Jump To Elton John's Stats
Call him a survivor. Call him a knight. Call him one of the greatest pop rock acts in your lifetime. In each one of this occasions, you would be right when you are talking about Sir Elton Hercules John. The singer, composer and pianist has owned the stage around the world for more that 35 years. His early flamboyant showmanship didn't reveal the dedication, talent and passion John has had since his early days.
He taught himself the piano at the age of four. By the time he was a pre-teen, he was awarded a prestigious scholarship to London's Royal Academy of Music. Even with that advantage, he jumped ship just before his graduation from the Academy to join a rock group called Blusology.
John crystallized his legacy early with his songwriter partnership with Bernie Taupin. Their combination of lyrics and his piano playing and singing ability propelled his career to worldwide prominence that eventually got the best of him.
After a bout with both drug addiction and an eating disorder, Elton relished his second bite of the apple with more song, album and music success. One of his all time great recordings called Candles in the Wind was written about the untimely death of Princess Diana in 1994. John dedicated all of the songs proceeds to an AIDS foundation in her honor. Today, that foundation is one of the largest and best funded in the world.
One of the facts that stand out about Elton John is his ability to attract other musicians to record with him. He has shared the studio with Stevie Wonder, Millie Jackson, Aretha Franklin, Eric Clapton and Cliff Richards. He appreciates that music is not static and will change and develop with time. He adapts those attributes with his continued songwriting and performances.
