WITHer Elton John, real namewhomReginald Kenneth Dwight, was born in the British city of Pinner in the family of a military pilot. His parents divorced in 1962, then his mother remarried when Reginald was 15.
At the age of four the boy began to play the piano. At eleven, the young man won a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music, where he then studied for six years.
At 13years he organizedBluesology group with friends. By the mid-1960s, they were touring the United States with famous rhythm and blues musicians.
After the breakupBluesologyin 1967, the musician recorded his first composition based on the poems of Bernie Taupin Scarecrow. That same year, he adopted the pseudonym Elton John, in honor of musicians Elton Dean and Long John. In 1970, the singer’s first album was released under this name (“Elton John”). The single Your Song became a hit on both sides of the Atlantic.
In 1973, the musician released the album Don"t Shoot Me, I"m Only the Piano Player, which went gold. The same year, his double album Goodbye Yellow Brick Road was released, which reached number one on the Billboard album chart.
In 1974, the album Caribou and the collection of greatest hits, Greatest Hits, were released.
In the mid-1970s, 16 of Elton John's consecutive singles entered the Top 20 in Britain, and 12 of them entered the Top 5.
In 1976, the singer presented the album Blue Moves with the single Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word.
In 1986, Elton John lost his voice while touring Australia and shortly thereafter underwent throat surgery that changed the sound of his voice. Despite this, the performer continued his musical career.
The 1989 album Sleeping With The Past and the 1992 album The One went platinum.
In 1990, Elton underwent rehabilitation to combat drug addiction, alcoholism and bulimia.
During his career, Elton John recorded over 30 albums, sold more than 250 million records, and had 54 singles in the British Top 40. In 2007, the singer's single Candle in the Wind entered the Guinness Book of Records as the best-selling single in the history of music.
Elton was nominated for a Grammy Award 11 times and won five times. In 2001, the musician received an honorary Grammy Award.
Personal life
In 1976, the singer spoke in an interview with Rolling Stone magazine about his bisexuality.
In 1984, he married sound engineer Rinata Blauel. Four years later they divorced. After this, Elton John declared that he was more homosexual than bisexual.
Since 1993, film director David Furnish has become John's companion. In 2005, they legalized their relationship after same-sex marriage was legalized in the UK. The couple has two sons who were born to surrogate mothers: V 2010 Zechariah was born in 2013, and Elijah was born in 2013.
Hobbies
The musician collects original eyeglass frames.
Facts
In 1993, Elton John was awarded the degree of officer of the French Order of Arts and Letters, in 1996 he became a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire, and in 1998 he received a knighthood.
1947 in north London in the town of Pinner. This event was as ordinary in scale as the birth of a child in the most ordinary family can be. And only many years later we can talk about the significance of this event not only for the parents of our miracle, but also for the whole world...
Musical prodigy
Reginald Kenneth Dwight, as Stanley and Sheila Dwight christened their child when he was born. WITH early childhood Reggie showed an interest in music. This was facilitated by the mother, who often practiced the piano with the child. My father was a military musician and played trumpet in the Royal Air Force band. But he didn’t want Reggie to follow in his footsteps, so his son’s hobbies did not please dad.
However, Reginald's interest in music only grew. Already at the age of four he could play by ear; which was facilitated by frequent listening to records with popular performers at that time.
When the talented Reginald was 12 years old, the Royal Academy of Music offered free tuition. He regularly attended classes on Saturdays. A year later, his parents divorced, which made the young man very worried. At the same age, Reggie began wearing glasses, copying the famous artist Buddy Holly. As one might expect, Reggie became nearsighted and could no longer cope without glasses.
Future Elton John chose music
Reginald's stepfather supported the child's musical endeavors. He first appeared in public at the age of 16. He sang and played the piano every weekend. And his mother always sat in the corner. Reg received a pound per evening for his performance and was able to save up for an electric piano.
At that time, the young man was busy with three jobs at once. In the morning he acted as a courier at a music publishing house. During the day he played the piano in a restaurant. Finally, in the evening I performed 
and rehearsed with the Bluesology group, which he organized with his school friends. They managed to release two singles, but both of them were unsuccessful.
Reggie never finished school. He left her for a job at music publishing company Mills. However, they had to leave the job when the group went on tour around Britain with one singer accompanying them.
In 1967 - touring again. At this time, Reggie fell in love with a girl named Linda and sought her attention for a long time. But she forced him to make a choice: “Either me or music.” The guy wanted to commit suicide out of despair. But, fortunately, he changed his mind and chose music.
Failed first step
Having learned about the competition for young talents, which was held by the Liberty Music company, Reggie hurried to audition. He performed a couple of other people's songs... and failed. But fate turned out to be favorable to him: the organizer of the competition, Ray Williams, gave the “unfortunate musician” poems of one poet. Without knowing it, 
Ray formed the creative union of Elton John and Bernie Taupin for more than three decades.
The same Ray Williams introduced Reginald to Dick James. He once published songs. Now, at Rhea's request, he must record Reggie's first song. Dick James signed a publishing contract with Reginald. And Bernie Taupin moved to London.
At first, Reggie and Bernie had to work on social security. But later Dick James agreed to record and release Reginald's own record. Now it's time to change his name. And became Reginald Dwight Elton John.
Failure, success and Elton's tour in the USA
First plastic surgery Elton"I've Been Loving You" was released in March 1968, but was not a success. And not by chance. The point is that Elton wrote a song in a popular style at the time just to become famous. Moreover, he wrote the words himself, and gave the right to be considered the author of these poems to Topin. As a result, I had to return to my previous job.
The head of one of the departments of the publishing house began to persuade the director to give free rein 
co-authors in their work. Dick James agreed. This allowed Elton make your name in the world of music.
And that's real luck. The aspiring English musician was noticed in America and invited to tour. In September 1970 Elton went to the USA. He was given a good reception. At the same time, Elton and his team, which included drummer Nigel Olson and bassist Dee Murray (a little later they were joined by guitarist Davey Johnston), recorded the music for the film “Friends”. By the end of 1971, Reginald Kenneth Dwight had officially changed his name and became Elton Hercules John.
Try yourself
Davey Johnston once said that he would like to release his solo album. Elton and his manager John Reed began to help their friend. But all negotiations with the studios were in vain. Then it was decided to open my own company, which would help young talents make their way to fame.
In 1974 career Elton failure awaited. His next album was received poorly. Moving a little away from this blow 
switched to other areas of activity. He bought the Watford football team and later became the club's president.
Successful Elton John to also be an actor on stage. In 1975, Ken Russell prepared the rock opera "Tommy". The director wanted the main roles to be played by musicians. Here we go Elton got a role, albeit a very small one, only 4 minutes of presence on stage. In the same year Elton invited me to record his album. Elton in turn suggested Lennon play on his record. He agreed. When the song took first place, Lennon spoke with Elton at Maddison Square Garden.
Elton John's family life
By 1976, the world was experiencing turbulent times, such as the punk revolution in England. Music Elton turned out to be alien and unnecessary. His union with 
Bernie. During an interview with Rolling Stone magazine, the singer announced his bisexuality. Fame Elton due to his long absence from music, the musician was drifting away, so he decided to tour in countries where he had never performed: France, Spain, Israel, the USSR.
In 1980 Elton, appreciating old friendship and affection, returns Dee Murray and Nigel Olson to his team. And with his songwriter Elton resumed permanent cooperation in 1984. Then Elton started a family: married Renata Blauer. She was a sound engineer and collaborated with him in Germany. he really wanted to have children, but time passed, and his marriage with Renata remained fruitless and broke up after four years.
A little later a statement appeared Elton John that he is more likely to be homosexual than bisexual. He was tormented by constant depression. began abusing alcohol and drugs and underwent drug addiction treatment several times.
with David Furnish
In 1993 he met David Furnish, who helped him get rid of bad habits, and in 2005 John and Furnish entered into a prenuptial agreement. Only close friends and relatives were invited to the wedding ceremony.
December 25 2010 Elton and David became fathers: their son was born from a surrogate mother from California, and January 11 In 2013, the second one was born. Exactly nine years after entering into a civil partnership, on December 21, 2014, David Furnish officially got married. The wedding ceremony took place at the Windsor estate near London. According to already established tradition, only the closest people were invited to the wedding. There were 50 of them. Among the guests were also John and Furnish's sons, three-year-old Zachary and two-year-old Elijah.
Charity
with David Furnish and sons
After death, vocalist the most popular group , Elton created his own foundation to fight AIDS. Since then, he has often given charity concerts to benefit the foundation.
In 1995, he received an Oscar for his performance of the song “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” from the soundtrack to the animated film “The Lion King.” And two years later, during the funeral of Princess Diana, he performed his old song “Candle in the Wind,” which he and Bernie rewrote. After this event, Queen Elizabeth dedicated Elton John knighted.
Now he is one of the most popular and richest performers in the world. He has more than 30 albums and 500 songs. He can boast that for 30 years there has not been a time when his songs were not present in the charts. And it’s not surprising, because he is.
FACTS
Child prodigy Reginald Kenneth Dwight won a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music at age 11, where he 
then studied for six years.
Over the course of his career, he sold more albums in the US and Britain than any other British solo artist.
The singer's personal fortune is estimated at $265 million, and he donated about $1 billion to charity.
Updated: November 21, 2017 by: Elena
Elton John is a famous British pop-rock singer and composer, one of the most successful musicians UK. During his fruitful and very successful career, the performer has already sold more than 250 million records, many of his songs and albums were in first place in the world charts. He is the winner of numerous awards, including a Grammy and an Oscar, Sir of the British Empire (1998).Elton John was remembered by listeners not only for his wonderful music, but also for his extravagant and unique stage image - bright suits and, of course, permanent large glasses.
Childhood and youth
On March 25, 1947, a boy was born into the family of pilot officer Stanley and housewife Sheila Dwight, who received the name Reginald Kenneth at baptism. The Duyats lived in the county of Middleplex, which became a north-west borough of London in 1965. 
His maternal grandparents lived in the house next door, and they were much more involved in Reginald's upbringing than his father. The only child in the family, Reggie was overweight, wore glasses and was afraid of his father. Growing up, his son called him a “cruel snob.”
His mother, a very liberal person, constantly brought home records that introduced the boy to music. Already at the age of 4, before he could even reach the pedals, Reginald could perform complex melodies on the piano decently. At the age of 11, the self-taught genius already entered the Royal Conservatory.
When the boy was 15, his parents divorced and later mother married the artist Fred Fairbrother, with whom the teenager developed a warm relationship.
2 weeks before graduating from the conservatory, Kenneth dropped out of his studies, deciding to devote himself entirely to his musical career. The guy got a job at a music publishing company, and also played piano in bars, and then joined a group called Bluesology.
He came up with his own stage name, borrowing some of the names of the band members: saxophonist Elton Dean and singer John Baldry.
Music career
In 1968, John met poet Bernie Taupin, who became his regular lyricist throughout his career. Elton's first album, Empty Sky (1969), turned out to be a commercial failure, but the second disc, modestly titled Elton John (1970), introduced the talented performer to the American public, so successfully that the record received a Grammy nomination for Best album of the year. And the single “Your song” became a hit both in the United States and in the singer’s homeland.Elton John - “Your song”
The composition from the album “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” (1973) “Candle in the Wind”, dedicated to Marilyn Monroe, made Elton a megastar, and the singer confirmed his high status with the following successful albums “Caribou” (1974) and “Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy" (1975).
After John Lennon heard several covers of his songs performed by the singer, in 1974 he invited Elton to perform together at Madison Square Garden, where they performed several Beatles songs, including “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.” " and "I Saw her Standing Here." This performance by two British music legends went down in history as Lennon's last appearance on stage.
In 1976, Elton John presented one of his saddest discs called “Blue Moves” with the iconic single “Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word” that became his landmark.
Elton John - “Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word”
The 70s were the peak of the singer's success; later his career began to decline slightly, although he continued to record albums and go on tours. In 1979, the singer became one of the first world stars to accept an invitation to perform in Russia and Israel.
Elton John - "Can You Feel The Love Tonight"
In 1994, Elton John wrote a wonderful soundtrack for the animated film “The Lion King”, three songs from which were nominated for an Oscar, and the lyrical “Can You Feel The Love Tonight” received the award, for which the singer was also awarded a Grammy.
In 1995, Elton John's services were recognized by the British government - he received the title of Knight Bachelor and became Commander of the Order of the British Empire.
In 1997, John was devastated by the death of his friend Princess Diana in a car accident. At her funeral, he performed a new version of the famous "Candle in the Wind". More than thirty million copies of the single, which the singer never performed in concerts, were sold worldwide. The musician donated all the profits (more than $47 million) to the princess’s foundation. The act was appreciated by the Queen of Great Britain herself, and in 1998 the singer was awarded the title of Sir.
Elton John - "Candle in the Wind"
With the beginning of the 21st century, John began a stage of close collaboration with many artists, filming films, and working on Broadway musicals. In 2001, he performed at the Grammy Awards with Eminem, who is known for his homophobia. This time Eminem showed tolerance towards his respected colleague. In 2002, Elton John recorded a song with the band Blue. In the period from 2007 to 2010, he visited Kyiv, Baku, and Rostov-on-Don with concerts. In 2012, he came to Kyiv again with the updated lineup of Queen.
In 2015, Elton John delighted fans with a performance at a concert by Ed Sheeran, with whom he performed his famous song“Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” and Sheeran’s “Afire Love”. In 2016, the singer presented his 32nd studio album, “Wonderful Crazy Night,” which ultimately became the last in his busy career. In 2017, Elton appeared in a cameo role in the popular spy action film Kingsman: golden ring"starring Colin Firth and Taron Egerton.
Elton John in the movie "Kingsman: The Golden Circle"
Shocking star
“Among the people,” John became famous not only for his compositions, but also for his memorable extravagant image, namely his extra-large glasses and provocative stage costumes in the style of glam rock, which was fashionable at the time his career began. He was called the “Queen Mum of Pop,” which loosely translates to “Queen Mum of Pop.” John was also known for his passion for expensive cars, luxury homes and unbridled shopping. Even at the beginning of his career, the singer already had his own Boeing for tour flights. 
The subsequent confession of bisexuality in 1976 plunged his army of fans into shock, and attacks from the press provoked severe depression in the musician. Elton began to abuse alcohol and drugs. Later he managed to survive this unfavorable period.
Charitable activities
In 1990, Elton John, along with Michael Jackson, took care of a boy with AIDS. The death of the child became a turning point in the singer’s life - under the strong impression of the tragedy, he decided to undergo treatment for alcoholism, drug addiction and bulimia and publicly admitted his homosexuality. John became actively involved in charity work and in 1992 founded the Elton John AIDS Foundation.Elton John in Moscow in 1995. Interview
Elton John's personal life
His first marriage to a German sound engineer, 30-year-old Renate Blauel, whom the singer met after quitting cocaine addiction, was concluded in 1984 and lasted 4 years. At the same time, John admitted his bisexuality to the press for the first time.There is probably not a single person in the world who does not know who Sir Elton John is. He is the most successful rock musician in the entire United Kingdom. Experts estimate his current fortune at 260 million US dollars. And this does not include the fact that the composer donated one billion dollars to charity. John managed to win all his fans thanks to his unique voice, captivating piano music and piercing lyrics of his songs. Over the course of his career, the singer managed to sell more than 250 million records and had an incredible influence on the spread of soft rock.
The composer's childhood
Sir Elton John was named Reginald Dwight at birth. And a great event happened on March 25, 1947 in the cozy English town of Pinner. Since the boy’s father was a military man, he appeared at home extremely rarely. In 1962, the parents of the future knight divorced, and his mother took over his upbringing. Later, my mother’s second husband also joined the educational process, with whom Elton established a good relationship.
The future Sir Elton John, while still very young, began to show excellent talent for musical creativity. Already at the age of four he began attending piano lessons. And after several years, young Reginald was able to reproduce any classical composition. For this he received the nickname "prodigy." At the age of eleven, Dwight was already a scholarship student at the Royal Conservatory, where he subsequently studied for six years.
The rocker began his musical career quite early. Together with friends in 1960, he organized The group Corvettes. It was a blues band that later renamed itself Bluesology. Throughout the day the future king musical world He worked part-time in a music publishing house, and when night fell he played in various bars and taverns. The group's success was stunning, and in the mid-1960s the team toured America with all its might.
Becoming popular
During this period, Sir Elton John (then still Reginald) met Long John Baldry. He later began organizing performances for the group. A little later, Dwight and Bernie Taupin meet. The artist still collaborates with him today. The first song of this tandem appeared in 1967. It was called Scarecrow. In 1968, the guys released the single I've Been Loving You. Before this time, the singer had already performed under the now famous pseudonym Elton John.
Elton released his first solo record in 1969. It appeared under the name Empty Sky. It was not a market success, but it received excellent reviews. In 1970, Elton John (sir) recorded the album Elton John, which contained the formula for success. Both lyrical ballads and hard rock songs were provided here. Then John played his first solo concert. It took place in Los Angeles and was a fabulous success. The singer's performance style created a sensation and aroused admiration among the audience and critics.
The singer was then invited to participate in the creation of the anthem for the English football team, to which John agreed with great pleasure. In 1971 he released the album Madman Across the Water.
From the 1980s to the 2000s
A little later we will find out why Elton John is a sir, but for now we will deal with the events of his life and work throughout the 1980-2000s. In 1980, the rocker gave a charity concert in front of an audience of four hundred thousand. The show took place in Central Park American New York. And in 1986, the maestro lost his voice. He was destined to undergo an operation, which subsequently changed the timbre of his voice forever.
Elton John began the 1990s with hospital treatment. In the hospital he was treated for drug addiction, bulimia and alcoholism. In 1994, the musician received an Oscar for his song Can You Feel The Love Tonight, which is the soundtrack to animated film"The Lion King".
During the 2000s, John collaborated with Tim Rice to create the theme for the film "Road to Eldorado". A year later, Sir John sang at the Grammy Awards with Eminem. In 2007, the star singer performed in the Ukrainian capital. And in 2011, the composer showed himself as a songwriter and producer of the film “Gnomeo and Juliet.”
Knight Elton John
In 1998, he received the title Elton John (Sir). This title was given to him personally by the Queen of Great Britain. was due to Elton's enormous contribution to modern pop music. The decision taken by the Royal House to award the singer such an honorary title put John on a par with such famous personalities, like Paul McCartney, Isaac Newton and Terry Pratchett.
Same-sex love crowned by marriage
Sir Elton John and his husband met in London at one of the countless parties. The name of the celebrity's chosen one is After the meeting, the young people almost immediately began life together. And on December 21, 2005, men were practically the first in the UK to register their relationship in an official form.
The wedding ceremony took place in the Town Hall of Windsor Palace. The newlyweds held a large wedding, attended by 700 guests. Today the family has two children from a surrogate mother.
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, real name Reginald Kenneth Dwight. Born 25 March 1947 in Pinner, England. British rock singer, composer and pianist. Knight Bachelor (1997) and Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE, Commander, 1995).
Elton John had a significant influence on the development of light rock. Over the course of his 50-year career, he sold more than 250 million records. 52 of his singles were in the UK Top 40, listed greatest performers According to Rolling Stone magazine, the musician ranks 49th.
Elton John is one of the most commercially successful performers of the 1970s, with seven of his albums reaching number one on the Billboard 200, 23 singles in the US Top 40, 16 in the top ten and 6 reaching number one. One of them, “Candle in the Wind” (the version dedicated to ) sold 37 million copies.
Throughout his career, Elton John has sold more albums in the US and Britain than any other British solo artist.
Elton John is also known as public figure, in particular, in the field of the fight against the AIDS epidemic that he began in the late 1980s.
Elton John, inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994, remains one of Britain's most successful rock performers.
Elton John - Believe
Reginald Kenneth Dwight was born in Pinner, England, the son of RAF squadron leader Stanley Dwight and his wife Sheila (nee Harris).
Young Dwight was raised primarily by his mother, but did not see his father often. Stanley and Sheila divorced in 1962, when Dwight was 15. His mother married Fred Farebrother, whom Elton affectionately called "Derf."
Dwight started playing the piano when he was four. He was able to play any tune.
At the age of eleven he won a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music, where he then studied for six years.
In 1960, Dwight and friends formed the group The Corvettes, which began by performing compositions by Ray Charles and Jim Reeves (at the Northwood Hills Hotel in Middlesex), and in 1961 evolved into Bluesology. By day he carried out assignments for music publishers, and by night he performed solo in a London hotel bar and worked with Bluesology.
By the mid-1960s, Bluesology was already touring the United States with such rhythm and blues musicians as The Isley Brothers, Major Lance, Doris Troy, Patti LaBelle and The Bluebelles. In 1966, the group began collaborating with Long John Baldry (part of the latter's nickname later became part of Elton John's pseudonym) and began a tour of England.
After unsuccessful auditions for King Crimson and Gentle Giant, Dwight answered an ad in the weekly New Musical Express placed by Ray Williams, then head of A&R at Liberty Records. Williams gave Dwight a collection of lyrics written by Bernie Taupin, a songwriter who had responded to the same ad. Neither Dwight nor Taupin were selected in the competition. But Dwight wrote music based on Taupin’s poems, which he then sent to the latter by mail: thus, a partnership was born in joint creativity by correspondence, which continues to this day.
In 1967, Elton John and Bernie Taupin's first composition, "Scarecrow," was recorded.("Scarecrow"): After the first meeting, six months later, Reginald Dwight took the pseudonym Elton John - in honor of Elton Dean and Long John Baldry. Some time later, in 1972, he added a middle name, Hercules: that was the name of the horse in the comedy television series Steptoe and Son.
John and Taupin soon joined Dick James' DJM Records as staff songwriters in 1968 and spent the next two years writing songs for a variety of artists, including Roger Cook and Lulu. Taupin could sketch out a text in an hour, then send it to John, who wrote music for it in half an hour, and if he couldn’t come up with anything quickly, he ordered the next draft. At the same time, John worked part-time for “budget” labels, recording cover versions of current hits, collections of which were sold in supermarkets.
On the advice of music publisher Steve Brown, John and Taupin began writing more complex songs for the DJM label. The first was the single "I've Been Loving You" (1968), recorded by producer Caleb Quaye, former Bluesology guitarist.
In 1969, with Quay, drummer Roger Pope and bassist Tony Murray, John released the single "Lady Samantha" and the album Empty Sky, which was (according to Allmusic) late-Beatlesque in style and, judging by its ambitious arrangements and interesting lyrics, intended as a serious creative statement. Both works received good reviews, but were not commercially successful in Britain, and were not released in the USA at all (only in 1975 the album was re-released there and rose to No. 6 on the Billboard 200).
To work on the next album, John and Taupin invited producer Gus Dudgeon and arranger Paul Buckmaster. The Elton John album was released in the spring of 1970: in the UK by Pye Records (a subsidiary of DJM), in the US by Uni Records. It was here that the authors found a formula for success, which was subsequently developed: rock songs (with elements of gospel music) and soulful ballads. The first single from the album, Border Song, only reached number 92 in the US. But the second, Your Song, became a hit on both sides of the Atlantic (US No. 8, UK No. 7). In the wake of this success, the album itself began to climb the charts.
In August, Elton John gave his first American concert at the Los Angeles club The Troubadour: he was introduced to the audience by Neil Diamond on stage, and was accompanied by drummer Nigel Olsson (ex-Spencer Davis Group, Uriah Heep) and bass guitarist Dee Murray.
Elton John's performance style (in many ways reminiscent of Jerry Lee Lewis's style) impressed not only reporters, but also colleagues, in particular Quincy Jones and Leon Russell.
After contributing to the recording of Back Home, the football anthem for the England team heading to the World Cup in Mexico, Elton John recorded the concept album Tumbleweed Connection, which was released in October 1970, reached the Billboard top ten and reached No. 2 on the UK Singles Chart.
Elton John achieved his highest commercial achievement in 1976 in a duet with Kiki Dee: their single “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” topped both the American and English charts.
Shortly after the release of the single, Elton John openly announced his bisexuality in an interview with Rolling Stone magazine. Later, the singer admitted that this formulation was a compromise: he did not dare to immediately declare his homosexuality, so as not to upset the fans, many of whom were horrified even by this “softened” version of the confession.
In general, the years 1970-1976 were in all respects the most successful in the singer’s career. All six Elton John albums included in Rolling Stone magazine's list of "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time" (the highest, 91st place on it) Goodbye Yellow Brick Road) belong to this period.
In May 1979, Elton was one of the first Western rock musicians to go on tour to the USSR. At the invitation of the State Concert, he gave 4 concerts at the Leningrad Bolshoi concert hall Oktyabrsky" and the Moscow State Central Concert Hall "Russia".
In 1979, the creative tandem of Elton John and Bernie Taupin reunited. The following year it was published new album 21 at 33, which is considered a great achievement in creative career singer One of the songs included in the album was the song Little Jeannie, which became Elton John's biggest success in four years. It rose to number 3 on the US charts. It should be noted, however, that the lyrics for this song were written by Gary Osborne. In addition to Taupin and Osborne, Elton John collaborated during this period with such poetry authors as Tom Robinson and Judy Tsuki.
The 1980s became a period of strong personal upheaval for the singer. In 1984, unexpectedly for many, he married sound engineer Renate Blauel. In 1986, he lost his voice while touring Australia and soon after had throat surgery to remove polyps from his vocal cords. As a result of this, the timbre of the singer's voice changed somewhat, and from this period he sounded differently.
In 1987, he won a libel suit against The Sun newspaper, which accused him of having sex with minors.
In 1988, he performed five concerts at Madison Square Garden in New York. The artist's total number of performances in this concert hall was then 26, which allowed him to break the record previously held by the American group Grateful Dead.
Elton John was deeply affected by the story of Ryan White, a teenager from Indiana who had AIDS. Together with Michael Jackson, he took an active part in the fate of the child, supporting him and his family until White's tragic death in 1990. Being depressed, Elton John was admitted to a hospital in Chicago in 1990, where he underwent rehabilitation to combat drug addiction, alcoholism and bulimia.
In 2001, Elton John announced that Songs From The West Coast would be his last studio album, and that from then on he would concentrate only on live performances. However, later, abandoning this idea (the reason was never announced), in 2004 he released another studio album (28th in a row) - Peachtree Road.
In 2001, Elton John received an invitation to take part in a BBC television show called Have I Got News For You. At first he gave his consent, but last moment changed his mind and refused to participate in the program. This happened just hours before it was due to air, and producers were forced to bring in Ray Johnson, a taxi driver from Holchester who sometimes acted as an Elton John impersonator. He barely said a word during the program, however, when the program aired 24 hours later, his name was present in the credits, and Elton John's name was removed from it.
In the same year, a film was made that told about the singer’s career from the moment he appeared on stage until the early 2000s. The film was called The Elton John Story and aired on VH-1 Classic, but it was never released as a separate disc or cassette.
In 2001, Elton John performed a duet with Eminem on his song Stan at the Grammy Awards. In the same year, he performed the song Friends for the film The Country Bears, and also played one of the cameo roles in this film.
Elton John's height: 172 centimeters.
Personal life of Elton John:
In 1976, during an interview with Rolling Stone magazine, he announced his bisexuality.
On February 14, 1984, he married sound engineer Renate Blauel. Four years later they divorced. A little later, he announced that he was more homosexual than bisexual. Tormented by constant depression, Elton John gradually began to abuse alcohol and drugs. He repeatedly underwent treatment for drug addiction.
In 1993, he met his future civil partner David Furnish, who helped him overcome his alcoholism and drug addiction.
In 2004, the UK ratified the Civil Status Act, which introduced the concept of “same-sex marriage” into law. Elton was one of the first to take advantage of the opportunity to legalize homosexual relationships. On December 21, 2005, John and Furnish entered into a prenuptial agreement. Only close friends and relatives were invited to the wedding ceremony in Windsor, where Prince Charles and Camilla Parker-Bowles were previously married. The press was not allowed to attend the ceremony. In the evening, a banquet was held at the Berkshire estate, where more than 700 people were invited, including celebrities - friends of Elton and David. Celebrity guests such as Brian May, Elizabeth Hurley and Ozzy Osbourne were invited.
In 2009, the couple tried to adopt an HIV-positive boy from a Ukrainian boarding school, but officials refused, citing the fact that same-sex marriage is not recognized in Ukraine. On December 25, 2010, Elton and David finally became fathers - in catholic christmas Their son was born from a surrogate mother in California, who was given the name Zachary Jackson Levon Furnish-John. On January 11, 2013, their second son, Elijah Joseph Daniel Furnish-John, was born.
On December 21, 2014, Elton John and David Furnish got married and celebrated their 9-year anniversary of civil marriage.
Elton John discography:
Empty Sky (1969)
Elton John (1970)
Tumbleweed Connection (1970)
Madman Across the Water (1971)
Honky Chateau (1972)
Don"t Shoot Me I"m Only the Piano Player (1973)
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (1973)
Caribou (1974)
Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy (1975)
Rock of the Westies (1975)
Blue Moves (1976)
A Single Man (1978)
Victim of Love (1979)
21 at 33 (1980)
The Fox (1981)
Jump Up! (1982)
Too Low for Zero (1983)
Breaking Hearts (1984)
Ice on Fire (1985)
Leather Jackets (1986)
Reg Strikes Back (1988)
Sleeping with the Past (1989)
The One (1992)
Duets (1993)
Made in England (1995)
The Big Picture (1997)
Songs from the West Coast (2001)
Peachtree Road (2004)
The Captain & the Kid (2006)
The Union (with Leon Russell) (2010)
The Diving Board (2013).