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TyronneElton John
August 6th 2007 02:14
Elton John
You like me, you really like me
A showman with few equals, from the flamboyant costumes to mega Diva attitude this piano playing performer commands attention. Whether in an intimate setting or punching the ivories in front of a stadium crowd Sir Elton Hercules John knows how to captivate an audience.
“The great thing about rock and roll is that someone like me can be a star.” - Elton John
Working out childhood issues of rejection and conservative values onstage Elton’s career was driven early on by a need for acceptance. Born Reginald Kenneth Dwight in 1947 his collaboration with songwriter Bernie Taupin is one of the most successful in the history of pop music.
Oh this old thing
After playing small time venues with limited potential in the late 60’s, it was in the uproarious 1970’s that he cemented his place in the anthology of modern rock.
Confidently strutting around in outlandish costumes with over the top charisma, John embraced the hedonistic excesses of the era. Consuming copious amounts of drugs, out of control in and out of the public eye this is the period universally acknowledged as the creative peak of his stage persona.
"Sometimes when I'm flying over the Alps I think, "That's all the cocaine I sniffed." We once tried to figure out how much money we spent on coke and alcohol. We were so disgusted that we stopped." - Elton John
Oh Im peaking now, for sure
Marking the arrival of hallucinogenic fuelled hits like Rocket Man and Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, his appearance in the Rock Opera film Tommy appropriately confirmed Captain Fantastic’s meteoric popularity.
Captain Fantastic Album Cover
Continuing to thrive in the 1980’s despite personal demons and conflicting ideas about his sexuality, even embarking on a 4 year marriage to a female sound engineer as an act of denial.
“I took hostages and prisoners and expected them to adapt to my lifestyle. This relationship is a very 50-50. That's the mistake I made in my past relationships. I've done a lot of work on myself. I'm 16 years sober. I don't run away and I don't take drugs. I deal with the situation and I have a partner in my life who is great and helps me to do that.” - Elton John
Salute your superiors
Despite the instability of his private life this was a prolific period for touring and album releases, the best remembered being To Low for Zero which included chart toppers like “Im Still Standing” and “I Guess that’s why they call it the blues”. Still he would never again reach the monumental success of his music from the previous decade.
Frocks Happen
Still maintaining a level of excellence and professionalism on stage and in the studio, his Australian Symphony Orchestra shows are a highlight of the period. Mellowing with age and becoming comfortable in his own skin, family friendly Disney tunes and radio songs have dominated his later career.
“The only thing the record companies put out now is 'Best of,'” – Elton John
The energetic show goes on
Scheduled to Tour Australia solo later this year, armed only with his piano the bandless concert promises a more unique and refined experience far removed from his early extroverted days.
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Comment by Aaron Hart
Comment by Anonymous
Complete with a copy of his marriage application form, newspaper clippings and a letter from his solicitor.
He must have been on something!