The story of Reginald Dwight, better known as Sir. Elton
John, began in 1947 in a small London suburb of Pinner. Elton John was an only
child, and from an early age he took a kin interest in the family piano. In an
interview, he recalls being able to pick up melodies by ear from a very early
age. He would often go home after church and try to replay the hymns he sang at
church that Sunday. He eventually began taking piano lessons at the age of
seven in hopes of one day becoming a classical musician. However, all that
changed when he first heard Elvis Presley and Buddy Holly in 1957. These
musicians had an enormous impact on Elton John. So much so that Elton started
wearing large black frame glasses in imitation of Holly.
In January
of 1971, Elton John released his first single in the United States with a song
entitled, “Your Song.” It eventually cracked the top ten on the billboard
charts, and catapulted John’s career. He eventually embarked on his first world
tour in spring of 1971. By the end of the end of the tour the next year, John
had released four albums; all of which were in the top 40 at one time. As he continued
to tour, Elton John began to feel confidence in himself and his work for the
first time in his life.
It was in
that same year that Elton John first came to grips with his sexuality. After
having a brief romance with a woman claiming to be pregnant with his child,
Elton John began a romantic relationship with his manager, John Reid. The two
lived together for nearly four years, and while their inner circle of friends
knew of the two men’s relationship, they kept it a secret from the public.
In May of
1972, Elton John’s single “Rocket Man,” and later album “Honky Château,”
reached number one on the charts. This was the first in the string of seven
consecutive albums, released over the next four years, that all reached number
one at some point. The more successful Elton John became the more outrageous
his public and onstage persona became. This was epitomized in 1973 when John
performed at the Hollywood Bowl in a white feathered suit, complete with an
enormous white hat.
However,
every success story has a dark side to it, and although John’s albums were
charting at number one for weeks, he found himself wrapped up in the underworld
of hard drugs. His romantic relationship with John Reid had ended and his drug
consumption was spiraling out of control. He even made an attempt to commit
suicide; second in less than a decade.
Eventually
he recovered from his self-induced overdose, and in October of 1975, Elton John
played his most important and influential concert at Dodger Stadium in Los
Angeles. In classic Elton John fashion, he played to over 55,000 fans in a
bedazzled Dodgers uniform. It was a massive performance, one that can rival an
arena concert of its era. Finally, in
February of 1998, Elton John was knighted by the Queen of England for “his service
to British pop music.” In an interview, Elton John said in regards to his
recent knighthood, “They don’t come much bigger than this.”
Elton John
is one of the few performers (i.e. Freddie Mercury, Michael Jackson, Jimi
Hendrix) who was able to captivate his audience with his stage presence, as
well as his savant-like song writing ability. His songs have been covered by
other bands countless times over, and his music is always a popular choice on
the karaoke machine. His hits like Rocket Man, Don’t Go Breaking My Heart, Tiny
Dancer, and Your Song will go down in the annals of musical history.
