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| Birth Name(s) : Reginald Kenneth Dwight |
Date of Birth: N/A |
| Status:
Single
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Partner:
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| Profession:
Musician, songwriter, producer |
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Full Elton John Biography
Sir Elton Hercules John CBE (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight on 25 March 1947) is a five-time Grammy and one-time Academy Award-winning English pop/rock singer, composer and pianist.
Elton John has been named the second most played artist on British radio over the past 20 years behind George Michael.
John and Taupin now enlisted Gus Dudgeon to produce a follow-up with Paul Buckmaster as arranger. Elton John was released in the spring of 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," only made the US Top 100 peaking at #92. After the second single "Your Song" made the US Top Ten, the album followed suit. John's first American concert took place at The Troubadour in Los Angeles (his introduction was provided by Neil Diamond), in August, backed by ex-Spencer Davis Group drummer Nigel Olsson and bassist Dee Murray. Kicking over his piano bench Jerry Lee Lewis-style and performing handstands on the keyboards, John left the critics raving, and drew praise from fellow artists such as Quincy Jones and Bob Dylan.
In 1988, he performed five sold-out shows at New York's Madison Square Garden, giving him 26 for his career, breaking the Grateful Dead's house record. But that year also marked the end of an era. Netting over $20 million, 2,000 items of John's memorabilia were auctioned off at Sotheby's in London, as John bade symbolic farewell to his excessive theatrical persona. (Among the items withheld from the auction were the tens of thousands of records John had been carefully collecting and cataloguing throughout his life.) In later interviews, he deemed 1989 the worst period of his life, comparing his mental and physical deterioration to Elvis Presley's last years.
On July 1, 2007, John performed at the Concert For Diana. He started the concert with Your Song and finished the concert with three songs; Saturday Night's Alright (For Fighting), Tiny Dancer, and Are You Ready For Love. He then commenced a European Tour and played at Live at the Marquee (festival) in Cork on July 9th 2007 to a rapturous reception.
To raise money for his AIDS charity, John hosts annually a glamorous White Tie & Tiara Ball, to which many famous celebrities are invited. On June 28, 2007, the 9th annual White Tie & Tiara Ball took place. The menu consisted of a truffle souffle followed by Surf and Turf (fillet mignon with Maine lobster tail) and a giant Knickerbocker Glory icecream. An auction followed the dinner held by Stephen Fry. A Rolls Royce ‘Phantom’ drophead coupe and a piece of Tracey Emin's artwork both raised £800, 000 for the charity fund, with the total amount raised reaching £3.5 million. Later on in the event, John sang "Delilah" with Tom Jones and "Big Spender" with Shirley Bassey. Tickets for the Ball cost £1,000 a head. The event raised £4.6 million for his AIDS Foundation in 2006.
Every year since 2004, he has opened a shop (this year in Manhattan, before in London and Atlanta), selling his second hand clothes. Called "Elton's Closet" the sale this year of 10,000 items was expected to raise $400,000
Elton John continues to inspire musicians today, particularly Rufus Wainwright, Ben Folds, Adrian Evans, and Ryan Adams. Thom Yorke (Radiohead), Billie-Joe Armstrong (Green Day) and Axl Rose (Guns N' Roses) are also said to be fans. Final Fantasy music composer Nobuo Uematsu was also greatly influenced by him throughout his life, claiming, "No one writes a melody like him."
Over the years, Elton John has used various pseudonyms on recordings on which he has appeared. Not counting his work in which he was credited as Reg Dwight or Elton John, these pseudonyms include :
- As Rockaday Johnny: Played piano on Jackson Browne's song "Redneck Friend", from his 1974 album For Everyman.
- As Ann Orson: Co-composed the songs "Hard Luck Story" (a 1974 single by Kiki Dee) and "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" (a 1976 single by Elton John and Kiki Dee). Co-composer of these songs was 'Carte Blanche', a pseudonym for Bernie Taupin. (Orson Carte being a pun on "horse and cart").
- As Reggae Dwight: Co-composed (with Toots Taupin) the song "Jamaican Jerk-Off" on the 1973 album Goodbye Yellow Brick Road; the name both punningly refers to his given name and the style of music the song is played in. "Toots" is a reference to Toots Hibbert of pioneering reggae group Toots and the Maytals.
- As Redget Buntovan: Played piano on the rock group Blue's 1977 LP Another Night Time Flight, which was produced by Elton John and Clive Franks. (A spoonerism for "Budget Rent-O-Van" and a reference to his real name Reg.)
- As Tripe: Co-composer of "The Man Who Loved To Dance", a 1977 B-side by Kiki Dee. Co-composer 'Onions' was really Bernie Taupin.
- As Dinah Card: Co-composer of "Cartier Commercial", a 1980 B-side by Elton John. Co-composer was 'Carte Blanche', a pseudonym for Bernie Taupin. (Dinah Card being a pun on "Diner's Card".)
- As Lord Choc Ice: Sole composer and credited performer of "Choc Ice Goes Mental" and "Earn While You Learn", both issued as B-sides of Elton John singles in 1983.
- As Nancy Treadlight: Piano on "Come Down In Time" by Sting, from the Elton John/Bernie Taupin tribute album Two Rooms. |
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