Mulderrig, Blog #5 - The Rise of Elton John

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.