Elton John
British pianist and singer who, with lyricist Bernie Taupin, made seven consecutive US number one albums between 1972 and 1975.
- Origin
- Pinner, Middlesex, England
- Years active
- 1962-present
- Genres
- pop, rock, glam rock
- Labels
- DJM Records, Uni Records, MCA Records, The Rocket Record Company
- Also known as
- Reginald Kenneth Dwight
Beginnings
Sir Elton Hercules John was born Reginald Kenneth Dwight on 25 March 1947 in Pinner, Middlesex. At eleven he won a junior scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music, and he left before the final exams. In 1962 he and friends formed a band called Bluesology, which by 1966 was the backing group for Long John Baldry. He took his stage name from two of its members, the saxophonist Elton Dean and Baldry.
In 1967 he answered an advertisement in the New Musical Express placed by Ray Williams of Liberty Records. Williams handed him an unopened envelope of lyrics by Bernie Taupin, who had answered the same advertisement. John wrote music for the lyrics and sent it back, and a partnership began that is still running. In 1968 the pair joined Dick James's DJM Records as staff songwriters. His debut album, Empty Sky, came out in 1969.
The breakthrough
The second album, Elton John) (April 1970), was the first produced by Gus Dudgeon and arranged by Paul Buckmaster. It held Your Song, which reached number seven in Britain and number eight in the United States. John played his first American concert at the Troubadour in Los Angeles on 25 August 1970. Tumbleweed Connection followed in October, a concept album on Americana themes that peaked at number two in the UK and number five in the US.
Madman Across the Water (1971) opened with Tiny Dancer and reached number eight in the US but only forty-one in Britain. Davey Johnstone joined the band on guitar in 1972, and Honky Château, the album that carried Rocket Man, became John's first US number one. It spent five weeks at the top and began a streak of seven consecutive US number one albums.
The peak
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, a double album released on 5 October 1973, went to number one on both sides of the Atlantic and stayed there for two months. It held Bennie and the Jets, Candle in the Wind and the title song, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. In 1974 he formed his own label, The Rocket Record Company, and played Madison Square Garden with John Lennon.
Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy (1975) told the story of John and Taupin's early years in London. It entered the US chart at number one, the first album to do so. After it John dismissed his bassist Dee Murray and drummer Nigel Olsson. In 1976 he had a duet hit with Kiki Dee, "Don't Go Breaking My Heart", which topped charts in several countries.
Later years
In November 1977 John announced his retirement from performing, and in 1979 he toured the Soviet Union, giving eight concerts. Murray, Olsson and Johnstone were together again for Too Low for Zero in 1983. In 1985 he played Live Aid at Wembley, performing "Bennie and the Jets" and "Rocket Man". His first solo UK number one, "Sacrifice", came in 1990, and in 1992 he established the Elton John AIDS Foundation. With Tim Rice he wrote the songs for Disney's The Lion King in 1994 and won the Academy Award for Best Original Song for "Can You Feel the Love Tonight". He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994 by Axl Rose, and was appointed Knight Bachelor in 1998.
On 6 September 1997 he sang a rewritten "Candle in the Wind" at the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales, performing it live only that once, and it went on to sell more than 33 million copies. In 2005 he composed the music for the West End musical Billy Elliot. In 2021 "Cold Heart (Pnau remix)", with Dua Lipa, reached number one in the UK, making him the first solo artist with UK top ten singles across six decades. His Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour began in Allentown, Pennsylvania, on 8 September 2018 and ended in Stockholm on 8 July 2023, after more than 300 concerts.
Records
- Elton John 1970 · DJM Records
The second album, the first with Gus Dudgeon producing and Paul Buckmaster arranging, and the home of Your Song.
- Tumbleweed Connection 1970 · DJM Records
A concept album of country and Americana themes, written and recorded before John and Taupin had been to the States.
- Madman Across the Water 1971 · DJM Records and Uni Records
John's fourth album, with strings by Paul Buckmaster and Rick Wakeman on Hammond organ, opens with Tiny Dancer.
- Honky Château 1972 · DJM Records
John's first US number one, named for the French château where it was made and the first with his road band as the core group.
- Goodbye Yellow Brick Road 1973 · DJM Records
John's first double album, with melodies written in three days and recorded in two weeks in a French château, and his best-selling studio album.
- Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy 1975 · DJM Records (UK), MCA Records (US)
An autobiographical concept album about John and Taupin's early years, and the first album to enter the US chart at number one.
Songs
- Your Song Elton John · 1970
John's first international top ten single, recorded first by Three Dog Night and released by John in 1970.
- Tiny Dancer Madman Across the Water · 1971
The opening track of Madman Across the Water, a slow-burning piano song that took years to find its audience.
- Rocket Man Honky Château · 1972
The lead single from Honky Château, a Mars-bound astronaut's song that reached number two in Britain.
- Bennie and the Jets Goodbye Yellow Brick Road · 1973
A studio recording dressed up as a live one, and a US number one that John did not want released as a single.
- Goodbye Yellow Brick Road Goodbye Yellow Brick Road · 1973
The title song, in which a narrator trades the Oz of the city for the farm.
- Candle in the Wind Goodbye Yellow Brick Road · 1973
Written in 1973 as a portrait of Marilyn Monroe, then rewritten for Diana, Princess of Wales, in 1997.
Related artists
Bernie Taupin, Long John Baldry, Kiki Dee, John Lennon
Where to go next
Official
- Elton John official site News, tours and stories from the artist's own site.
- Official timeline A timeline of the career on the official site.
Reference
- Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: Elton John The inductee page, with the 1994 induction essay.
- Elton John on Wikipedia A long biography with a full career chronology.
- Madman Across the Water on Wikipedia Background, reception and personnel for the 1971 album.
- Goodbye Yellow Brick Road on Wikipedia Production, release and legacy of the 1973 double album.
- Tumbleweed Connection on Wikipedia Background and critical reception of the 1970 album.
- Honky Château on Wikipedia The 1972 album recorded in France.
- Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy on Wikipedia The 1975 autobiographical album.
- Elton John (album) on Wikipedia The 1970 album that held Your Song.
- Rocket Man on Wikipedia Background, recording and legacy of the song.
- Candle in the Wind on Wikipedia The song's two versions and Taupin's account of the lyric.
Discography and data
- Official discography Studio, live, compilation and film albums with UK and US release dates.
Writing and criticism
- The Guardian: Elton John The Guardian's archive of news, reviews and features on John.
Sources
- Elton John, Wikipedia
- Elton John discography, eltonjohn.com
- Elton John timeline, eltonjohn.com
- Elton John, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
- Elton John, The Guardian