There has rarely been a musician that has impacted the world as much as Sir Elton John. The pop icon has sold more than 250 million records, taken home Grammys, an Oscar and even found success on Broadway, composing the music score for the Tony award winning hit Billy Elliot in 2008. The now 72-year-old is currently touring on his extensive Farewell Yellow Brick Road World Tour, which began in September of 2018 and finds the artist performing in 300 cities through 2021.
Aside from the concluding trek, John is releasing an autobiography this October and will be further immortalized in the upcoming musical bio-pic Rocketman.
Born Reginald Kenneth Dwight on March 25, 1947 in England, the singer is considered one of the biggest music icons of the 20th century. From an early age, John excelled in music and released his first self-titled American album in 1970, launching him into superstardom. Some of his most famous hits include "Crocodile Rock," "Philadelphia Freedom" and "Candle in the Wind." He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994 and was knighted in 1998.
Along with a plethora of hits, John was equally famous for his live shows and extravagant style. Fans came for his beautiful vocals and piano skills, but stayed for the larger than life costumes and a performance only John could muster. In an interview with W, John explained,
"I wasn't a sex symbol like Bowie, Marc Bolan or Freddie Mercury, so I dressed more on the humorous side, because if I was going to be stuck at the piano for two hours, I was going to make people look at me."
In 1976 John released the smash-hit, "Don't Go Breaking My Heart," his duet with Kiki Dee, however took a hiatus from his music soon after. John had publicly announced that he was bisexual - later coming out as a gay man - and at the time, suffered intense scrutiny from the media and public. The "Bennie and the Jets" singer eventually triumphed over the naysayers and made a return to music in 1979 with the album A Single Man.
While the 80s remained a relatively quiet time for John in terms of hits, the singer produced memorable ballads such as "Little Jeannie" and "Empty Garden (Hey, Hey Johnny)," a tribute to his friend and fellow icon John Lennon of the Beatles, who had been killed in 1980.
Elton continued to wow the world with his creative genius, partnering with talented lyricist Tim Rice, where they worked on the soundtrack for the 1994 animated hit The Lion King and one of the film's songs, "Can You Feel the Love Tonight." The song brought John his first Academy Award win for Best Original Song and the two later earned a Tony Award for Best Original Score in 2000 for their musical Aida.
Today, Elton John is a household name alongside many musical legends. While it's disheartening to know John will conclude his touring career fairly soon, there's is still much to look forward to from the pop rocker. From a film, autobiography to more musical projects in the works, John is far from leaving us in a musical lurch. Find the "Rocket Man" on tour now, with remaining dates listed on his website and latest setlist shown below.
