Elton John
Who hasn’t heard about Elton John? His name is synonymous to his deep, baritone singing and classic music. John was born on 25th March 1947 to Sheila Eileen (Harris) and Stanley Dwight in Pinner, Middlesex. His birth name was Reginald Kenneth Dwight which he later officially changed to Elton Hercules John.
Elton’s passion for music was evident from his very early childhood when he started playing the piano at the age of three. He composed melodies while in school and played beautiful, complicated numbers for school functions. The Royal Academy of Music extended a scholarship to him when he was just 11 years old. John’s father was hardly at home and he was raised primarily by his mother. His parents got divorced when he was 15 and Sheila then got remarried to Fred Farebrother, a local painter. Fred was affectionate and a strong relationship grew between Elton and his stepfather.
The Elton John album was released in 1970 and it set a model/style for many other songs of his that followed. The second single “Your Song” from the album featured in the U.S. Top Ten after which the album also came under the top ten. From then on, Elton John’s life and music career has been one, big roller-coaster ride.
John’s voice was unique and when he started out, his Piano-based style was radically different from the rock and roll based music world of the 70s. The emotionally charged, multi-layered meanings of the lyrics and his resonating sound together carved a huge niche in the history of music.
In the 40 years spanning his music career, Elton John has won an Oscar, a Golden Globe, and has been nominated for the Grammy. His hit single ‘Candle in the Wind’ (1997 version) became the best selling of all time and was on the No. 1 position in many countries. It sold 37 million copies.
Here is excerpt from ‘Candle in the Wind’:
And it seems to me you lived your life
Like a candle in the wind
Never knowing who to cling to
When the rain set in
And I would have liked to have known you
But I was just a kid
Your candle burned out long before
Your legend ever did
The lyrics are by Bernie Taupin. He and Elton John made a great combination with amazing meaning and beautiful sound.
Elton did the music for The Lion king ‘94 and performed the song ‘Can you feel the love tonight’ which earned him his Oscar for Best Original Score. The Lion King, an animated feature film, combines amazing story and action with wonderful, passionate music. Apart from this, he also did the music for the Disney Theatrical ‘Aida’, a rock-musical.
Among popular Elton John songs are ‘Don’t go breaking my heart’, ‘Bennie and the Jets’, ‘That’s what friends are for’, ‘Sacrifice’, etc.
Elton John was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1992 and in 1994 he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. John was also Knighted (Knight Bachelor), which means his official title is Sir Elton John!
Elton John’s music has achieved an immortal status today. Thousands of people all over the world worship him and make his music an intimate part of their lifestyle. An autobiographical film ‘Elton John: Me, Myself and I’ (2007) was made in which John starred as himself.
- Kavya Ashok Kumar
Tags: biographies, celebrities, composer, elton john, elton john biography, music, musician, pop star, rock star, songwriter
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