Between 1967 and today, space exploration has seen us land a human on the Moon and send spacecraft photographing the surfaces of planets all the way to Pluto. During the same period, Sir Elton Hercules John CH CBE – the Rocketman – wrote some of the most iconic and beloved tunes of all time and achieved legendary status as an artist and performer.
John’s professional accomplishments are an endless list of awards, titles and statistics and an exhaustive use of superlatives: the biggest, the most, the best, the highest. Working with various songwriters, primarily Bernie Taupin, John has had over 70 Top 40 hits and sold over 300 million albums worldwide.
But numbers and dry facts don’t do justice to this extraordinary individual who has been a dominant figure in pop culture for five decades.
Elton John entered the world as Reginald Kenneth Dwight on March 25e, 1947. His musical sense was evident from an early age; he was barely out of nappies when he learned to play the family piano and began to invent melodies.
At age 17, he formed the blues band Bluesology with fellow musicians Elton Dean and John Baldry. Reggie Dwight had always hated his name, so he combined his bandmates’ first names and reinvented himself as Elton John (making it official by poll deed in 1972).
In 1967, John responded to an ad in a music industry magazine; a record company was looking for songwriters. An American lyricist named Bernie Taupin also responded to the ad, the two were reunited, and one of the greatest songwriting partnerships in popular music history began. 1970s “Your Song” empty sky album was their very first hit single and it became a mainstay of John’s concert repertoire.
Success came quickly and by 1971 John had established himself not only as an impressive songwriter, but also as a dynamic live performer with a penchant for flamboyant tailoring. In fact, John was just as famous for his outrageous costumes as he was his music, donning everything from adorable animal onesies to Donald Duck suits, shiny lame suits, outlandish military-style uniforms, skin-tight bodysuits and ensembles. with peacock feathers filling the arena. .
Platform boots were de rigueur, and her goggles were always goggles.
One of John’s most famous outfits was the silver and blue sequined Dodgers baseball uniform worn during his phenomenal 1975 concerts at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. John has just given his last concert in the United States in this same room on November 20th.
Despite his super-camp costumes and demeanor, and the fact that he’s spoken about his sexuality since 1976 (first as bisexual, then as gay), John’s legion of fans is a cross section. of demography. This is due to the universal appeal of his music and the electric, high-octane, stadium-shaking live performances. He can silence an audience with tender tunes like “Blue Eyes” or “Candle In The Wind,” then fire them up with “I’m Still Standing” and the thrilling call and response of “Bennie and the Jets.” .
John is an accomplished artist and a very generous performer, putting a lot of time and creativity into his shows. He toured Australia 17 times, the first tour in 1971. Each show had its own unique flavor and very high production values, whether it was the pared down piano and percussion gigs with Ray Cooper or the majestic splendor of his collaboration with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra during the 1986 Tour de Force.
John has also written music for film and theatre, including writing songs for The Lion King; a musical adaptation of Aida; and songs for Billy Elliot The Musical.
As a proud and proud gay man, John has always been a strong supporter of LGBTQI+ causes and in 1992 he established the Elton John AIDS Foundation. One of its main fundraising events is the Foundation’s annual Oscars party, which is among the biggest Oscar parties in Hollywood – no mean feat.
In 1998 John was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for his contributions to music, the arts and his charitable services. It was a year after the death of his close friend, Princess Diana, at whose funeral he lovingly sang the rewritten tribute “Candle in the Wind.” He received the Order of Companions of Honor in 2020 – one of 61 people worldwide to receive this award.
Throughout his career John has continued to record songs and collaborate with a wide range of artists including Eminem, Luciano Pavarotti, Lady Gaga, Young Thug and Nicki Minaj, Stevie Wonder, Little Richard and Britney Spears for n to name a few. “Cold Heart”, his duet with Dua Lipa released last year off the Lockdown sessions album, added another notch to his long tally of number 1 hit singles.
The Farewell yellow brick road The tour was announced and launched in 2018, when John was 71. Despite being on hiatus for two years, he has fully committed to the extensive itinerary, not only giving outstanding performances so far, but continuing to add shows to the planned five-concert 300-concert tour. continents.
The show is exactly what you would expect from an artist who has spent five decades giving his all in his creative heart and soul for his fans – and more.
“A flashy staging, his cheeky personality and a diamond-encrusted Yamaha piano; everyone knew their ticket to the first Australian date of the icon’s Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour was worth its weight in gold” – WA Today
“The superstar has managed to distill a once-in-a-generation career into a fitting once-in-a-generation farewell gig” – Sunday Herald Sun
Farewell yellow brick road will be the last chance to see this once-in-a-lifetime performer on stage. It’s going to be a very long time before we have someone like Elton John again.