elton john biography

[208] The elder, Zachary Jackson Levon Furnish-John, was born via surrogacy on 25 December 2010 in California. The song reached number three in the UK and number seven in the US. His biggest success in 1976 was "Don't Go Breaking My Heart", a duet with Kiki Dee that topped a number of charts, including the UK, the US, Australia, France and Canada. According to one of his instructors, John promptly played back, like a "gramophone record", a four-page piece by George Frideric Handel after hearing it for the first time. In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked him 49th on its list of 100 influential musicians of the rock and roll era. "[26] He has said that he would sometimes skip classes and ride around on the London Underground. [25][26] Growing up he states, "I heard Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis, and that was it. Elton John, 'Sine From Above, "Elton John will guest star as 'The Pink Phantom' in Gorillaz's upcoming Song Machine track", "Songwriters Hall of Fame – Bernie Taupin Biography", "Elton John celebrates 50 years of hits with songwriting partner Bernie Taupin", "Fellows – The British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors", "Elton John helps ex-fiancée, 50 years after jilting her", "Elton John and John Reid's Relationship Imploded After What We See in 'Rocketman, "Rocketman: Elton John's Forgotten 1984 Wedding to Renate Blauel", "Elton John's ex-wife 'attempted suicide' during their honeymoon", "Elton John's ex-wife Renate Blauel is suing the singer over relationship details in his autobiography", "The historic fight for equality must go on. In 1993, he began hosting his annual Academy Award Party, which has become one of the highest-profile Oscar parties in the Hollywood film industry and has raised over US$200 million. [183], Music awards include the Academy Award for Best Original Song for "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" from The Lion King, the 1994 Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song for "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" from The Lion King, and the 2000 Tony Award for Best Original Score for Aida, all of which he shared with Tim Rice. 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. [179] In October 2019, John released what he described as his "first and only autobiography", Me. John is an art collector and is believed to have one of the largest private photography collections in the world. "use strict";(function(){var insertion=document.getElementById("citation-access-date");var date=new Date().toLocaleDateString(undefined,{month:"long",day:"numeric",year:"numeric"});insertion.parentElement.replaceChild(document.createTextNode(date),insertion)})(); Subscribe to the Biography newsletter to receive stories about the people who shaped our world and the stories that shaped their lives. [136], On 21 June 2008, John performed his 200th show at Caesars Palace. Around this time, John also publicly announced that he was bisexual (he later came out as a gay man). [224], In 2000, John admitted to spending £30 million in just under two years—an average of £1.5 million a month. We were both bulimic. [82] In 1984, he released Breaking Hearts, which featured the song "Sad Songs (Say So Much)", number five in the US and number seven in the UK. At the time, John was ridiculed and taunted for his sexuality. In April 1990, John performed his 1968 ballad "Skyline Pigeon" at the funeral of Ryan White, a teenage haemophiliac he had befriended. It doesn't come close to describing the love that I have for David, and he for me. [220] Putin's call came just a few days after two pranksters phoned John, pretending to be Putin and his spokesman, and causing John to erroneously thank Putin for the call on John's Instagram account. Elton John's Photos Seized", "Classics.com Elton John's Cars to be auctioned at Christie's", "Elton John turns rags to riches for charity", "Larry King Live: Interview With Elton John Aired 25 January 2002", "Elton John Celebrates 29 Years of Sobriety in Touching Post: 'I Was a Broken Man, "Elton John's Christmas Commercial Is an Emotional Experience", "Snake Charmer-Monty Python And The Holy Grail was Terry Gilliam's first film as a director. [200] Blauel said she attempted suicide during their honeymoon in St-Tropez after John told her that he wanted to end the union. First endorsing Diet Coke in 1990, authors Roger Blackwell and Tina Stephan wrote "the relationship of Elton John and Diet Coke is one of the classic success stories in the role of sponsorship in brand building. He started playing with a group called Bluesology, and he cobbled together his stage moniker from the names of two members of the group. Claude Bernardin (1995). Available now, the original cast recording to the Paramount Pictures Motion Picture Rocketman, directed by. [217], In 2013, John resisted calls to boycott Russia in protest at the Russian gay propaganda law, but told fans at a Moscow concert that the laws were "inhumane and isolating", and he was "deeply saddened and shocked over the current legislation". The official website of Elton John, featuring tour dates, stories, interviews, pictures, exclusive merch and more [212][241] From late 1975 to 1976, John was a part-owner of the Los Angeles Aztecs of the North American Soccer League. [46][59] Reportedly recorded in two weeks between live appearances, it featured "The Bitch Is Back" and the orchestrated "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me". He performed his 3000th concert on 8 October 2011 at Caesars. The first concert took place in Allentown, Pennsylvania, on 8 September 2018. [Drummer Sean Kinney] and I had to walk out a couple of times to smoke cigarettes, like, 'Holy shit, this is killer.' [104] John performed "Believe" at the 1995 Brit Awards and won the Outstanding Contribution to Music prize. [199], John married German recording engineer Renate Blauel on 14 February 1984, in an extravagant wedding ceremony at Darling Point, New South Wales, Australia. [212], In 2010, some Christian groups in the US criticised John after he described Jesus as a "compassionate, super-intelligent gay man who understood human problems". With Stanley Dwight uninterested in his son and often absent, John was raised primarily by his mother and maternal grandmother. [49], John and Taupin then wrote the soundtrack to the 1971 film Friends and then the album Madman Across the Water, which reached number eight in the US and included the hit songs "Levon" and the album's opening track, "Tiny Dancer". In 1969, John provided piano for Roger Hodgson on his first released single, "Mr. Boyd" by Argosy, a quartet that was completed by Caleb Quaye and Nigel Olsson. "[234] His 2018 John Lewis & Partners Christmas advert in the UK, titled, "The Boy & The Piano", sees him reminisce about his life and career in reverse, eventually culminating with Christmas Day in the 1950s when he received a piano for Christmas from his mother. Net Worth, Income, and Salary. Since 1967 he has collaborated with lyricist Bernie Taupin and has created thirty albums. Harmony Books, 1992, British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors, Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy, I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues, Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance, Elton John One Night Only – The Greatest Hits, 11th-longest-running musical in West End history, Music from The American Epic Sessions: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals, Commander of the Order of the British Empire, Member of the Order of the Companions of Honour, Society of Singers Lifetime Achievement Award, Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song, Best Original Score Written for a Motion Picture, Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal, Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or for Television, Live in Australia with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, "Elton John net worth — Sunday Times Rich List 2020", "Elton John on why he's retiring from touring: 'I'd rather be with my children, "BBC: Elton John to make statement on future", "Elton John on Being the Top Male Solo Artist of All Time", "RIAA News Room – The American Recording Industry Announces its Artists of the Century", "Elton John: Biography – Rolling Stone Music", "Hot 100 55th Anniversary by the Numbers: Top 100 Artists, Most No. His birthday falls on every 25th of March, which makes him Aries zodiac holder. [53], Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, released in October 1973, gained instant critical acclaim and topped the chart on both sides of the Atlantic, remaining at number one for two months. When the two first met in 1967, they recorded the first Elton John/Bernie Taupin song, "Scarecrow". [63], According to Circus, a spokesman for John Reid said the decision was reached mutually via phone while John was in Australia promoting Tommy. The song charted at number 7 in the UK. For two years, they wrote songs for artists including Lulu, and John worked as a session musician for artists including the Hollies and the Scaffold. [109][110] The song became the fastest- and biggest-selling single of all time, eventually selling over 33 million copies worldwide,[102][111] the best-selling single in UK chart history,[112] the best-selling single in Billboard history and the first single certified Diamond in the US, where it sold over 11 million copies. On 13 September 1980, with Olsson and Murray back in the Elton John Band, John performed a free concert to an estimated 400,000 fans on The Great Lawn in Central Park in New York. Elton John: Fifty Years On: The Complete Guide to the Musical Genius of Elton John and Bernie Taupin. [125] Returning to musical theatre, John composed music for a West End production of Billy Elliot the Musical in 2005 with playwright Lee Hall. p. 191. In 2013, John received the first Brits Icon award in recognition of his "lasting impact" on UK culture, which was presented to him by his close friend Rod Stewart. We strive for accuracy and fairness. Presenting John with France's highest civilian award, the Legion d'honneur, in 2019, French President Emmanuel Macron called him a "melodic genius" and praised his work on behalf of the LGBT community. John has received five Grammy Awards, five Brit Awards; including for Outstanding Contribution to Music; two Academy Awards, two Golden Globes, a Tony Award, a Disney Legends Award, and the Kennedy Center Honor. [255][256] In the 2020 New Year Honours, he was appointed Member of the Order of the Companions of Honour (CH) for services to music and to charity. [194] He used Paul Buckmaster to arrange the music on his studio albums during the 1970s. [216], In 2014, he claimed Jesus would have been in favour of same-sex marriage. [70], In November 1977, John announced he was retiring from performing; Taupin began collaborating with others. I don’t want to miss too much of this.". It received negative reviews from critics and closed in May 2006 after 39 performances. The tour began in March.[138]. [62] John revealed his previously ambiguous personality on the album, with Taupin's lyrics describing their early days as struggling songwriters and musicians in London. In contrast, 'husband' does". #StrongerInEurope". "I want to work with Pharrell Williams, Timbaland, Snoop [Dogg], Kanye [West], Eminem and just see what happens", he said. Psychology Press. They worked together on the soundtrack for the 1994 animated hit The Lion King, and one of the movie's songs, "Can You Feel the Love Tonight," brought John his first Academy Award win for Best Original Song. [46][69], Besides being John's most commercially successful period, 1970–1976 is also held in the highest regard critically. To celebrate five years since he had first appeared at the venue, in 1975, John played a two-night, four-show stand at the Troubadour. For their follow-up album, Elton John, John and Taupin enlisted Gus Dudgeon as producer and Paul Buckmaster as musical arranger. American composer and conductor John Williams has scored more than 100 films, including 'Jaws,' eight 'Star Wars' movies, 'E.T.' British serial killer John Christie murdered at least six women, including his wife, before being arrested and hanged in 1953. The timeline for the musical is yet to be announced. Even with a toned-down stage persona, John remained a very popular live act. "Someone Saved My Life Tonight" was the hit single from this album and captured an early turning point in John's life. Elton John is a popular singer, composer, pianist, and songwriter. The Harmony Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock. John sold the club to Jack Petchey in 1987, but remained president. [240] Although no longer the majority shareholder, John still holds a significant financial interest. [83], In 1987, John won a libel case against The Sun, which published false allegations that he had had sex with rent boys. "[171] Consisting of more than 300 concerts worldwide, the tour is expected to end in New Zealand in January 2023. [186] The remainder of John's tour were postponed indefinitely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. John also worked on the 2011 animated film Gnomeo & Juliet, serving as a producer and a composer. In a career spanning five decades, Elton John has sold over 250 million records and has over 50 Top 40 hits, making him one of … [12] In 2013, Billboard ranked him the most successful male solo artist on the Billboard Hot 100 Top All-Time Artists, and third overall, behind the Beatles and Madonna. … [158][261], Since 1970, John's band, of which he is the pianist and lead singer, has been known as the Elton John Band. [211] John also has 10 godchildren, including Sean Lennon, David and Victoria Beckham's sons Brooklyn and Romeo, Elizabeth Hurley's son Damian Hurley, and Seymour Stein's daughter. [225] In June 2001, John sold 20 of his cars at Christie's, saying he never had the chance to drive them because he was out of the country so often. [159] John's 31st album, The Diving Board, produced by T-Bone Burnett, was released in September 2013 and reached number three in the UK and number four in the US. "I was one of those children who could just about get away without practising and still pass, scrape through the grades. Nine years after their civil ceremony, on December 21, 2014, the couple wed after laws allowing gay marriage took effect the same year in Britain. More hits soon followed, including No. [46] The album produced the hits "Crocodile Rock", his first US Billboard Hot 100 number one, and "Daniel", which reached number two in the US and number four in the UK. In 2000, he was named the MusiCares Person of the Year for his artistic achievement in the music industry and dedication to philanthropy. "[231] In a 29 July 2019 Instagram post, John stated he had been sober for 29 years. ), High Noon (Do Not Forsake Me, Oh My Darlin'), Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be), American Music Award for Favorite Adult Contemporary Artist, American Music Award for Favorite Pop/Rock Male Artist, Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Song, Best-selling singles by year in the United Kingdom, Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree, I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Elton_John&oldid=1022969525, Best Original Song Academy Award-winning songwriters, Commanders of the Order of the British Empire, Juno Award for International Album of the Year winners, North American Soccer League (1968–1984) executives, Pages with non-numeric formatnum arguments, Articles with dead external links from March 2017, Pages containing London Gazette template with parameter supp set to y, Wikipedia indefinitely move-protected pages, Wikipedia indefinitely semi-protected biographies of living people, Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2012, All articles containing potentially dated statements, Pages using Sister project links with default search, Articles with Encyclopædia Britannica links, Internet Broadway Database person ID same as Wikidata, Wikipedia articles with BIBSYS identifiers, Wikipedia articles with CINII identifiers, Wikipedia articles with MusicBrainz identifiers, Wikipedia articles with PLWABN identifiers, Wikipedia articles with SELIBR identifiers, Wikipedia articles with SNAC-ID identifiers, Wikipedia articles with SUDOC identifiers, Wikipedia articles with Trove identifiers, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Wikipedia articles with multiple identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Best Instrumental or Popular Orchestral Work, Outstanding Contribution to British Music, International Achievement in Musical Theater, Elton John – lead vocals, piano (1969–present), John Mahon – percussion, vocals (1997–present), Roger Pope – drums, percussion (1969–1971, 1975–1976, died 2013). 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