pharrell {Williams}, Timbaland, Snoop {Dogg}, Kanye {West}, Eminem and just see what happens."
In March 2007 he performed at Madison Square Garden for a record breaking 60th time for his 60th birthday, the concert was broadcast live and a DVD recording was released as Elton 60 - Live at Madison Square Garden; a greatest-hits compilation CD, Rocket Man – Number Ones, was released in 17 different versions worldwide, including a CD/DVD combo; and his back catalogue - almost 500 songs from 32 albums - became available for legal download.
On 1 July 2007, Elton John appeared at the Concert for Diana held at Wembley Stadium in London, in honour of Diana, Princess of Wales, on what would have been her 46th birthday. John opened the concert with "Your Song", and then closed the concert with his second performance, with "Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting", "Tiny Dancer", and "Are You Ready For Love".
In a September 2008 interview with GQ magazine, John said: "I’m going on the road again with Billy Joel again next year," referring to "Face to Face," a series of concerts featuring both musicians. The tour began in March and will continue for at least two more years.
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. The show, entitled The Red Piano, was a multimedia concert featuring massive props and video montages created by David LaChapelle. Effectively, he and Celine Dion share performances at Caesars Palace throughout the year - while one performs, one rests. The first of these shows took place on 13 February 2004. On 21 June 2008, he performed his 200th show in Caesars Palace. A DVD/CD package of The Red Piano was released through Best Buy in November 2008. A two year global tour was sandwiched between commitments in Las Vegas, Nevada, some of the venues of which were new to John. The Red Piano Tour closed in Las Vegas in April 2009.
Elton John performed a piano duet with Lady Gaga at the 52nd Grammy Awards. On 6 June 2010, John performed at the fourth wedding of conservative commentator Rush Limbaugh for a reported US$1 million fee. Eleven days later, and 17 years to the day after his last previous performance in Israel, he performed at the Ramat Gan Stadium; this was significant because of other then-recent cancellations by other performers in the fallout surrounding an Israeli raid on Gaza Flotilla the month before. In his introduction to that concert, Elton John noted he and other musicians should not "cherry-pick our conscience", in reference to Elvis Costello, who was to have performed in Israel two weeks after Elton did, but cancelled in the wake of the aforementioned raid, citing his [Costello's] conscience.
John's latest studio album is entitled The Union and was released on 19 October 2010. John says his collaboration with American singer-songwriter and sideman Leon Russell marks a new chapter in his recording career, saying: "I don't have to make pop records any more."
Elton John began his new show "The Million Dollar Piano" at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas on 28 September 2011. John will be performing the show at Caesars for the next three years. John performed his 3000th concert on Saturday 8 October 2011 at Caesars. In 2011, John performed vocals on Snowed in at Wheeler Street with Kate Bush for her 50 Words for Snow album.
personal life
Family
In the late 1960s, John was engaged to be married to his first lover, secretary Linda Woodrow, who is mentioned in the song "Someone Saved My Life Tonight". He married German recording engineer Renate Blauel on 14 February 1984, in Darling Point, Sydney, with speculation that the marriage was a cover for his homosexuality. John had come out as bisexual in a 1976 interview with Rolling Stone, but after his divorce from Blauel in 1988 he told the magazine that he was "comfortable" being gay.In 1993, John began a relationship with David Furnish, a former advertising executive and now filmmaker. John and Furnish entered a civil partnership on 21 December 2005. They held a low-key ceremony at the Windsor Guildhall, followed by a lavish party at their Berkshire mansion, thought to have cost £1 million. Their son, Zachary Jackson Levon Furnish-John, was born to a surrogate mother on 25 December 2010 in California. John and Furnish chose Lady Gaga, magazine editor Ingrid Sischy, and Sichy's partner Sandy Brant as Zachary's godmothers.
In September 2009, John announced his intention to adopt a 14-month-old boy, Lev, from an AIDS orphanage in Ukraine, but he was denied due to his age and marital status. Furnish stated they would continue to financially support Lev and his brother and would campaign for a change in Ukrainian law. John has ten known godchildren, including Sean Lennon, David and Victoria Beckham's sons Brooklyn and Romeo, Elizabeth Hurley's son Damian Charles, and the daughter of Seymour Stein.
Wealth
In April 2009, the Sunday Times Rich List estimated John's wealth to be £175 million (US$265 million), and ranked him as the 322nd richest person in Britain. John was estimated to have a fortune of £195 million in the Sunday Times Rich List of 2011, making him one of the 10 richest people in the British music industry. Aside from his main home "Woodside" in Old Windsor, Berkshire, John owns residences in Atlanta, Nice, London's Holland Park, and Venice. John is an art collector, and is believed to have one of the largest private photography collections in the world.
In 2000, John admitted to spending £30 million in just under two years—an average of £1.5 million a month. Between January 1996 and September 1997, he spent more than £9.6m on property and £293,000 on flowers. In June 2001 John sold 20 of his cars at Christie's, saying he didn't get the chance to drive them because he was out of the country so often. The sale, which included a 1993 Jaguar XJ220, the most expensive at £234,750, and several Ferraris, Rolls-Royces, and Bentleys, raised nearly £2 million. In 2003, John sold the contents of his Holland Park home—expected to fetch £800,000 at Sotheby's—in a bid to create more room for his collection of contemporary art which includes many works of art by Young British Artists such as Sam Taylor-Wood and Tracy Emin. Every year since 2004, John has opened a shop called "Elton's Closet" in which he sells his second-hand clothes.
Other
Throughout his career, John has battled addictions to alcohol and cocaine. By 1975, the pressures of stardom had begun to take a serious toll on him. During "Elton Week" in Los Angeles that year, John suffered a drug overdose. He also battled the eating disorder bulimia. In a CNN interview with Larry King in 2002, King asked if John knew of Diana, Princess of Wales' eating disorder. John replied, "Yes, I did. We were both bulimic."A longtime tennis enthusiast, John wrote the song "Philadelphia Freedom" in tribute to long-time friend Billie Jean King and her World Team Tennis franchise of the same name. John and King also co-host an annual pro-am event to benefit AIDS charities, most notably John's own Elton John AIDS Foundation, for which King is a chairwoman. John, who maintains a part-time residence in Atlanta, Georgia, became a fan of the Atlanta Braves baseball team when he moved there in 1991.
- 2012
- 2007
- 2005
- 2002
- 2000
- 1997
- 1988
- 1987
- 1978
- More
- 2000
- 1998
- 1997
- 1993
- 1992
- 1979
- More
- Studio album
The Union
14 tracks
03:12
2010The Captain & the Kid
10 tracks
46:02
2006Songs from the West Coast
15 tracks
54:06
2001The Big Picture
11 tracks
52:13
1997Made in England
11 tracks
52:39
1995Duets
16 tracks
14:39
1993The One
13 tracks
58:07
1992Sleeping with the Past
10 tracks
47:55
1989Reg Strikes Back
10 tracks
41:59
1988Leather Jackets
11 tracks
46:02
1986Ice on Fire
10 tracks
46:17
1985Breaking Hearts
10 tracks
40:38
1984Too Low for Zero
10 tracks
44:06
1983Jump Up!
10 tracks
42:56
1982The Fox
9 tracks
45:39
198121 at 33
9 tracks
42:53
1980Victim of Love
7 tracks
35:45
1979A Single Man
5 tracks
00:00
1978A Single Man
11 tracks
48:46
1978Blue Moves
18 tracks
24:47
1976Rock Of The Westies
9 tracks
43:39
1975Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy
10 tracks
47:02
1975Caribou
10 tracks
45:15
1974Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
17 tracks
16:20
1973Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player
10 tracks
42:45
1973Honky Château
10 tracks
45:15
1972Madman Across the Water
9 tracks
48:23
1971Tumbleweed Connection
18 tracks
46:56
1970Elton John
10 tracks
50:29
1970Empty Sky
9 tracks
54:56
1969- Live album
Live
tracks
00:00
2009Elton John One Night Only – The Greatest Hits
15 tracks
01:08
2000Live in Australia with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra
14 tracks
13:46
1987Here and There
9 tracks
54:08
197617-11-70
6 tracks
48:25
1971- Compilation album
Rocket Man: The Definitive Hits
17 tracks
19:37
2007Elton John's Christmas Party
21 tracks
15:12
2005Prologue
11 tracks
00:00
2001Love Songs
17 tracks
10:50
1995Chartbusters Go Pop! 20 Legendary Covers from 1969/70 as Sung by Elton John
20 tracks
56:48
1994Classic Elton John
10 tracks
52:19
1994Rare Masters
37 tracks
45:04
1992Greatest Hits 1976-1986
13 tracks
00:00
1992To Be Continued
68 tracks
01:20
1990The Very Best of Elton John
14 tracks
17:56
1990Elton John's Greatest Hits Vol. 3
12 tracks
56:50
1987Your Songs
10 tracks
00:00
1986Milestones
14 tracks
00:00
1980Elton John's Greatest Hits Volume II
10 tracks
49:51
1977Elton John's Greatest Hits
10 tracks
47:40
1974Greatest Hits 1970-2002
34 tracks
36:46
Lady Samantha
14 tracks
42:53
- Soundtrack album
Gnomeo & Juliet
15 tracks
00:24
2011The Road to El Dorado
14 tracks
02:14
2000The Muse
20 tracks
36:14
1999Can You Feel The Love Tonight
tracks
03:59
1994Circle of Life
tracks
00:04
1994Friends
10 tracks
00:00
1971- Extended play
The Complete Thom Bell Sessions
6 tracks
34:57
198928 November 1974
3 tracks
00:00
1981The Thom Bell Sessions
3 tracks
18:05
1979- Single
Hey Ahab
tracks
00:05
2010Eight Hundred Dollar Shoes
tracks
00:03
2010Tinderbox
tracks
00:04
2006The Bridge
tracks
05:54
2006Turn the Lights Out When You Leave
tracks
00:05
2005Electricity
tracks
03:32
2005Answer in the Sky
tracks
00:04
2005All That I'm Allowed (I'm Thankful)
tracks
00:04
2004The Heart of Every Girl
tracks
00:03
2003Original Sin
tracks
00:04
2002This Train Don't Stop There Anymore
3 tracks
00:04
2002Original Sin
tracks
04:49
2002I Want Love
tracks
00:04
2001Friends Never Say Goodbye
tracks
00:03
2000Someday Out of the Blue
tracks
00:04
2000Written in the Stars
2 tracks
04:17
1999A Step Too Far
tracks
00:04
1999Recover Your Soul
tracks
00:05
1998If the River Can Bend
tracks
00:05
1998Candle in the Wind
tracks
04:11
1997Candle In The Wind 1997
tracks
04:11
1997Something About the Way You Look Tonight
tracks
03:59
1997Please
tracks
00:03
1996You Can Make History
tracks
00:03
1996Pain
tracks
00:03
1996Live Like Horses
tracks
00:05
1996Made in England
tracks
04:46
1995Believe
2 tracks
04:51
1995Blessed
tracks
00:05
1995Simple Life
tracks
00:06
1993The Last Song
tracks
03:19
1992The One
3 tracks
31:05
1992Runaway Train
tracks
00:05
1992You Gotta Love Someone
tracks
00:04
1990Club at the End of the Street
2 tracks
04:49
1990Easier to Walk Away
tracks
00:04
1990Sacrifice
2 tracks
05:10
1989Healing Hands
tracks
04:32
1989Town of Plenty
tracks
03:40
1988A Word in Spanish
tracks
00:04
1988Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters
tracks
00:04
1988I Don't Wanna Go On With You Like That
2 tracks
04:35
1988Cry to Heaven
tracks
00:04
1986Heartache All Over The World
tracks
00:03
1986Slow Rivers
tracks
00:03
1986Wrap Her Up
tracks
06:04
1985Act of War
tracks
00:04
1985Nikita
2 tracks
05:44
1984Sad Songs
tracks
04:07
1984Breaking Hearts (Ain't What It Used To Be)
tracks
00:03
1984Passengers
tracks
00:03
1984Who Wears These Shoes?
tracks
00:04
1984In Neon
tracks
00:04
1984I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues
tracks
04:42
1983I'm Still Standing
2 tracks
03:03
1983Kiss the Bride
tracks
00:04
1983Cold as Christmas
tracks
00:04
1983All Quiet on the Western Front
tracks
06:00
1982Ball and Chain
tracks
03:27
1982Blue Eyes
tracks
03:27
1982Empty Garden
tracks
03:59
1982Princess
tracks
00:04
1982Chloe
tracks
00:04
1981Just Like Belgium
tracks
00:04
1981Nobody Wins
tracks
00:03
1981Dear God
tracks
03:45
1980Sartorial Eloquence
tracks
04:44
1980Little Jeannie
tracks
04:46
1980Are You Ready for Love
tracks
00:03
1979Mama Can't Buy You Love
tracks
04:02
1979Victim of Love
tracks
00:04
1979Song for Guy
tracks
02:06
1978Part-Time Love
tracks
03:16
1978Ego
tracks
04:00
1978The Goaldigger Song
tracks
02:30
1977Bite Your Lip (Get Up And Dance!)
tracks
06:43
1977Crazy Water
tracks
05:42
1977Don't Go Breaking My Heart
tracks
04:28
1976Grow Some Funk of Your Own
tracks
04:16
1976I Feel Like a Bullet
tracks
05:28
1976Someone Saved My Life Tonight
tracks
06:45
1975Philadelphia Freedom
tracks
05:38
1975Island Girl
tracks
03:42
1975Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds
tracks
06:16
1974Bennie and the Jets
tracks
05:23
1974The Bitch Is Back
tracks
03:42
1974Step into Christmas
tracks
04:30
1973Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
tracks
03:14
1973Saturday Night's Alright
1 tracks
04:57
1973Daniel
tracks
03:54
1973Crocodile Rock
tracks
03:56
1972Honky Cat
tracks
05:13
1972Rocket Man
4 tracks
00:04
1972Tiny Dancer
tracks
00:03
1972Levon
tracks
05:22
1971Friends
tracks
00:02
1971From Denver to L.A.
tracks
02:22
1970Rock n Roll Madonna
tracks
04:17
1970Bad Side of the Moon
tracks
03:15
1970Border Song
tracks
03:22
1970Lady Samantha
tracks
03:04
1970Your Song
2 tracks
04:04
1970Skyline Pigeon
tracks
03:37
1969Empty Sky
tracks
00:08
1969It's Me That You Need
tracks
04:01
1969I've Been Loving You
tracks
00:03
1968Take Me to the Pilot
tracks
03:47
- Video album
The Red Piano
tracks
02:33
2008Someone Like Me
tracks
01:38
2007Music in Review
tracks
00:58
2007Elton 60 - Live at Madison Square Garden
tracks
00:00
2007Live at Watford Football Club 2005
tracks
00:00
2006Elton in 2003 the Official DVD
12 tracks
01:10
2004Dream Ticket
72 tracks
07:00
2004Are You Ready for Love
tracks
00:00
2003Goodbye Yellow Brick Road - Classic Albums
tracks
01:30
2001One Night Only: The Greatest Hits Live at Madison Square Garden
27 tracks
02:30
2001An Audience with Elton John
tracks
01:31
1997The Last Song
tracks
00:15
1993World Tour 1992/93 - Video Tour Book
tracks
00:50
1992Night and Day Concert
19 tracks
02:00
1992Night and Day Concert
19 tracks
01:47
1985The Videosingles
4 tracks
00:15
1983Visions
10 tracks
00:00
1982Live in Central Park
16 tracks
00:59
1980To Russia with Elton
11 tracks
01:13
1979The Elton John Story
tracks
01:00
1973
Movie
- Production
Gnomeo and Juliet
Producer
2010It's a Boy Girl Thing
Executive producer
2006- Sound/Music
The Lion King
Sound designer
1994Gnomeo and Juliet
Composer
2010Elton John: Me, Myself & I
Composer
2007The Lion King 1½
Composer
2004Mona Lisa Smile
Composer
2003In Search of Santa
Composer
2002K-PAX
Composer
2001The Road to El Dorado
Composer
2000The Muse
Composer
1999And The Band Played On
Composer
1993Leap Of Faith
Composer
1992Lethal Weapon 3
Composer
1992Dog Day Afternoon
Composer
1975Friends
Composer
1971
TV show
- Post-production
Dan Dare: Pilot of the Future
Composer
2001
Album
- Artists
Ghetto Gospel
Songwriter
2005Crocodile Rock
Songwriter
1972Candle In The Wind 1997
Composer
1997Candle in the Wind
Composer
1997Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
Composer
1973Rocket Man
Composer
1972Crocodile Rock
Composer
1972Your Song
Composer
1970Empty Sky
Composer
1969Tiny Dancer
Lyricist
2009Good Morning
Lyricist
2008Joseph, Better You Than Me
Lyricist
2008I Don't Feel like Dancin'
Lyricist
2006The Bridge
Lyricist
2006Ghetto Gospel
Lyricist
2005Electricity
Lyricist
2005Original Sin
Lyricist
2002Written in the Stars
Lyricist
1999Something About the Way You Look Tonight
Lyricist
1997Candle in the Wind
Lyricist
1997Hakuna Matata
Lyricist
1995Can You Feel The Love Tonight
Lyricist
1994The Last Song
Lyricist
1992The One
Lyricist
1992Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me
Lyricist
1991Healing Hands
Lyricist
1989Sacrifice
Lyricist
1989Town of Plenty
Lyricist
1988Wrap Her Up
Lyricist
1985Nikita
Lyricist
1984Sad Songs
Lyricist
1984I'm Still Standing
Lyricist
1983I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues
Lyricist
1983Empty Garden
Lyricist
1982Blue Eyes
Lyricist
1982Ball and Chain
Lyricist
1982All Quiet on the Western Front
Lyricist
1982Sartorial Eloquence
Lyricist
1980Dear God
Lyricist
1980Little Jeannie
Lyricist
1980Ego
Lyricist
1978Part-Time Love
Lyricist
1978Song for Guy
Lyricist
1978Bite Your Lip (Get Up And Dance!)
Lyricist
1977Crazy Water
Lyricist
1977The Goaldigger Song
Lyricist
1977Grow Some Funk of Your Own
Lyricist
1976Don't Go Breaking My Heart
Lyricist
1976Philadelphia Freedom
Lyricist
1975Someone Saved My Life Tonight
Lyricist
1975Island Girl
Lyricist
1975Snookeroo
Lyricist
1975The Bitch Is Back
Lyricist
1974Bennie and the Jets
Lyricist
1974Saturday Night's Alright
Lyricist
1973Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
Lyricist
1973Step into Christmas
Lyricist
1973Daniel
Lyricist
1973Crocodile Rock
Lyricist
1972Honky Cat
Lyricist
1972Levon
Lyricist
1971Lady Samantha
Lyricist
1970Border Song
Lyricist
1970Bad Side of the Moon
Lyricist
1970Rock n Roll Madonna
Lyricist
1970It's Me That You Need
Lyricist
1969I've Been Loving You
Lyricist
1968Take Me to the Pilot
Lyricist
- Production
Gnomeo & Juliet
Record producer
2011Gnomeo & Juliet
Record producer
2011Shock Value II
Record producer
2009Weight of the World
Record producer
2007Timbaland Presents Shock Value
Record producer
2007Tinderbox
Record producer
2006The Bridge
Record producer
2006The Captain & the Kid
Record producer
2006Elton John's Christmas Party
Record producer
2005Electricity
Record producer
2005The Lion King
Record producer
2003Please
Record producer
1996Pain
Record producer
1996Blessed
Record producer
1995Believe
Record producer
1995Made in England
Record producer
1995Made in England
Record producer
1995Greatest Hits 1976-1986
Record producer
1992Elton John's Greatest Hits Vol. 3
Record producer
1987Night and Day Concert
Record producer
1985The Fox
Record producer
1981Sartorial Eloquence
Record producer
1980Dear God
Record producer
198021 at 33
Record producer
1980Live in Central Park
Record producer
1980Little Jeannie
Record producer
1980A Single Man
Record producer
1978Part-Time Love
Record producer
1978A Single Man
Record producer
1978Song for Guy
Record producer
1978Everything Stops for Tea
Record producer
1972It Ain't Easy
Record producer
1971
Music track
- Artists
Written in the Stars
Lyricist
1999Hakuna Matata
Lyricist
1995He Lives in You
Lyricist
1995Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me
Lyricist
1991Sick City
Lyricist
1991The Man Who Never Died
Lyricist
1984Love So Cold
Lyricist
1983Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting
Lyricist
1973- Production
Hello, Hello
Record producer
2011Love Builds a Garden
Record producer
2011Gnomeo & Juliet
Record producer
2011Dandelions
Record producer
2011Bennie and the Bunnies
Record producer
2011Terrafirminator
Record producer
2011The Tiki Tiki Tiki Room
Record producer
2011We Belong to the Music
Record producer
2009Can You Feel It
Record producer
2009Ease Off the Liquor
Record producer
2009Undertow
Record producer
2009Timothy Where You Been
Record producer
2009Long Way Down
Record producer
2009Marchin' On
Record producer
2009The One I Love
Record producer
2009Lose Control
Record producer
2009Symphony
Record producer
2009Meet in tha Middle
Record producer
2009Tomorrow in the Bottle
Record producer
2009Too Many Tears
Record producer
2007Kill Yourself
Record producer
2007Hello
Record producer
2007It's Getting Dark in Here
Record producer
2007Boardmeeting
Record producer
2007I Can't Keep This from You
Record producer
2007Fantasy
Record producer
2007Porch Swing in Tupelo
Record producer
2007Scream
Record producer
2007Answer in the Sky
Record producer
2007Miscommunication
Record producer
2007Turn the Lights Out When You Leave
Record producer
2007Bombay
Record producer
2007My Elusive Drug
Record producer
2007Oh Timbaland
Record producer
2007Throw It on Me
Record producer
2007They Call Her the Cat
Record producer
2007Release
Record producer
2007Time
Record producer
2007Freaks in Love
Record producer
2007The Way I Are
Record producer
2007One & Only
Record producer
2007All That I'm Allowed (I'm Thankful)
Record producer
2007Bounce
Record producer
2007Apologize
Record producer
2007I Stop and I Breathe
Record producer
2007Come & Get Me
Record producer
20072 Man Show
Record producer
2007The Bridge
Record producer
2006I Must Have Lost It On The Wind
Record producer
2006Old '67
Record producer
2006The Captain and the Kid
Record producer
2006Postcards from Richard Nixon
Record producer
2006Just Like Noah's Ark
Record producer
2006Wouldn't Have You Any Other Way
Record producer
2006Tinderbox
Record producer
2006And the House Fell Down
Record producer
2006Blues Never Fade Away
Record producer
2006Lies
Record producer
1995Believe
Record producer
1995Cold
Record producer
1995Made in England
Record producer
1995Pain
Record producer
1995House
Record producer
1995Belfast
Record producer
1995Latitude
Record producer
1995Please
Record producer
1995Man
Record producer
1995Mama Can't Buy You Love
Record producer
1987Fanfare
Record producer
1981Chloe
Record producer
1981Heels of the Wind
Record producer
1981Elton's Song
Record producer
1981The Fox
Record producer
1981Breaking Down Barriers
Record producer
1981Heart in the Right Place
Record producer
1981Just Like Belgium
Record producer
1981Nobody Wins
Record producer
1981Fascist Faces
Record producer
1981Carla/Etude
Record producer
1981Dear God
Record producer
1980Never Gonna Fall in Love Again
Record producer
1980Take Me Back
Record producer
1980Give Me the Love
Record producer
1980Chasing the Crown
Record producer
1980Little Jeannie
Record producer
1980Sartorial Eloquence
Record producer
1980Two Rooms at the End of the World
Record producer
1980White Lady White Powder
Record producer
1980Ego
Record producer
1978Flinstone Boy
Record producer
1978I Cry at Night
Record producer
1978Lovesick
Record producer
1978Shine on Through
Record producer
1978Return to Paradise
Record producer
1978I Don't Care
Record producer
1978Big Dipper
Record producer
1978It Ain't Gonna Be Easy
Record producer
1978You Can't Judge a Book
Record producer
1972Mother Ain't Dead
Record producer
1972Hambone
Record producer
1972Lord Remember Me
Record producer
1972Armit's Trousers
Record producer
1972Intro: Come Back Again
Record producer
1972Seventh Son
Record producer
1972Wild Mountain Thyme
Record producer
1972Iko Iko
Record producer
1972Jubilee Cloud
Record producer
1972Everything Stops for Tea
Record producer
1972Mr. Rubin
Record producer
1971Rock Me When He's Gone
Record producer
1971Flying
Record producer
1971Intro: Conditional Discharge
Record producer
1971Don't Try to Lay No Boogie-Woogie on the King of Rock and Roll
Record producer
1971Black Girl
Record producer
1971It Ain't Easy
Record producer
1971Morning, Morning
Record producer
1971I'm Ready
Record producer
1971Let's Burn Down the Cornfield
Record producer
1971
Videos
User reviews
Sources
Whole or part of the information contained in this card come from the Wikipedia article "Элтон Джон", licensed under CC-BY-SA full list of contributors here.