Examine individual changes

'{{pp-semi-blp|small=yes}}{{pp-move-indef}} {{Infobox musical artist <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject Musicians --> |Name = Sir Elton John |Img = Elton John 2011 Shankbone 2.JPG |Img_capt = Elton John attending the premiere of ''The Union'' at the 2011 [[Tribeca Film Festival]] |Background = solo_singer |Birth_name = Reginald Kenneth Dwight |Born = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1947|3|25}}<br />[[Pinner]], [[Middlesex]], England |Instrument = [[Singing|Vocals]], [[piano]], [[Keyboard instruments|keyboards]] |Occupation = [[Musician]]<br />[[Composer]]<br />[[Record producer|Producer]]<br />[[Humanitarian]] |Years_active = 1964–present |Genre = [[Rock music|Rock]], [[glam rock]], [[soft rock]], [[R&B]], [[pop rock]] |Label = [[DJM Records|DJM]], [[Uni Records|Uni]], [[MCA Records|MCA]], [[Geffen Records|Geffen]], [[Rocket Records|Rocket]]/[[Island Records|Island]], [[Universal Records|Universal]], [[Interscope Records|Interscope]], [[Mercury Records|Mercury]], [[Universal Music Group|UMG]] |Associated_acts = [[Bernie Taupin]], [[Tim Rice]], [[John Lennon]], [[Yoko Ono]], [[Kiki Dee]], [[Billy Joel]], [[George Michael]], [[Eminem]], [[Gladys Knight]], [[Stevie Wonder]], [[Dionne Warwick]], [[Neil Sedaka]] |URL = {{URL|eltonjohn.com}} }} '''Sir Elton Hercules John''', [[Commander of the Order of the British Empire|CBE]] (born '''Reginald Kenneth Dwight'''; 25 March 1947) is an [[English people|English]] singer, composer and pianist. He has worked with lyricist [[Bernie Taupin]] as his songwriter partner since 1967; they have collaborated on more than 30 albums to date. John received a [[knighthood]] from [[HM Queen Elizabeth II]] for "services to music and charitable services" and became Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE in 1998. In his four-decade career John has sold more than 250&nbsp;million records, making him one of the most [[List of best-selling music artists|successful artists of all time]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://music.yahoo.com/read/news/18137562 |title=Elton John News on Yahoo! Music |publisher=Music.yahoo.com |date= |accessdate=25 February 2009}}</ref> His single "[[Candle in the Wind 1997]]" has sold over 33&nbsp;million copies worldwide, and is the best selling single in [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'']] history.<ref name=ELT>{{cite web | title = The American Recording Industry Announces its Artists of the Century | url = http://www.riaa.com/newsitem.php?news_year_filter=1999&resultpage=2&id=3abf3ec8-ef5b-58f9-e949-3b57f5e313df | publisher=[[RIAA]] | accessdate = 2 February 2010 | quote = }}</ref> He has more than 50 [[Top Forty|Top 40]] hits, including seven consecutive No.&nbsp;1 US albums, [[List of Hot 100 (US) chart achievements and trivia#Most top 40 hits|56 Top 40 singles]], 16 Top 10, four No.&nbsp;2 hits, and nine No.&nbsp;1 hits. He has won six [[Grammy Award]]s, an [[Academy Award]], a [[Golden Globe Award]] and a [[Tony Award]]. In 2004, ''Rolling Stone'' ranked him Number 49 on its list of the 100 greatest artists of all time.<ref>{{cite web| title = The Immortals: The First Fifty| work=Rolling Stone Issue 946| url =http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/5939214/the_immortals_the_first_fifty}}</ref> John was inducted into the [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]] in 1994.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://rockhall.com/inductees/elton-john |title=Elton John: inducted in 1994 &#124; The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum |publisher=Rockhall.com |date=25 March 1947 |accessdate=6 August 2010}}</ref> He has been heavily involved in the fight against [[AIDS]] since the late 1980s,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ejaf.org/ |title=Elton John AIDS Foundation |publisher=Ejaf.org |date= |accessdate=6 August 2010}}</ref> and was [[Knight Bachelor|knighted]] in 1998.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eltonjohn.com/about/bio.jsp |title=About: All About Elton: Bio |publisher=Elton John |date= |accessdate=6 August 2010}}</ref> In 1992 he established the [[Elton John AIDS Foundation]] and a year later began hosting the annual [[Elton John AIDS Foundation Academy Award Party|Academy Award Party]], which has since become one of the most high-profile Oscar parties in the Hollywood film industry. Since its inception, the foundation has raised over $200 million. John entered into a [[Civil partnership in the United Kingdom|civil partnership]] with [[David Furnish]]<ref>{{cite web|last=Bachelor |first=Blane |url=http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20345467,00.html |title=Elton John and Partner David Furnish Fell in Love 'Very Quickly' - Couples, Elton John |publisher=People.com |date=18 February 2010 |accessdate=6 August 2010}}</ref> on 21 December 2005 and continues to be a champion for [[LGBT social movements]]. In 2008, ''Billboard'' magazine ranked him as the most successful male solo artist on "[[Billboard Hot 100 All-Time Top Artists|The Billboard Hot 100 Top All-Time Artists]]" (third overall, behind only [[The Beatles]] and [[Madonna (entertainer)|Madonna]]).<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/specials/hot100/charts/top100-artists-20.shtml | title=Billboard Hot 100 Chart 50th Anniversary |work=Billboard| accessdate=1 October 2009}}</ref> ==Biography and career== ===Early life=== John was born Reginald Kenneth Dwight on 25 March 1947, the eldest child of Stanley and only child of Sheila Eileen (née Harris) Dwight<ref>[http://www.parade.com/celebrity/2010/02/elton-john.html "'I Have So Much More To Do'"]. ''Parade''. 21 February 2010. Retrieved 31 August 2010.</ref><ref>[http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,913239,00.html "Elton John Rock's Captain Fantastic"]. 7 July 1975. Retrieved 31 August 2010.</ref><ref>[http://omg.yahoo.com/blogs/pepsi/sir-elton-johns-hollywood-pad/45 "Sir Elton John's Hollywood Pad"]. ''omg!'' 21 December 2009. Retrieved 31 August 2010.</ref> and was raised in [[Pinner]], Middlesex in a [[council house]] of his maternal grandparents. His parents did not marry until he was 6 years old, when the family moved to a nearby semi-detached house.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.onthisveryspot.com/spot/Elton_John_Birthplace |title=55 Pinner Hill Road - On This Very Spot |publisher=On This Very Spot |date=25 March 1947 |accessdate=25 February 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Barratt |first=Nick |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/exclusions/familyhistory/fheltonjohn.xml |title=Family detective: Elton John - Telegraph |publisher=Telegraph |date=24 November 2006 |accessdate=25 February 2009 | location=London}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.onthisveryspot.com/spot/111_Potter_Street |title=111 Potter Street - On This Very Spot |publisher=On This Very Spot |date=15 July 2007 |accessdate=25 February 2009}}</ref> He was educated at Pinner Wood Junior School, Reddiford School and [[Pinner County Grammar School]], until age 17, when he left just prior to his [[GCE Advanced Level|A Level]] examinations to pursue a career in the music industry.<ref name="Norman">Elton John, [[Philip Norman (author)|Philip Norman]], Fireside, 1991</ref><ref name="Rosenthal">His Song: The Musical Journey of Elton John, Elizabeth Rosenthal, Billboard Books, 2001</ref><ref name="VisualDoc">{{cite book | title=Elton John: The Visual Documentary | first= Nigel |last=Goodall | year=1993 | publisher=[[Omnibus Press]] | isbn=0-7119-3078-3}}</ref> When John began to seriously consider a career in music, his father, who served as a [[Flight Lieutenant]] in the [[Royal Air Force]], tried to steer him toward a more conventional career, such as banking.<ref name="Norman"/> John has stated that his wild stage costumes and performances were his way of letting go after such a restrictive childhood.<ref name="VisualDoc" /> Both of John's parents were musically inclined, his father having been a trumpet player with the Bob Millar Band, a semi-professional big band that played at military dances.<ref name="VisualDoc"/> The Dwights were keen record buyers, exposing John to the popular singers and musicians of the day, and John remembers being immediately hooked on rock and roll when his mother brought home records by [[Elvis Presley]] and [[Bill Haley & His Comets]] in 1956.<ref name="Norman"/><ref name="Rosenthal"/> John started playing the piano at the age of 3, and within a year, his mother heard him picking out [[Winifred Atwell]]'s "The Skater's Waltz" by ear.<ref name="Norman"/><ref name="Rosenthal"/> After performing at parties and family gatherings, at the age of 7 he took up formal piano lessons. He showed musical aptitude at school, including the ability to compose melodies, and gained some notoriety by playing like [[Jerry Lee Lewis]] at school functions. At the age of 11, he won a junior scholarship to the [[Royal Academy of Music]]. According to one of his instructors, John promptly played back, like a "gramophone record", a four-page piece by [[Handel]] that he heard for the first time.<ref name="Rosenthal"/> For the next five years he attended Saturday classes at the Academy in central London, and has stated that he enjoyed playing [[Frédéric Chopin|Chopin]] and [[Johann Sebastian Bach|Bach]] and singing in the choir during Saturday classes, but that he was not otherwise a diligent classical student.<ref name="Rosenthal"/> "I kind of resented going to the Academy", he says. "I was one of those children who could just about get away without practicing and still pass, scrape through the grades."<ref name="Rosenthal"/> He even claims that he would sometimes skip classes and just ride around on [[London Underground|the Tube]].<ref name="Rosenthal"/> However, several instructors have testified that he was a "model student", and during the last few years he was taking lessons from a private tutor in addition to his classes at the Academy.<ref name="Rosenthal"/> John's mother, though also strict with her son, was more vivacious than her husband, and something of a free spirit. With Stanley Dwight uninterested in his son and often physically absent, John was raised primarily by his mother and maternal grandmother. When his father was home, the Dwights would have terrible arguments that greatly distressed their son.<ref name="Rosenthal"/> When John was 15, they divorced.{{cn|date=May 2011}} His mother then married a local painter, Fred Farebrother, a caring and supportive stepfather who John affectionately referred to as "Derf", his first name in reverse.<ref name="Rosenthal"/> They moved into flat No.&nbsp;1A in an eight-unit apartment building called Frome Court, not far from both previous homes. It was there that John would write the songs that would launch his career as a rock star; he would live there until he had four albums simultaneously in the American Top 40.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.onthisveryspot.com/spot/EJ_Frome_Court |title=Frome Court - On This Very Spot |publisher=On This Very Spot |date=3 April 2007 |accessdate=25 February 2009}}</ref> ===Pub pianist to staff songwriter (1962–1969)=== {{See also|Bluesology}} At the age of 15, with the help of his mother and stepfather, Reginald Dwight became a weekend pianist at a nearby pub, the Northwood Hills Hotel, playing Thursday to Sunday nights for [[pound sterling|£]]35 a week and tips.<ref>{{cite book |url=http://books.google.com/?id=qOECAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA76&dq=%22Northwood+Hills+Hotel%22&cd=4#v=onepage&q=%22Northwood%20Hills%20Hotel%22 |title=Atlanta Magazine - Google Books |publisher=books.google.com |accessdate=3 February 2010 |date=2003-06 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.onthisveryspot.com/find/spot.php?spot_web_name=Northwood_Hills_Pub |title=Northwood Hills Pub - On This Very Spot |publisher=www.onthisveryspot.com |accessdate=3 February 2010 }}</ref> Known simply as "Reggie", he played a range of popular standards, including songs by [[Jim Reeves]] and [[Ray Charles]], as well as songs he had written himself.<ref name="Costello interview">{{cite episode | title = Elton John | url = http://www.sundancechannel.com/films/500328605 | series = Spectacle | serieslink = Spectacle: Elvis Costello with... | airdate = 2008 | season = 1 | number = 1}}</ref><ref>Claude Bernardin, Tom Stanton, {{cite book |url=http://books.google.com/?id=udJV_IQ86GgC&pg=PA70&dq=%22Northwood+Hills+Pub%22&cd=1#v=onepage&q=%22Northwood%20Hills%20Pub%22 |title=''Rocket man: Elton John from A-Z'', page 70 |publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group, 1996, ISBN 0275956989 |accessdate=3 February 2010 |isbn=9780275956981 |date=1996-01 }}</ref> A stint with a short-lived group called the Corvettes rounded out his time.<ref name="Rosenthal" /> In 1964, Dwight and his friends formed a band called [[Bluesology]]. By day, he ran errands for a music publishing company; he divided his nights between solo gigs at a London hotel bar and working with Bluesology. By the mid-1960s, Bluesology was backing touring American [[soul music|soul]] and [[R&B]] musicians like [[The Isley Brothers]], [[Major Lance]], [[Billy Stewart]], [[Doris Troy]] and [[Labelle|Patti LaBelle and The Bluebelles]]. In 1966, the band became musician [[Long John Baldry]]'s supporting band and played 16 times at [[The Marquee Club]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.themarqueeclub.net/long-john-baldry |title=The Marquee Club: Long John Baldry - Biography |publisher=www.themarqueeclub.net |accessdate=25 May 2010 }}</ref> After failing lead vocalist auditions for [[King Crimson]] and [[Gentle Giant]], Dwight answered an advertisement in the ''[[NME|New Musical Express]]'' placed by [[Ray Williams (producer)|Ray Williams]], then the [[A&R]] manager for [[Liberty Records]].<ref name="KC">{{cite web|url=http://web.archive.org/web/20050828134638/www.elephant-talk.com/faq/et-faq.txt|title=King Crimson FAQ|accessdate=20 September 2007|publisher=Elephant Talk (archived page from elephant-talk.com)}}</ref> At their first meeting, Williams gave Dwight a stack of lyrics written by [[Bernie Taupin]], who had answered the same ad. Dwight wrote music for the lyrics, and then mailed it to Taupin, beginning a partnership that {{as of |2010 |alt=still continues }}. In 1967, what would become the first Elton John/Bernie Taupin song, "Scarecrow", was recorded; when the two first met, six months later, Dwight was going by the name "Elton John", in homage to Bluesology saxophonist [[Elton Dean|''Elton'' Dean]] and Long ''John'' Baldry.<ref name="Costello interview"/> The team of John and Taupin joined [[Dick James]]'s [[DJM Records]] as staff songwriters in 1968, and over the next two years wrote material for various artists, like [[Roger Cook (songwriter)|Roger Cook]] and [[Lulu (singer)|Lulu]].<ref name="Vinita">{{Cite book |title=Profiles in Popular Music |last=Vinita |publisher=Sura Books |year=2005 |page=79 |isbn=9788174786388}}</ref> Taupin would write a batch of lyrics in under an hour and give it to John, who would write music for them in half an hour, disposing of the lyrics if he couldn't come up with anything quickly.<ref name="Vinita"/> For two years, they wrote [[easy listening|easy-listening]] tunes for James to peddle to singers. Their early output included a contender for the British entry for the [[Eurovision Song Contest]] in 1969, for Lulu, called "Can't Go On (Living Without You)". It came [[United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest 1969|sixth]] of six songs. In 1969, John also provided piano for [[Roger Hodgson]] on his first ever musical recording.<ref>[http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/SpecialEvent2/20070608/DianaConcert_Hodgson_070608/ Roger Hodgson of Supertramp]. [[CTV News]]. 11 June 2007. Retrieved 13 November 2010.</ref> During this period, John was also a session musician for other artists including playing piano on [[The Hollies]]' "[[He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother]]" and singing backing vocals for [[The Scaffold]].<ref>In his 1981 book "Thank U Very Much - Mike McCartney's Family Album" Scaffold singer Mike McGear (McCartney) describes a meeting with John during which John advises him he used to sing background vocals for the group.</ref> ===Debut album to ''Goodbye Yellow Brick Road'' (1969&ndash;1973)=== On the advice of music publisher Steve Brown, John and Taupin started writing more complex songs for John to record for DJM. The first was the single "I've Been Loving You" (1968), produced by [[Caleb Quaye]], former Bluesology guitarist. In 1969, with Quaye, drummer Roger Pope, and bassist Tony Murray, John recorded another single, "[[Lady Samantha]]", and an album, ''[[Empty Sky (album)|Empty Sky]]''. For their follow-up album, ''[[Elton John (album)|Elton John]]'', John and Taupin enlisted [[Gus Dudgeon]] as producer and [[Paul Buckmaster]] as [[Arrangement|musical arranger]]. ''Elton John'' was released in the April 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]]", made into the [[Billboard Hot 100|US Top 100]], peaking at Number 92. The second single "[[Your Song]]" made the US Top Ten, peaking at number eight and becoming John's first hit single as a singer. The album soon became his first hit album, reaching number four on the [[Billboard 200]] album chart.<ref>Claude Bernardin, Tom Stanton (1996) [http://books.google.com/books?id=eJGcZSyBflwC&pg=PA116&dq=Elton+John+(album)+%234+1970&hl=en&ei=_r7JTMHdI9KH5AaAu8DMAg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CD4Q6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=Elton%20John%20(album)%20%234%201970&f=false Rocket man: Elton John from A-Z] Greenwood Publishing Group, 1996</ref> Backed by ex-[[Spencer Davis Group]] drummer [[Nigel Olsson]] and bassist [[Dee Murray]], John's first American concert took place at [[The Troubadour (Los Angeles)|The Troubadour]] in Los Angeles in August 1970, and was a success.<ref>{{cite book |url=http://books.google.com/?id=udJV_IQ86GgC&pg=PA152&dq=elton+john+first+American+concert+The+Troubadour&q=elton%20john%20first%20American%20concert%20The%20Troubadour |title=Rocket man: Elton John from A-Z - Google Books |publisher=books.google.co.uk |accessdate=25 May 2010 |isbn=9780275956981 |date=1996-01 }}</ref> The concept album ''[[Tumbleweed Connection]]'' was released in October 1970, and reached the Top Ten on the [[Billboard 200]]. The live album ''[[17-11-70]]'' (''11-17-70'' in the US) was recorded at a live show aired from A&R Studios on [[WABC-FM]] in New York City. Sales of the live album were heavily hit in the US when an east coast [[bootleg recording|bootleg]]ger released the performance several weeks before the official album, including all 60 minutes of the aircast, not just the 40 minutes selected by Dick James Music.<ref>{{cite book|last=Heylin|first=Clinton|title=Bootleg: The Secret History of the Other Recording Industry|publisher=St. Martin's Griffin|year=1996|location=New York|isbn=0-312-14289-7|page=66}}</ref> [[File:Elton John 1972 1603720019.jpg|thumb|Elton John at the [[Laeiszhalle|Musikhalle]], [[Hamburg]] in March 1972]] John and Taupin then wrote the soundtrack to the obscure film ''[[Friends (1971 film)|Friends]]'' and then the album ''[[Madman Across the Water]]'', the latter reaching the Top Ten and producing the hit "[[Levon]]", while the soundtrack album produced the hit "Friends". In 1972, [[Davey Johnstone]] joined the '''Elton John Band''' on guitar and backing vocals. The band released ''[[Honky Chateau]]'', which became John's first American number&nbsp;1 album, spending five weeks at the top of the charts and spawning the hit singles "[[Rocket Man (song)|Rocket Man (I Think It's Going To Be A Long, Long Time)]]" (which is often compared to [[David Bowie]]'s "[[Space Oddity (song)|Space Oddity]]") and "[[Honky Cat]]".<ref>Stephen Thomas Erlewine [{{Allmusic|class=album|id=r1040357|pure_url=yes}} Honky Chateau (Bonus Track) - Elton John] ''[[All Music]]''</ref> The pop album ''[[Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player]]'' came out at the start of 1973, and produced the hits "[[Crocodile Rock]]" and "[[Daniel (song)|Daniel]]"; the former became his first US [[Billboard Hot 100]] number&nbsp;one hit.<ref>{{cite book |title= Rock N' Roll Gold Rush |last= Dean |first= Maury |authorlink= Maury Dean |coauthors= |year= 2003 |publisher= Algora |location= |isbn= 0-87586-207-1 |url= |page= 46 }}</ref> Both the album and "[[Crocodile Rock]]" were the first album and single, respectively on the consolidated [[MCA Records]] label in the USA, replacing MCA's other labels including Uni. ''[[Goodbye Yellow Brick Road]]'' gained instant critical acclaim and topped the chart on both sides of the Atlantic, remaining at Number 1 for two months.<ref name="Redbeard GYBR interview">{{cite web|url=http://www.inthestudio.net/|title=Elton John –Goodbye Yellow Brick Road|last=Redbeard|year=2009|work=In the Studio With Redbeard, Interviews With Famous Musicians|publisher=Barbarosa Ltd. Production |pages=Studio Interview with Elton John|accessdate=13 September 2009}}</ref> It also temporarily established John as a [[glam rock]] star. It contained the number&nbsp;1 hit "[[Bennie and the Jets]]", along with the popular and praised "[[Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (song)|Goodbye Yellow Brick Road]]", "[[Candle in the Wind]]", "[[Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting]]", "[[Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding]]" and "[[Grey Seal (song)|Grey Seal]]" (originally recorded and released in 1970 as the B-side to the UK-only single, "Rock and Roll Madonna"). There is also a VHS and DVD as part of the [[Classic Albums]] series, discussing the making, recording, and popularity of "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" through concert and home video footage including interviews. ===Rocket Records to ''21 at 33'' (1974&ndash;1979)=== John formed his own MCA-distributed label [[Rocket Records]] and signed acts to it – notably [[Neil Sedaka]] ("Bad Blood", on which he sang background vocals) and [[Kiki Dee]] – in which he took personal interest. Instead of releasing his own records on Rocket, he opted for $8&nbsp;million offered by MCA. When the contract was signed in 1974, MCA reportedly took out a $25&nbsp;million insurance policy on John's life.<ref>[http://www.rollingstone.com/music/artists/elton-john/news/artists/8828/56076/56108 Elton John | Rolling Stone Music]{{dead link|date=May 2011}} 2001 encyclopedia. ''[[Rolling Stone Magazine]]''</ref> In 1974 a collaboration with [[John Lennon]] took place, resulting in Elton John covering The Beatles' "[[Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds]]" and Lennon's "One Day at a Time", and in return Elton John and band being featured on Lennon's "[[Whatever Gets You thru the Night]]". In what would be Lennon's last live performance, the pair performed these two number&nbsp;1 hits along with the Beatles classic "[[I Saw Her Standing There]]" at [[Madison Square Garden]]. Lennon made the rare stage appearance to keep the promise he made that he would appear on stage with Elton if "Whatever Gets You Thru The Night" became a number&nbsp;1 single.<ref>Jeff Woolf, Scott Jennings and James L. Halperin (Editor) [http://books.google.com/books?id=l-o1rcQ9Cc0C&pg=PA90&dq=john+lennon+elton+john+1974&hl=en&ei=QMPJTI6FCsqb4AbejYjHAg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CDoQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=john%20lennon%20elton%20john%201974&f=false Icons of 20th Century Music: Heritage-Odyssey Auction] ''Heritage Capital Corporation''</ref> ''[[Caribou (album)|Caribou]]'' was released in 1974, and although it reached number&nbsp;1, it was widely considered<ref name="artists.letssingit.com">{{cite web|url=http://artists.letssingit.com/elton-john-album-caribou-18ftw4 |title=Elton John - Caribou Album |publisher=Artists.letssingit.com |date=17 July 2008 |accessdate=6 August 2010}}</ref> a lesser quality album. Reportedly recorded in a scant two weeks between live appearances, it featured "[[The Bitch Is Back]]"<ref name="artists.letssingit.com"/> and John's versatility in orchestral songs with "[[Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me]]".<ref name="artists.letssingit.com"/> [[Pete Townshend]] of [[The Who]] asked John to play a character called the "Local Lad" in the film of the rock opera ''[[Tommy (rock opera)|Tommy]]'', and to perform a song named "[[Pinball Wizard]]". Drawing on [[power chord]]s, John's version was recorded and used for the movie release in 1975 and the single came out in 1976 (1975 in the US). The song charted at number&nbsp;7 in England. [[Bally Technologies|Bally]] subsequently released a "Captain Fantastic" pinball machine featuring an illustration of John in his movie guise. [[File:Elton John nel 1975.jpg|thumb|Elton John performing live in 1975]] In the 1975 autobiographical album ''[[Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy]]'', John revealed his previously ambiguous personality, with Taupin's lyrics describing their early days as struggling songwriters and musicians in London. The lyrics and accompanying photo booklet are infused with a specific sense of place and time that is otherwise rare in John's music. "[[Someone Saved My Life Tonight]]" was the hit single from this album and captured an early turning point in John's life. The album's release signalled the end of the Elton John Band, as an unhappy and overworked John dismissed Olsson and Murray, two people who had contributed much of the band's signature sound and who had helped build his live following since the beginning. Johnstone and Ray Cooper were retained, Quaye and Roger Pope returned, and the new bassist was Kenny Passarelli; this rhythm section provided a heavier-sounding backbeat. James Newton-Howard joined to arrange in the studio and to play keyboards. John introduced the lineup before a crowd of 75,000 in London's [[Wembley Stadium]]. Rock-oriented ''[[Rock of the Westies]]'' entered the US albums chart at number&nbsp;1 like ''Captain Fantastic'', a previously unattained feat. Elton John's stage wardrobe now included [[ostrich]] feathers, $5,000 spectacles that spelled his name in lights, and dressing up like the [[Statue of Liberty]], [[Donald Duck]], or [[Mozart]] among others at his concerts.<ref>[http://books.google.com/books?id=5K61qKj1Oj0C&pg=PA192&dq=elton+john+dressed+as+mozart&hl=en&ei=PMXJTKeuOJaSjAf0lsXiDw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=5&ved=0CEEQ6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=elton%20john%20dressed%20as%20mozart&f=false 100 years 100 songs] ''Music Sales Corporation'' Omnibus Press, 1999</ref><ref>Nigel Goodall (1993) ''Elton John: a visual documentary'' Omnibus Press, 1993</ref> To celebrate five years since he first appeared at the venue, in 1975 John played a two-night, four-show stand at [[The Troubadour (Los Angeles)|The Troubadour]]. With seating limited to under 500 per show, the chance to purchase tickets was determined by a postcard lottery, with each winner allowed two tickets. Everyone who attended the performances received a hardbound "yearbook" of the band's history. That year he also played piano on [[Kevin Ayers]]' ''[[Sweet Deceiver]]'', and was among the first and few white artists to appear on the black music series ''[[Soul Train]]'' on American television.<ref name="Redbeard GYBR interview">{{cite web|url=http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/61905/top_ten_songs_by_elton_john.html?cat=33|title=Top Ten Songs by Elton John|last=Davis|first=Lisa|date=22 September 2006|publisher=Associated Content |accessdate=19 July 2010}}</ref> In 1976, the live album ''[[Here and There]]'' in May, then the ''[[Blue Moves]]'' album in October, which contained the single "[[Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word]]", were released. His biggest success in 1976 was the "[[Don't Go Breaking My Heart]]", a duet with Kiki Dee that topped both the American and British charts. Finally, in an interview with ''Rolling Stone'' that year entitled "Elton's Frank Talk", John stated that he was [[bisexual]].<ref>{{cite book |url=http://books.google.com/?id=dDrVKxE08CUC&q=%22Elton%27s+Frank+Talk%22&dq=%22Elton%27s+Frank+Talk%22 |title=Elton John - Google Books |publisher=books.google.co.uk |accessdate=25 May 2010 |isbn=9781567119725 |date=1 December 2003 }}</ref> Besides being the most commercially successful period, 1970 - 1976 is also held in the most regard critically. Within only a three year span, between 1972-75 John saw seven consecutive albums reach Number 1 in the charts, which had not been accomplished before.<ref name="Redbeard GYBR interview"/> Of the six Elton John albums to make [[the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time]] in ''Rolling Stone'''in 2003, all are from this period, with ''Goodbye Yellow Brick Road'' ranked highest at number&nbsp;91; similarly, the three Elton John albums given five stars by Allmusic (''Tumbleweed Connection'', ''Honky Château'', and ''Captain Fantastic'') are all from this period too. During the same period, John made a guest appearance on the popular ''[[Morecambe and Wise Show]]'' on the BBC. The two comics spent the episode pointing him in the direction of everywhere except the stage in order to prevent him singing.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0894463/ |title="The Morecambe & Wise Show" 1977 Christmas Show (1977) |publisher=www.imdb.com |accessdate=25 May 2010 }}</ref> In November 1977 John announced he was retiring from performing; Taupin began collaborating with others. Now only producing one album a year, John issued ''[[A Single Man (album)|A Single Man]]'' in 1978, employing a new lyricist, [[Gary Osborne]]; the album produced no singles that made the Top 20 in the US but the two singles from the album released in the UK, [[Part-Time Love]] and [[Song for Guy]], both made the Top 20 in the UK with the latter reaching the Top 5. In 1979, accompanied by [[Ray Cooper]], John became the first Western pop star to tour the Soviet Union (as well as one of the first in [[Israel]]), then mounted a two-man comeback tour of the US in small halls. John returned to the singles chart with "Mama Can't Buy You Love" (number&nbsp;9, 1979), a song originally rejected in 1977 by MCA before being released, recorded in 1977 with Philadelphia soul producer [[Thom Bell]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.souljonespresents.com/heroes_thom.html |title=Heroes & Villains - Exclusive Interview with Thom Bell on Soul Jones Presents |publisher=Souljonespresents.com |date= |accessdate=25 February 2009}}</ref> Elton reported that Thom Bell was the first person to give him voice lessons; Bell encouraged John to sing in a lower register. A [[disco music|disco]]-influenced album, ''[[Victim of Love (album)|Victim of Love]]'', was poorly received. In 1979, John and [[Bernie Taupin|Taupin]] reunited. ''[[21 at 33]]'', released the following year, was a significant career boost, aided by his biggest hit in four years, "[[Little Jeannie]]" (number&nbsp;3 US), although the lyrics were written by [[Gary Osborne]]. ===The 80s:''The Fox'' to ''Sleeping with the Past'' (1981&ndash;1989)=== [[File:Elton John 1.jpg|thumb|240px|left|Elton performing at the National Stadium, [[Dublin]] 26 March 1979]] His 1981 album, ''[[The Fox (album)|The Fox]]'', was recorded in part during the same sessions as ''[[21 at 33]]'', and also included collaborations with [[Tom Robinson]] and [[Judie Tzuke]]. On 13 September 1980, John, with Olsson and Murray back in the Elton John Band, performed a free concert to an estimated 400,000 fans on The Great Lawn in [[Central Park]] in New York City. His 1982 hit "[[Empty Garden (Hey Hey Johnny)]]", came from his ''[[Jump Up!]]'' album, his second under a new US recording contract with [[Geffen Records]]. He married his close friend and sound engineer, [[Renate Blauel]] on Valentine's Day 1984 - the marriage lasted three years.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1280288/Sir-Elton-John-From-football-clubs-drug-addiction-Princess-Dianas-funeral.html?ito=feeds-newsxml |title=Sir Elton John: From football clubs and drug addiction to Princess Diana's funeral | publisher=www.dailymail.co.uk |accessdate=26 May 2010 | location=London | date=21 May 2010}}</ref> The Biography Channel Special detailed the loss of Elton's voice in 1986 while on tour in Australia. Shortly thereafter he underwent throat surgery, which permanently altered his voice. Several non-cancerous polyps were removed from his vocal cords, resulting in a change in his singing voice.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://strictlyrock.com/index.php/band/17 |title=StrictlyRock.com - Elton John |publisher=strictlyrock.com |accessdate=26 May 2010 }}</ref> In 1987 he won a libel case against ''[[The Sun (newspaper)|The Sun]]'' which published allegations of sex with [[rent boys]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2006/feb/16/sundaytimes.pressandpublishing |title=Elton settles Times libel case |work=The Guardian |location=London |accessdate=26 May 2010 | date=16 February 2006 | first=Claire | last=Cozens}}</ref> With original band members Johnstone, Murray and Olsson together again, John was able to return to the charts with the 1983 hit album ''[[Too Low for Zero]]'', which included "[[I'm Still Standing]]" and "[[I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues]]", the latter of which featured [[Stevie Wonder]] on harmonica and reached number&nbsp;4 in the US, giving John his biggest hit there since "Little Jeannie". He placed hits in the US Top Ten throughout the 1980s – "Little Jeannie" (number&nbsp;3, 1980), "[[Sad Songs (Say So Much)]]" (number&nbsp;5, 1984), "[[Nikita (song)|Nikita]]" boosted by a mini-movie pop video directed by Ken Russell (number&nbsp;7, 1986), a live orchestral version of "Candle in the Wind" (number&nbsp;6, 1987), and "I Don't Wanna Go On With You Like That" (number&nbsp;2, 1988). His highest-charting single was a collaboration with [[Dionne Warwick]], [[Gladys Knight]], and Stevie Wonder on "[[That's What Friends Are For]]" (number&nbsp;1, 1985); credited as Dionne and Friends, the song raised funds for AIDS research. His albums continued to sell, but of the six released in the latter half of the 1980s, only ''[[Reg Strikes Back]]'' (number&nbsp;16, 1988) placed in the Top 20 in the United States. In 1985, Elton John was one of the many performers at [[Live Aid]] held at [[Wembley Stadium (1923)|Wembley Stadium]].<ref name=CLD/> John played "Bennie and the Jets" and "Rocket Man"; then "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" with Kiki Dee for the first time in years; and introduced his friend [[George Michael]], still then of [[Wham!]], to sing "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me".<ref name=CLD>Claude Bernardin, Tom Stanton [http://books.google.com/books?id=eJGcZSyBflwC&pg=PA57&dq=elton+john+live+aid+1985&hl=en&ei=27cZTbmhDZG4hAe295m3Dg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CDkQ6AEwAjgK#v=onepage&q=elton%20john%20live%20aid%201985&f=false Rocket man: Elton John from A-Z] P.57. Greenwood Publishing Group, 1996 </ref> He enlisted Michael to sing backing vocals on his single "[[Wrap Her Up]]", and also recruited teen idol [[Nik Kershaw]] as an instrumentalist on "Nikita". John also recorded material with [[Millie Jackson]] in 1985. In 1986, he played the piano on two tracks on the [[heavy metal music|heavy metal]] band [[Saxon (band)|Saxon's]] album ''[[Rock the Nations]]''. In 1988, he performed five sold-out shows at New York's [[Madison Square Garden]],<ref>Luca Prono [http://books.google.com/books?id=Y3FYzMPH2OwC&pg=PA150&dq=elton+john+1988+sold+out+madison+square+garden&hl=en&ei=0c3JTLHFMY2OjAfx97TeDw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CDwQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=elton%20john%201988%20sold%20out%20madison%20square%20garden&f=false Encyclopedia of gay and lesbian popular culture] Greenwood Publishing Group, 2008</ref> giving him 26 for his career. Netting over $20&nbsp;million, 2,000 items of John's memorabilia were auctioned off at Sotheby's in London.<ref>''The Rolling stone encyclopedia of rock & roll'' p.502. Fireside, 2001</ref> ===The 90s: "Sacrifice" to ''Aida'' (1990&ndash;1999)=== In 1990, John would finally achieve his first UK number&nbsp;one hit on his own, with "[[Sacrifice (Elton John song)|Sacrifice]]" (coupled with "[[Healing Hands (song)|Healing Hands]]") from the previous year's album ''[[Sleeping with the Past]]''; it would stay at the top spot for six weeks.<ref>{{cite web |title="Sacrifice" (1990 release), UK Singles Chart |url=http://www.chartstats.com/songinfo.php?id=17695 |publisher=chartstats |accessdate=28 December 2010}}</ref> The following year, John's "Basque" won the [[Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Composition|Grammy for Best Instrumental]], and a guest concert appearance he had made on [[George Michael]]'s cover of "[[Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me]]" was released as a single and topped the charts in both the US and UK.<ref>[http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=1wkEAAAAMBAJ&pg=RA1-PA5&dq=dont+let+the+sun+go+down+on+me+%231+1991&hl=en&ei=hcfJTMe1NIiUOvLf9OIB&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CDgQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q&f=false Elton John - 30 Years of Music] ''Billboard'' 4 Oct 1997</ref> In 1992 he released the US number&nbsp;8 album ''[[The One (Elton John album)|The One]]'', featuring the hit song "[[The One (Elton John song)|The One]]".<ref>Billboard [{{Allmusic|class=artist|id=p4617/charts-awards/billboard-singles|pure_url=yes}} allmusic.com] (Retrieved 28 December 2010)</ref><ref>[http://www.chartstats.com/songinfo.php?id=19866 UK Chartstats.com] Retrieved 28 December 2010</ref> John and Taupin then signed a music publishing deal with Warner/Chappell Music for an estimated $39&nbsp;million over 12 years, giving them the largest cash advance in music publishing history.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://articles.latimes.com/1992-11-04/entertainment/ca-1205_1_music-publishing | work=Los Angeles Times | title=John, Taupin to Ink $39-Million Publishing Pact | first=Chuck | last=Philips | date=4 November 1992}}</ref> In April 1992, John appeared at the ''[[Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert]]'' at Wembley Stadium, performing "[[The Show Must Go On (Queen song)|The Show Must Go On]]" with the remaining members of [[Queen (band)|Queen]], and "[[Bohemian Rhapsody]]" with [[Axl Rose]] of [[Guns N' Roses]] and Queen.<ref>Goodall, Nigel (1993) Elton John: a visual documentary'' p.103. Omnibus Press, 1993 </ref> The following year, he released ''[[Duets (Elton John album)|Duets]]'', a collaboration with 15 artists including [[Tammy Wynette]] and [[RuPaul]]. This also included a new collaboration with Kiki Dee, entitled "True Love", which reached the Top 10 of the UK charts, and a duet with [[Eric Clapton]] on "Runaway Train", which also charted.<ref>Goodall, Nigel (1993) ''Elton John: a visual documentary'' p.109. Omnibus Press, 1993</ref> Along with [[Tim Rice]], Elton John wrote the songs for the 1994 [[The Walt Disney Company|Disney]] animated film ''[[The Lion King]]'', which became the 3rd highest-grossing animated feature of all time.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://boxofficemojo.com/genres/chart/?id=animation.htm |title=Animation Movies at the Box Office |publisher=Box Office Mojo |date=8 June 2010 |accessdate=6 August 2010}}</ref> At the [[67th Academy Awards]] ceremony, ''[[The Lion King (soundtrack)|The Lion King]]'' provided three of the five nominees for the [[Academy Award for Best Song]], which John won with "[[Can You Feel the Love Tonight]]".<ref name=BILL>[http://books.google.com/books?id=5AsEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA49&dq=can+you+feel+the+love+tonight+academy+award&hl=en&ei=TpgZTfPBIoaEhQfP26y4Dg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CDQQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=can%20you%20feel%20the%20love%20tonight%20academy%20award&f=false Billboard 29 Apr 1995] ''[[Billboard Magazine]]'' Retrieved 28 December 2010 </ref> Both that and "[[Circle of Life]]" became hit songs for John.<ref>[http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=aQgEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA136&dq=can+you+feel+the+love+tonight+%234+billboard&hl=en&ei=15wZTd21HoOAhAfknvC2Dg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=7&ved=0CD4Q6AEwBg#v=onepage&q=can%20you%20feel%20the%20love%20tonight%20%234%20billboard&f=false Billboard 30 Jul 1994] ''[[Billboard Magazine]]'' Retrieved 28 December 2010</ref><ref>Rosen, Craig (1996) ''The Billboard book of number one albums: the inside story behind pop music's blockbuster records'' ''[[Billboard Books]]'', 1996 </ref> "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" would also win Elton John the [[Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance|Grammy Award]] for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance at the [[37th Grammy Awards]].<ref name=BILL/> After the release of the ''The Lion King'' soundtrack, the album remained at the top of [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'']]'s charts for nine weeks. On 10 November 1999, the [[RIAA]] certified ''The Lion King'' "[[diamond record|Diamond]]" for selling 15&nbsp;million copies.<ref name=ELT/> <!-- Image with inadequate rationale removed: [[File:ROCKET PRCD79352.jpg|thumb|200px|right|The cover of the Princess Diana tribute album/single, "[[Candle In The Wind 1997]]"]] --> In 1995 John released ''[[Made in England (album)|Made in England]]'' (number&nbsp;3, 1995), which featured the single "Believe".<ref>[http://books.google.com/books?id=eJGcZSyBflwC&pg=PA169&dq=elton+john+believe+made+in+england&hl=en&ei=T8AZTdPSHdCwhAfVroW5Dg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=5&ved=0CDoQ6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=elton%20john%20believe%20made%20in%20england&f=false Rocket man: Elton John from A-Z By Claude Bernardin, Tom Stanton] p.169. Greenwood Publishing Group, 1996 </ref> Also, a compilation called ''[[Love Songs (Elton John album)|Love Songs]]'' was released the following year.<ref>[http://books.google.co.uk/books?ei=48UZTdX6JpKwhAfuzZS4Dg&ct=result&id=9A8qho3x28oC&dq=elton+love+songs+released+1996&q=simply+titled+Love+Songs People in the News 1997] p.215. Macmillan Reference USA, 1997</ref> Early in 1997 John held a 50th birthday party, costumed as [[Louis XIV]], for 500 friends. John also performed with the surviving members of [[Queen (band)|Queen]] in Paris at the opening night (17 January 1997) of ''Le Presbytère N'a Rien Perdu De Son Charme Ni Le Jardin De Son Éclat'', a work by French ballet legend [[Maurice Béjart]] which draws upon AIDS and the deaths of [[Freddie Mercury]] and the company's principal dancer [[Jorge Donn]]. Later in 1997, two close friends died: designer [[Gianni Versace]] was murdered; [[Diana, Princess of Wales]] died in a Paris car crash on 31 August.<ref>[http://books.google.com/books?id=w2MEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT25&dq=elton+john+considered+not+going+to+diana+funeral&hl=en&ei=SXAWTczOMtObhQfwlZy3Dg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CDMQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q&f=false The Advocate 14 Oct 1997] Retrieved 28 December 2010</ref> {{listen |filename=Candle In The Wind 1997 sample.ogg |title="Candle in the Wind 1997" |description=[[Elton John]]'s "Candle in the Wind 1997" |filetype=[[Ogg]]}} In early September, John contacted his writing partner [[Bernie Taupin]], asking him to revise the lyrics of his 1973 song "Candle in the Wind" to honour Diana, and Taupin rewrote the song accordingly.<ref>{{cite web|title=The songwriters idea book|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=aWm2iDGGsAIC&pg=PA103&dq=taupin+candle+in+the+wind+1997&hl=en&ei=02IWTZ-2Cc6GhQeWmt23Dg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CDIQ6AEwATgK#v=onepage&q=taupin%20candle%20in%20the%20wind%201997&f=false|publisher=''Writer's Digest Books'' p.103|date=|quote=}}</ref> On 6 September 1997, John performed "[[Candle in the Wind 1997]]" at the [[funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales]] in [[Westminster Abbey]].<ref>Katherine White [http://books.google.com/books?id=7A3S22PVVDoC&pg=PT13&dq=elton+john+vowed+never+to+publicly+perform+the+song+again&hl=en&ei=dWsWTdGrI8aChQeF6fS2Dg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CCYQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=elton%20john%20vowed%20never%20to%20publicly%20perform%20the%20song%20again&f=fa lse Elton John] pp.11-12. The Rosen Publishing Group, 2003</ref> The song became the fastest, and biggest-selling single of all time, eventually selling over 33&nbsp;million copies worldwide.<ref name=ELT/><ref name=Guinness07>''[[Guinness Book of Records]]'', 2007 Edition, page 187.[http://img299.imageshack.us/img299/3315/guinness2007.pdf]</ref><ref name=GRAM/> The best-selling single in UK Chart history, it sold 4.86 million copies in the UK.<ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2010/08_august/31/radio2.shtml BBC - Press Office: Elton John tops million sellers chart] ''[[BBC Radio 2]]'' ''The Official Charts Company'' Retrieved February 24, 2011</ref> The best-selling single in ''[[Billboard Hot 100|Billboard]]'' history, and the only single ever [[RIAA certification|certified Diamond]] in the United States, the single sold over 11 million copies in the U.S.<ref>[http://books.google.com/books?id=SQ0EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA93&lpg=PA93&dq=candle%20in%20the%20wind%20certified%20diamond&source=bl&ots=vN3436EV9X&sig=94xBgtcrbFQ1VDZf25ZzIbWtZN4&hl=en&ei=mKhlTbuoOsep8AO62aDjBg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=6&ved=0CDcQ6AEwBQ#v=onepage&q=candle%20in%20the%20wind%20certified%20diamond&f=false Billboard 3 Apr 1999] ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' Retrieved February 24, 2011</ref><ref>[http://www.rollingstone.com/music/artists/elton-john/biography Elton John: Biography | Rolling Stone Music] ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' Retrieved February 24, 2011</ref> The song proceeds of approximately £55&nbsp;million were donated to the [[Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund]]. It would win John the [[Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance]] at the [[40th Grammy Awards]] ceremony in 1998.<ref name=GRAM>Miles, Barry [http://books.google.com/books?id=-oBzTaoZciEC&pg=PA207&dq=candle+in+the+wind+george+martin&hl=en&ei=EnsWTe-LGYq7hAeS4vi2Dg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=6&ved=0CEAQ6AEwBQ#v=onepage&q=candle%20in%20the%20wind%20george%20martin&f=false Massive Music Moments] p.207. Anova Books, 2008</ref> John has publicly performed "Candle in the Wind 1997" only once, at Diana's funeral, vowing never to perform it again unless asked by Diana's sons.<ref name="pophistorydig.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.pophistorydig.com/?tag=candle-in-the-wind|title=Candle in the Wind, 1973 & 1997|last=Doyle|first=Jack|date=26 April 2008 (updated 12 May 2008)|work=PopHistoryDig.com|accessdate=8 February 2010}}</ref> In the [[musical theatre]] world, in addition to a 1998 adaptation of ''The Lion King'' for [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]], John also composed music for a [[Disney]] production of ''[[Aida (musical)|Aida]]'' in 1999 with lyricist [[Tim Rice]], for which they received the [[Tony Award for Best Original Score]] at the [[54th Tony Awards]],<ref>[http://www.bmi.com/news/entry/232801 Elton John’s ‘Aida’ Big Winner at Tony Awards] Broadcast Music, Inc. Retrieved 28 December 2010</ref> and the [[Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album]] at the [[43rd Grammy Awards]].<ref>[http://www.disney.co.uk/musicaltheatre/TheLionKing/abouttheshow/disneytheatrical.html Disney Theatrical Theatre - The Lion King] Disney.co.uk. Retrieved 28 December 2010</ref><ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6455921.stm Sixty things for Sir Elton's 60th] ''[[BBC News]]'' (23 March 2007)</ref> The musical was given its world premiere in the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta. It went on to Chicago and eventually Broadway. He also released a live compilation album called ''[[Elton John One Night Only – The Greatest Hits|Elton John One Night Only - The Greatest Hits]]'' from the show he did at [[Madison Square Garden]] in New York City that same year. ===2000 to present=== [[File:Elton John performing, 2008 3.jpg|thumb|right|Elton John performs at the [[Keepmoat Stadium]] in [[Doncaster]], July 2008]] In 2000, John and [[Tim Rice]] teamed again to create songs for [[DreamWorks]]' animated film ''[[The Road to El Dorado]]''. In August 2003, John scored his fifth UK number one single when "[[Are You Ready for Love]]" topped the UK Charts.<ref>[http://www.chartstats.com/release.php?release=30894 Chart Stats - Elton John - Are You Ready For Love {2003}] Retrieved February 24, 2011</ref> Returning again to musical theatre, John composed music for a [[West End Theatre]] production of ''Billy Elliot the Musical'' in 2005 with playwright [[Lee Hall (playwright)|Lee Hall]]. John's only theatrical project with Bernie Taupin so far is ''[[Lestat (musical)|Lestat: The Musical]]'', based on the [[Anne Rice]] vampire novels. However it was slammed by the critics and closed in May 2006 after 39 performances.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/5013218.stm |title=Entertainment &#124; Sir Elton vampire musical closes |publisher=BBC News |date=24 May 2006 |accessdate=25 February 2009}}</ref> John was named a [[Disney Legend]] for his numerous outstanding contributions to Disney's films and theatrical works on 9 October 2006, by The Walt Disney Company.<ref>{{cite web|author=Disney.com Network |url=http://legends.disney.go.com/legends/detail?key=Elton+John |title=Disney Legends - Elton John |publisher=Legends.disney.go.com |date=25 April 2006 |accessdate=25 February 2009}}</ref> In 2006 he told ''Rolling Stone'' magazine that he plans for his next record to be in the [[R&B]]/[[hip-hop]] genre. "I want to work with [[Pharrell Williams|Pharrell {Williams}]], [[Timbaland]], [[Snoop Dogg|Snoop {Dogg}]], [[Kanye West|Kanye {West}]], Eminem and just see what happens."<ref name=6abc>{{cite web|author=&nbsp;&nbsp; |url=http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=entertainment&id=4498224 |title=6ABC.com article: "Elton John Wants to Make Hip-hop Album" |publisher=Abclocal.go.com |date=26 August 2006 |accessdate=25 February 2009}}</ref> In March 2007 he performed at Madison Square Garden for a record breaking 60th time for his 60th birthday, the concert was broadcast live and a DVD recording was released as ''[[Elton 60 - Live at Madison Square Garden]]'';<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nme.com/news/elton-john/27292 |title=NME article on 60th birthday concert at Madison Square Gardens |work=NME |location=UK |date=25 March 2007 |accessdate=25 February 2009}}</ref> a greatest-hits compilation CD, ''Rocket Man – Number&nbsp;Ones'', was released in 17 different versions worldwide, including a CD/DVD combo; and his back catalogue - almost 500 songs from 32 albums - became available for legal download.<ref>[http://newsmax.com/archives/articles/2007/3/21/115754.shtml Elton John to Put Entire Music Catalog Online]. 21 March 2007.</ref> In a September 2008 interview with ''[[GQ]]'' magazine, John said: "I’m going on the road again with [[Billy Joel]] again next year," referring to "Face to Face," a series of concerts featuring both musicians. The tour began in March and will continue for at least two more years.<ref>[http://www.gq.com/blogs/the-q/2008/10/sir-elton-johns-weird-third-act.html Sir Elton John's Weird Third Act] GQ Magazine, 13 October 2008</ref> In October 2003, John announced that he had signed an exclusive agreement to perform 75 shows over three years at [[Caesars Palace]] on the [[Las Vegas Strip]]. The show, entitled ''The Red Piano'', was a multimedia concert featuring massive props and video montages created by [[David LaChapelle]]. Effectively, he and [[Celine Dion]] share performances at Caesars Palace throughout the year - while one performs, one rests. The first of these shows took place on 13 February 2004.<ref>[http://www.eltonjohn.com/home_index.asp?page=now/projects/redpiano.asp EltonJohn.com]{{Dead link|date=February 2009}}</ref> On 21 June 2008, he performed his 200th show in Caesars Palace. A DVD/CD package of ''The Red Piano'' was released through Best Buy in November 2008. A two year global tour was sandwiched between commitments in [[Las Vegas, Nevada|Las Vegas]], Nevada, some of the venues of which were new to John. [[The Red Piano Tour]] closed in Las Vegas in April 2009. Elton John performed a piano duet with [[Lady Gaga]] at the [[52nd Grammy Awards]].<ref>Anita Singh (1 Feb 2010) [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/music-news/7127726/Grammy-Awards-2010-Lady-Gaga-and-Sir-Elton-John-video.html Grammy Awards 2010: Lady Gaga and Sir Elton John video] ''[[The Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]]'' Retrieved 28 December 2010</ref> On 6 June 2010, John performed at the fourth wedding of conservative commentator [[Rush Limbaugh]] for a reported US$1&nbsp;million fee.<ref>[http://voices.washingtonpost.com/reliable-source/2010/06/love_etc_rush_limbaugh_marries.html?hpid=artslot Love, etc: Rush Limbaugh marries for the fourth time] Washington Post, 6 June 2010</ref> Eleven days later, and 17 years to the day after his last previous performance in [[Israel]], he performed at the [[Ramat Gan Stadium]]; this was significant because of other then-recent cancellations by other performers in the fallout surrounding an [[Gaza flotilla raid|Israeli raid]] on [[Ships of the Gaza flotilla raid|Gaza Flotilla]] the month before. In his introduction to that concert, Elton John noted he and other musicians should not "cherry-pick our conscience", in reference to [[Elvis Costello]], who was to have performed in Israel two weeks after Elton did, but cancelled in the wake of the aforementioned raid, citing his [Costello's] conscience.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3906946,00.html |title=Elton John concert in Ramat Gan stadium begins - 17&nbsp;June 2010 |publisher=Ynetnews.com |date=20 June 1995 |accessdate=11 November 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://filmifi.com/gossip/Elton-John-Slams-Boycotting-Artists-at-Israel-Concert-2747904.html |title=Elton John Slams Boycotting Artists at Israel Concert |publisher=Filmifi.com |date= 18 June 2010|accessdate=2011-05-30}}</ref> John's latest studio album is entitled ''[[The Union (album)|The Union]]'' and was released on 19 October 2010. John says his collaboration with American singer-songwriter and sideman [[Leon Russell]] marks a new chapter in his recording career, saying: "I don't have to make pop records any more."<ref>{{cite web|author=Up for Discussion Jump to Forums |url=http://www.billboard.com/news/elton-john-teams-with-leon-russell-for-mature-1004102231.story#/news/elton-john-teams-with-leon-russell-for-mature-1004102231.story |title=Elton John Teams With Leon Russell For 'Mature' New Album |work=Billboard |date=14 September 2009 |accessdate=6 August 2010}}</ref> ==Artistry== ===Songwriting=== John has written with his song-writing partner [[Bernie Taupin]] since 1967 when he answered an advertisement for talent placed in the ''[[New Musical Express]]'' by [[Liberty records]] [[A&R]] man [[Ray Williams (producer)|Ray Williams]]. The pair have collaborated on more than 30 albums to date.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.songwritershalloffame.org/index.php/exhibits/bio/C181 |title=Songwriters Hall of Fame - Bernie Taupin Biography |publisher=www.songwritershalloffame.org |accessdate=26 May 2010 }}</ref> The 1991 film documentary ''[[Two Rooms]]'' described the writing style that John and Taupin use, which involves Taupin writing the lyrics on his own, and John then putting them to music, with the two never in the same room during the process. ===Music style=== John's voice was originally a [[tenor]], it is now a [[baritone]].<ref name="Rosenthal"/> His piano playing is influenced by [[classical music|classical]] and [[gospel music]].<ref>Claude Bernardin, Tom Stanton (1996) [http://books.google.com/books?id=udJV_IQ86GgC&pg=PA18&dq=elton+john+influenced+by+classical+music&hl=en&ei=oczJTNS9GcyTjAew5qzuDw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CDYQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=elton%20john%20influenced%20by%20classical%20music&f=false Rocket man: Elton John from A-Z] Greenwood Publishing Group, 1996</ref> He used [[Paul Buckmaster]] to arrange the music on his studio albums during the 1970s.<ref>{{cite web |url={{Allmusic|class=artist|id=p60589|pure_url=yes}} |title=allmusic ((( Paul Buckmaster, Biography ))) |publisher=www.allmusic.com |accessdate=26 May 2010 }}</ref> ==Personal life== In April 2009, the [[Sunday Times Rich List]] estimated John's wealth to be £175&nbsp;million ([[United States dollar|$]]265&nbsp;million), and ranked him as the 322nd richest person in Britain.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/specials/rich_list/rich_list_2009/article6023877.ece |title=Search the Sunday Times Rich List 2009 |publisher=Business.timesonline.co.uk |date= 26 April 2009|accessdate=29 April 2009 | location=London}}</ref> John was estimated to have a fortune of £195 million in the ''[[Sunday Times Rich List]]'' of 2011, making him one of the 10 richest people in the British music industry.<ref>{{cite web | url= http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/celebrity/article.html?in_article_id=532417&in_page_id=181 | title= The top 50 richest people in music}}</ref> In a November 1976 ''Rolling Stone'' interview, he talked about [[bisexuality]], his belief that everyone is bisexual to a degree, and that his first sexual experience was with a woman, the secretary Linda Woodrow to whom he proposed, and who is mentioned in the song "[[Someone Saved My Life Tonight]]".<ref>{{cite web|author=CLIFF JAHR Posted 7 October 1976 1:28&nbsp;pm |url=http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/davidbowie/articles/story/8718858/elton_john_its_lonely_at_the_top |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5QZv8N38L |archivedate=2007-07-24 |title=Cover Story: Elton John: It's Lonely at the Top: David Bowie : Rolling Stone |work=Rolling Stone |date=7 October 1976 |accessdate=25 February 2009}}</ref><ref>Paul Myers, {{cite book |url=http://books.google.com/?id=l118517OoewC&pg=PA133&dq=Linda+Woodrow&cd=1#v=onepage&q=Linda%20Woodrow |title=''It Ain't Easy: Long John Baldry and the Birth of the British Blues'', page 133|publisher=Greystone Books, 2007, ISBN 1553652002 |accessdate=2 February 2010 |isbn=9781553652007 |date=6 September 2007 }}</ref> John married [[Germans|German]] recording engineer [[Renate Blauel]] on [[Valentine's Day|14 February]], 1984, in Darling Point, [[Sydney]], [[Australia]] with speculation that the marriage was a [[beard (companion)|cover]]; when they divorced four years later John told ''Rolling Stone'' that he was "comfortable" being [[gay]].<ref>Mary Rhiel, David Bruce Suchoff, {{cite book |url=http://books.google.com/?id=1o8YQZQhqGoC&pg=PA23&dq=Renate+Blauel&cd=7#v=onepage&q=Renate%20Blauel |title=''The seductions of biography'', page 23 |publisher=Routledge, 1996, ISBN 0415910900|accessdate=2 February 2010 |isbn=9780415910903 |year=1996 }}</ref> He met his [[Canadians|Canadian]] boyfriend [[David Furnish]], a former advertising executive and now filmmaker, in 1993. On 21 December 2005, they entered a civil partnership. The night before the event, a host of his closest celebrity friends helped him celebrate his [[stag party]] at the cabaret nightclub Too2Much in London's West End.<ref>[http://www.itv.com/news/d2e43dd7a7c16245875bc3ac947c7586.html itv.com]{{Dead link|date=February 2009}}</ref> On the actual day, a low-key ceremony with their parents, photographer [[Sam Taylor-Wood]] and her husband [[Jay Jopling]], and John and Furnish's dog Arthur in attendance was held at the [[Windsor Guildhall]], followed by a lavish party at their [[Berkshire]] mansion,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/showbiz/showbiznews.html?in_article_id=372279&in_page_id=1773 |title=Elton's 'wedding' sealed with a kiss |work=the Daily Mail |location=UK |date= |accessdate=25 February 2009}}</ref> thought to have cost £1&nbsp;million.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/showbiz/showbiznews.html?in_article_id=372165&in_page_id=1766 |title=Elton's £100,000 wedding warm-up |work=the Daily Mail |location=UK |date= 20 December 2005|accessdate=25 February 2009 | first1=Nicole | last1=Lampert | first2=Emily | last2=Cook}}</ref> Many famous guests were invited, but were delayed just outside John's Windsor household in a [[traffic jam]] of guests waiting to get inside.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/4546670.stm |title=Entertainment &#124; Stars pack Elton 'wedding' party |publisher=BBC News |date=22 December 2005 |accessdate=25 February 2009}}</ref> [[File:Elton_John_on_stage%2C_2008.jpg|thumb|John on stage in July 2008]] By March 2006 John had 10 godchildren, including [[David Beckham|David]] and [[Victoria Beckham]]'s sons Brooklyn and Romeo, [[Sean Lennon]], [[Elizabeth Hurley]]'s son Damian Charles, and the daughter of [[Seymour Stein]].<ref>Holly George-Warren ''The Rolling stone encyclopedia of rock & roll'' p.501. Fireside, 2001</ref><ref>Richard Simpson [http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-109035/Sir-Elton-godfather-Lizs-Damian.html Sir Elton to become godfather to Liz's Damian] ''[[Daily Mail]]'' Retrieved 28 December 2010</ref><ref>[http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/showbiz/article-13535150-brooklyn-to-get-eltons-millions.do Brooklyn to get Elton's millions] ''[[London Evening Standard]]'' Retrieved 28 December 2010</ref> In September 2009, while touring an [[HIV/AIDS in Ukraine|AIDS orphanage in Ukraine]] (Makiivka), John stated he wanted to adopt one of the resident children, a 14 month old [[HIV positive]] boy named Lev.<ref name=Guardian14Sep09Adoption>{{cite news |url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2009/sep/14/elton-john-not-allowed-adoption |title=Elton John's wish to adopt faces rejection |work=The Guardian |date=14 September 2009 |accessdate=15 September 2009 |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5jo6aV2sW |archivedate=15 September 2009 | location=London | first=Helen | last=Pidd }}</ref><ref name=BBC12Sep09Adoption>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/8252952.stm |title=Elton says he wants to adopt boy |publisher=BBC News |date=12 September 2009 |accessdate=15 September 2009 |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5jo5wXnZI |archivedate=15 September 2009 }}</ref> However, Ukrainian [[Second Tymoshenko Government|Minister of Family, Youth and Sport]] Yuriy Pavlenko stated that under [[Law of Ukraine|Ukrainian law]] John could not adopt Lev due to his age and [[marital status]],<ref name=Guardian14Sep09Adoption/><ref name=BBC14Aug09Adoption>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/8255327.stm |title=Elton 'cannot adopt in Ukraine' |publisher=BBC News |date=14 September 2009 |accessdate=15 September 2009 |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5jo3eEWkP |archivedate=15 September 2009 }}</ref> though John could adopt the baby if the [[Ukrainian Parliament]] adopted a separate special law on making him an adoptive parent of the child.<ref name=Reuters15Sept09Adoption>{{cite news |url=http://www.reuters.com/article/lifestyleMolt/idUSTRE58E2VQ20090915?sp=true |title=Elton John has little chance of adoption: Ukraine |publisher=Reuters |date=15 September 2009 |accessdate=15 September 2009 | first=Sabina | last=Zawadzki }}</ref> In December 2009 Furnish told [[BBC radio]] John was devastated that he wasn't allowed to adopt Lev but that the couple were working to ensure Lev and his brother "have the best health care, education and family options available to them" and the couple would campaign for a change in [[Ukrainian law]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.kyivpost.com/news/nation/detail/54565/ |title=Elton will support Ukrainian boy he can't adopt |publisher=[[Kyiv Post]] |date=8 December 2009 |accessdate=8 December 2009 }}</ref> Throughout his career, John has battled addictions to [[alcoholism|alcohol]] and [[cocaine]]. By 1975, the pressures of stardom began to take a serious toll on the musician. During "Elton Week" in Los Angeles that year, John suffered a drug overdose.<ref>"Elton John", Biography Channel, 2005</ref> He also battled the eating disorder [[bulimia]]. In a CNN interview with [[Larry King]] in 2002, King asked if John knew of Diana, Princess of Wales' eating disorder. John replied, "Yes, I did. We were both bulimic."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0201/25/lkl.00.html |title= Larry King Live: Interview With Elton John Aired 25&nbsp;January 2002 |publisher=Transcripts.cnn.com |date=25 January 2002 |accessdate=25 February 2009}}</ref> Aside from his main home, 'Woodside' at [[Old Windsor]] in the English county of [[Berkshire]], John splits his time in his various residences in [[Atlanta, Georgia|Atlanta]], [[Nice]], [[Holland Park]], London; and [[Venice]]. John is an art collector, and is believed to have one of the largest private [[photography]] collections in the world.<ref>{{cite web|accessdate=3 March 2008|url=http://www.abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=3658634&page=1|title=Art or Porn? Elton John's Photos Seized |publisher=ABC News }}</ref> During the 2000 court case, in which John sued both his former manager John Reid, the CEO of Reid's company and accountants [[PricewaterhouseCoopers]], he admitted spending £30&nbsp;million in just under two years – an average of £1.5&nbsp;million a month, the High Court in London heard. The singer's lavish lifestyle saw him spend more than £9.6m on property and £293,000 on flowers between January 1996 and September 1997. John accused the pair of being negligent, and PwC of failing in their duties. Mark Hapgood QC for defendants PwC suggested that John went "spending mad" following a £42&nbsp;million deal with recording company [[Polygram]] in February 1996. When quizzed by Mr Hapgood about the £293,000 spent on flowers, John said, "Yes, I like flowers." John stated that the terms of the contract, whereby John paid Reid 20% of his gross earnings, were agreed in [[Saint-Tropez]] in the summer of 1984 – but that he could not remember the exact occasion on which the deal was made.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/1024745.stm |title=UK &#124; Sir Elton's £30m spending spree |publisher=BBC News |date=15 November 2000 |accessdate=25 February 2009}}</ref> After losing the case, he faced an £8&nbsp;million bill for legal fees. In June 2001 John sold 20 of his cars at [[Christie's]], saying he didn't get the chance to drive them because he was out of the country so often.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/showbiz/1283409.stm | title= Sir Elton to sell classic cars |accessdate=3 February 2010 | date=18 April 2001 | work=BBC News}}</ref> The sale, which included a 1993 [[Jaguar XJ220]], the most expensive at £234,750, and several [[Ferrari]]s, [[Rolls-Royce Limited|Rolls-Royce]]s, and [[Bentley]]s, raised nearly £2&nbsp;million.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.classics.com/eltjohn.html |title=Classics.com - Elton John's Cars to be auctioned at Christie's |publisher=www.classics.com |accessdate=3 February 2010 }}</ref> In 2003, John sold the contents of his [[Holland Park]] home in a bid to create more room for his collection of contemporary art which includes many works of art by [[Young British Artists|YBAs]] such as [[Sam Taylor-Wood]] and [[Tracy Emin]]. The auctioneer [[Sotheby's]] catalogue had a list of more than 400 items, expected to fetch £800,000, including: [[Biedermeier]] furniture; early 16th- and 17th-century items, including an Edward Bower estimated at £20,000–£30,000, and two busts of Napoleon.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/3104246.stm Sir Elton to sell home's contents] ''[[BBC News]]'' (Saturday, 13 September 2003)</ref> A longtime tennis enthusiast, John wrote the song "Philadelphia Freedom" in tribute to longtime friend [[Billie Jean King]] and her [[World Team Tennis]] franchise of the same name. John and King also co-host an annual pro-am event to benefit AIDS charities, most notably John's own [[Elton John AIDS Foundation]], for which King is a chairwoman. The fund was involved in The Reign, too. John, who maintains a part-time residence in Atlanta, Georgia, became a fan of the [[Atlanta Braves]] baseball team when he moved there in 1991.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://mlb.mlb.com/content/printer_friendly/mlb/y2007/m09/d05/c2191343.jsp|title=Elton John goes to bat with Braves|publisher=MLB.com|accessdate=31 January 2010}}</ref> Every year since 2004, he has opened a shop, selling his second hand clothes. Called "Elton's Closet" the sale this year of 10,000 items was expected to raise $400,000<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.theage.com.au/news/people/elton-john-turns-rags-to-riches-for-charity/2006/04/11/1144521337887.html |title=Elton John turns rags to riches for charity - People - Entertainment |work=The Age |location=Australia |date= 12 April 2006|accessdate=25 February 2009 | location=Melbourne |first=New |last=York}}</ref> John was an honorary chairman of the [[Imperial Court System|Imperial Court of New York's]] Annual Charity Coronation Ball, Night of A Thousand Gowns on 21 March 2009. Other Honorary Chairs for the evening's charity event included [[Patti LuPone]], [[Idina Menzel]], [[John Cameron Mitchell]], [[Joan Rivers]] and [[Robin Strasser|Dame Robin Strasser]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.icny.org/tickets |title=23rd Annual Night of A Thousand Gowns |publisher=The Imperial Court of New York |date= |accessdate=1 March 2009}}</ref> John and [[David Furnish]] entered a [[civil partnership in the United Kingdom|civil partnership]] in 2005 after 12 years together. Their son Zachary Jackson Levon Furnish-John was born 25 December 2010 in California via a surrogate. Zachary weighed 7 pounds, 15 ounces.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.usmagazine.com/momsbabies/news/sir-elton-john-and-david-furnish-welcome-a-new-baby–20102712 |title=Sir Elton John and David Furnish Welcome a New Baby!|publisher=US Weekly |date=27 December 2010 |accessdate=27 December 2010}}</ref><ref>Levy, Glen [http://newsfeed.time.com/2010/12/28/welcome-tiny-dancer-elton-john-becomes-a-dad/ Welcome, Tiny Dancer: Elton John Becomes a Dad] ''[[Time Magazine|TIME]]'' Retrieved 28 December 2010</ref> Ingrid Sischy (and her partner Sandy Brant) and [[Lady Gaga]] were named Zachary's godmothers respectively.<ref> {{cite news| url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1360931/Sir-Elton-John-chooses-Lady-Gaga-godmother-baby-son-Zachary.html?ito=feeds-newsxml | location=London | work=Daily Mail | title=Sir Elton John chooses Lady Gaga to be godmother to his baby son Zachary | date=27 February 2011}}</ref> John ceased contact with his mother in June 2008.<ref>{{cite web|last=Pyatt |first=Jamie |url=http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/bizarre/3551544/Elton-John-and-mums-3y-rift.html |title=Elton has cut me out of his life for good ... it's painful |publisher=Thesun.co.uk |date=2011-04-28 |accessdate=2011-05-30}}</ref> On 29 April 2011, John and Furnish were guests at the [[Wedding of Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, and Catherine Middleton]]. ==Watford Football Club== John became chairman and director of [[Watford Football Club]] in 1976, appointing [[Graham Taylor (footballer)|Graham Taylor]] as manager and investing large sums of money as the club rose three division into the [[Football League First Division|First Division]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.watfordfc.com/page/History/0,,10400~65917,00.html |title=Watford | title= They shaped the club |publisher=www.watfordfc.com |accessdate=10 March 2010 }}</ref> The pinnacle of the clubs' success was finishing runners up in the [[Football League First Division|First Division]] and reaching the FA Cup Final a year later. He sold the club to [[Jack Petchey]] in 1987, but remained their life-long president.<ref name=WAT/> In 1997 he re-purchased the club from Petchey and once again became chairman. He stepped down in 2002 when the club needed a full-time chairman although he continued as president of the club.<ref name=WAT/> Although no longer the majority shareholder, he stills holds a significant financial interest. In June 2005 he held a concert at Watford's [[Vicarage Road]] ground, donating the funds to the club, and another concert in May 2010.<ref name=WAT>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/w/watford/8710452.stm Elton John gig boost for Watford] ''[[BBC|BBC Sport]]'' Retrieved 28 December 2010</ref> For a time he was also a part-owner of the [[Los Angeles Aztecs]] of the [[North American Soccer League]]. ==AIDS Foundation== {{Main|Elton John AIDS Foundation}} John has been associated with AIDS charities since the deaths of his friends [[Ryan White]] and [[Freddie Mercury]], raising large amounts of money and using his public profile to raise awareness of the disease. For example, in 1986 he joined with [[Dionne Warwick]], [[Gladys Knight]], and [[Stevie Wonder]] to record the single "[[That's What Friends Are For]]", with all profits being donated to the [[American Foundation for AIDS Research]]. The song won John and the others the [[Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal]] (as well as [[Grammy Award for Song of the Year|Song of the Year]] for its writers, [[Burt Bacharach]] and [[Carole Bayer Sager]]). In April 1990, John performed "[[Skyline Pigeon]]" at the funeral of White, a teenage [[haemophiliac]] he had befriended. John founded the Elton John AIDS Foundation in 1992 as a charity to fund programmes for HIV/AIDS prevention, for the elimination of prejudice and discrimination against HIV/AIDS-affected individuals, and for providing services to people living with or at risk of contracting HIV/AIDS. This cause continues to be one of his personal passions. In early 2006, John donated the smaller of two bright-red [[Yamaha (manufacturer)|Yamaha]] pianos from his [[Las Vegas, Nevada]] show to auction on eBay to raise public awareness and funds for the foundation. To raise money for his AIDS charity, John hosts annually a glamorous White Tie & Tiara Ball, to which many famous celebrities are invited. On 28 June 2007, the 9th annual White Tie & Tiara Ball took place. The menu consisted of a [[tuber (genus)|truffle]] [[soufflé]] followed by Surf and Turf ([[filet mignon]] with [[Maine]] [[lobster]] tail) and a giant [[Knickerbocker glory]] ice cream. 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&nbsp;million.<ref>{{cite news|last=Alexander |first=Hilary |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/fashion/main.jhtml?xml=/fashion/2007/06/29/efwhite129.xml |title=White tie and tiara ball - Telegraph |publisher=Telegraph |date=1 July 2007 |accessdate=25 February 2009 | location=London}}{{dead link|date=May 2011}}</ref> Later on in the event, John sang "[[Delilah (1968 song)|Delilah]]" with [[Tom Jones (singer)|Tom Jones]] and "[[Big Spender]]" with [[Shirley Bassey]].<ref>[http://www.chopard.com/worldwide/fl/eltonjohn07/eltonjohn2007.htm Chopard and Elton John - The White Tie and Tiara Ball 2007<!-- Bot generated title -->]{{Dead link|date=February 2009}}</ref> Tickets for the Ball cost £1,000 a head. The event raised £4.6&nbsp;million for his AIDS Foundation in 2006.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/showbiz/showbiznews.html?in_article_id=464885&in_page_id=1773&ico=Homepage&icl=TabModule&icc=picbox&ct=5 |title=Fashion guru Trinny shows...what not to bare at Elton's White Tie and Tiara party |work=the Daily Mail |location=UK |date= 29 June 2007|accessdate=25 February 2009}}</ref> ==Activism== On 1 April 2010, John joined [[Cyndi Lauper]] in the launch of her ''Give a Damn campaign'' to bring a wider awareness of [[discrimination]] of the [[LGBT]] community as part of her True Colors Fund.<ref name=DLM>[http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1262918/True-Blood-star-Anna-Paquin-reveals-shes-bisexual.html True Blood star Anna Paquin reveals she's bisexual] ''[[Daily Mail]]'' Retrieved 28 December 2010</ref> In the advertisement, John states: "Imagine walking down the street and wondering if this is the day you'll get beaten up, or even killed, simply because of who you are".<ref name=DLM/> The campaign is to bring [[heterosexual|straight]] people to stand up with the gay, [[lesbian]], bisexual, [[transgendered]] community and stop the discrimination. Other names included in the campaign are [[Whoopi Goldberg]], [[Jason Mraz]], [[Judith Light]], [[Cynthia Nixon]], [[Kim Kardashian]], [[Clay Aiken]], [[Sharon Osbourne]], [[Kelly Osbourne]], and [[Anna Paquin]].<ref name=DLM/> ==Awards== John was inducted into the [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]] in his first year of eligibility in 1994. He and Bernie Taupin had previously been inducted into the [[Songwriters Hall of Fame]] in 1992. John was made a [[Commander#Military and chivalric orders|Commander]] of [[Order of the British Empire|The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire]] (CBE) in 1995.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=54255|date=29 December 1995|startpage=9|supp=y|accessdate=31 October 2009}}</ref> For his charitable work, John was [[Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom#Knighthood|knighted]] by [[Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom|Queen Elizabeth II]] on 24 February 1998. In October 1975, John became the 1,662nd person to receive a star on the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]].<ref>[http://unitproj.library.ucla.edu/dlib/lat/display.cfm?ms=uclalat_1429_b754_281662&searchType=subject&subjectID=214016 Elton John receiving his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, 1975], a ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' photo from the UCLA [[Charles E. Young Research Library]] website</ref> He became a recipient of a [[Kennedy Center|Kennedy Center Honor]] in 2004, and a [[Disney Legends]] Award in 2006. In 2010, Elton John was awarded with the [[PRS for Music]] [[Heritage Award]], which was erected, on The Namaste Lounge Pub in Watford, where Elton performed his first ever gig.<ref>{{cite web|last=Ashton |first=Robert |url=http://www.musicweek.com/story.asp?sectioncode=1&storycode=1041250&c=1 |title=Heritage Award for Elton John venue |publisher=Music Week |date=24 May 2010 |accessdate=6 August 2010}}</ref> Music awards include the [[Academy Award for Best Original Song]] for "[[Can You Feel The Love Tonight]]" from [[The Lion King]] (award shared with Tim Rice); the [[Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song]] in 1994 for "Can You Feel The Love Tonight" from The Lion King (award shared with Tim Rice); and the [[Tony Award for Best Original Score]] in 2000 for [[Aida (musical)|Elton John and Tim Rice's Aida]] (award shared with Tim Rice) John has six [[Grammy Awards]]: * 1987 - [[Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group]] with Vocal for "That's What Friends Are For", performed by Dionne Warwick & Friends (award shared with Dionne Warwick, Gladys Knight & Stevie Wonder) * 1991 - [[Best Instrumental Composition]] for "Basque", performed by James Galway * 1994 - [[Best Male Pop Vocal Performance]] for "Can You Feel The Love Tonight" * 1997 - Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for "Candle In The Wind" 1997 * 1999 - [[Grammy Legend Award]] * 2000 - [[Best Musical Show Album]] for ''Elton John & Tim Rice's Aida'' (award shared with Tim Rice, Chris Mountain, Frank Filipetti, Guy Babylon, Paul Bogaev and Frank Filipetti) ==Discography== {{Main|Elton John discography}} {{div col}} ;<big>Studio albums</big> * ''[[Empty Sky]]'' (1969) * ''[[Elton John (album)|Elton John]]'' (1970) * ''[[Tumbleweed Connection]]'' (1970) * ''[[Madman Across the Water]]'' (1971) * ''[[Honky Château]]'' (1972) * ''[[Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player]]'' (1973) * ''[[Goodbye Yellow Brick Road]]'' (1973) * ''[[Caribou (album)|Caribou]]'' (1974) * ''[[Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy]]'' (1975) * ''[[Rock of the Westies]]'' (1975) * ''[[Blue Moves]]'' (1976) * ''[[A Single Man (album)|A Single Man]]'' (1978) * ''[[Victim of Love (album)|Victim of Love]]'' (1979) * ''[[21 at 33]]'' (1980) * ''[[The Fox (album)|The Fox]]'' (1981) * ''[[Jump Up!]]'' (1982) * ''[[Too Low for Zero]]'' (1983) * ''[[Breaking Hearts]]'' (1984) * ''[[Ice on Fire]]'' (1985) * ''[[Leather Jackets (album)|Leather Jackets]]'' (1986) * ''[[Reg Strikes Back]]'' (1988) * ''[[Sleeping with the Past]]'' (1989) * ''[[The One (Elton John album)|The One]]'' (1992) * ''[[Duets (Elton John album)|Duets]]'' (1993) * ''[[Made in England (album)|Made in England]]'' (1995) * ''[[The Big Picture (Elton John album)|The Big Picture]]'' (1997) * ''[[Songs from the West Coast]]'' (2001) * ''[[Peachtree Road (album)|Peachtree Road]]'' (2004) * ''[[The Captain & the Kid]]'' (2006) * ''[[The Union (with Leon Russell)]]'' (2010) {{div col end}} ;Soundtracks, scores & theatre albums * ''[[Friends (soundtrack)|Friends]]'' (1971) * ''[[The Lion King (soundtrack)|The Lion King]]'' (1994) * ''[[Aida (musical)|Aida]]'' (1998) * ''[[The Muse (film)|The Muse]]'' (1999) * ''[[The Road to El Dorado (soundtrack)]]'' (2000) * ''[[Billy Elliot the Musical|Billy Elliot]]'' (2005) * ''[[Lestat (musical)|Lestat]]'' (2005) ;Films * ''[[Elton John: Me, Myself & I]]'' (2007) autobiography as himself * ''[[The Country Bears]]'', US (2002) as himself * ''[[Spice World (film)|Spice World]]'', UK (1997) as himself * ''[[Tommy (film)|Tommy]]'', UK (1975) as Pinball Wizard * ''[[Born to Boogie]]'', US playing as himself with Marc Bolan and Ringo Starr ==Elton John Band== {{Main|Elton John Band}} {{Merge from|Elton John Band|date=January 2011}} ==References== {{Reflist|2}} ;Bibliography *''Elton John: A Visual Documentary'', Nigel Goodall, [[Omnibus Press]], 1993 ISBN 0711930783 *''His Song: The Musical Journey of Elton John'', Elizabeth Rosenthal, [[Billboard Books]], 2001, ISBN 0823088928 ==External links== {{Wikipedia-Books|Elton John}} {{sister project links|wikt=no|commons=Category:Elton John|b=no|n=no|q=Elton John|s=no|v=no|species=no}} * [http://www.eltonjohn.com/ Elton John's official website] * {{IMDB name|id=0005056|name=Elton John}} {{Elton John}} {{Navboxes||title=Elton John honors|list1= {{2004 Kennedy Center Honorees}} {{AcademyAwardBestOriginalSong 1991–2000}} {{Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song 1990s}} {{Billboard Year-End number one singles 1980–1999}} {{Billboard Year-End number one albums 1970–1989}} {{UK best-selling singles (by year) 1990–2009}} {{UK best-selling albums (by year) 1970–1989}} {{UK best-selling singles (by decade)}} {{Polar Music Prize}} }} {{Use dmy dates|date=February 2011}} {{Use British English|date=August 2010}} <!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]] --> {{Persondata |NAME = John, Elton |ALTERNATIVE NAMES = Reginald Kenneth Dwight |SHORT DESCRIPTION = English musician |DATE OF BIRTH = 25 March 1947 |PLACE OF BIRTH = Pinner, Middlesex, UK |DATE OF DEATH = |PLACE OF DEATH = }} {{DEFAULTSORT:John, Elton}} [[Category:Elton John| ]] [[Category:1947 births]] [[Category:1960s singers]] [[Category:1970s singers]] [[Category:1980s singers]] [[Category:1990s singers]] [[Category:2000s singers]] [[Category:2010s singers]] [[Category:AIDS activists]] [[Category:Alumni of the Royal Academy of Music]] [[Category:Ballad musicians]] [[Category:Best Song Academy Award winning songwriters]] [[Category:BRIT Award winners]] [[Category:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire]] [[Category:English football chairmen and investors]] [[Category:English-language singers]] [[Category:English musical theatre composers]] [[Category:English pop pianists]] [[Category:English rock pianists]] [[Category:English singer-songwriters]] [[Category:English tenors]] [[Category:Grammy Award winners]] [[Category:Ivor Novello Award winners]] [[Category:Kennedy Center honorees]] [[Category:Knights Bachelor]] [[Category:LGBT composers]] [[Category:LGBT musicians from the United Kingdom]] [[Category:LGBT parents]] [[Category:LGBT people from England]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Musicians from London]] [[Category:People from Old Windsor]] [[Category:People from Pinner]] [[Category:People self-identifying as alcoholics]] [[Category:Religious skeptics]] [[Category:Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees]] [[Category:Silver Clef Awards winners]] [[Category:Songwriters Hall of Fame inductees]] [[Category:Torch singers]] [[Category:Watford F.C. directors]] [[als:Elton John]] [[ar:إلتون جون]] [[an:Elton John]] [[az:Elton Con]] [[bn:এলটন জন]] [[be:Элтан Джон]] [[be-x-old:Элтан Джон]] [[bg:Елтън Джон]] [[ca:Elton John]] [[cs:Elton John]] [[cy:Elton John]] [[da:Elton John]] [[de:Elton John]] [[et:Elton John]] [[el:Έλτον Τζων]] [[es:Elton John]] [[eo:Elton John]] [[fa:التون جان]] [[fo:Elton John]] [[fr:Elton John]] [[ga:Elton John]] [[gl:Elton John]] [[ko:엘튼 존]] [[hr:Elton John]] [[io:Elton John]] [[id:Elton John]] [[is:Elton John]] [[it:Elton John]] [[he:אלטון ג'ון]] [[ka:ელტონ ჯონი]] [[kk:Джон, Элтон]] [[sw:Elton John]] [[lv:Eltons Džons]] [[lt:Elton John]] [[hu:Elton John]] [[mk:Елтон Џон]] [[nl:Elton John]] [[ja:エルトン・ジョン]] [[no:Elton John]] [[nn:Elton John]] [[oc:Elton John]] [[mrj:Элтон Джон]] [[pl:Elton John]] [[pt:Elton John]] [[ro:Elton John]] [[ru:Элтон Джон]] [[simple:Elton John]] [[sk:Elton John]] [[sl:Elton John]] [[sr:Елтон Џон]] [[sh:Elton John]] [[fi:Elton John]] [[sv:Elton John]] [[th:เอลตัน จอห์น]] [[tr:Elton John]] [[uk:Елтон Джон]] [[vi:Elton John]] [[zh:艾爾頓·約翰]]'