On January 15, Elton John received an Emmy Award for his live-streamed concert “Elton John: Farewell from Dodger Stadium,” making him an EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony) winner.
Who Is Elton John?
Elton John’s distinctive blend of pop and rock influences established him as one of the 20th century’s music icons. He was musically brilliant from an early age, and his first self-titled American record, released in 1970, catapulted him to international stardom. Some of his chart-topping tunes are “Crocodile Rock,” “Philadelphia Freedom,” and “Candle in the Wind.” The five-time Grammy winner achieved success on Broadway, creating the score for Billy Elliot (2008), which won 10 Tony Awards. John was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1994, knighted in 1998, and will reach EGOT status in 2024.
Early Life and Career
Elton John was born Reginald Kenneth Dwight on March 25, 1947, in Pinner, England, UK. He developed his love of music at a young age and taught himself how to play the piano when he was just four years old. He was awarded a scholarship to a youth program at the Royal Academy of Music in London after demonstrating exceptional talent.
John had a tough connection with his father, Stanley Dwight, a Royal Air Force man. His parents split when he was a teenager, and he and his father disagreed about his future. John was intrigued by the sounds of early rock ‘n’ roll and aspired to a career in pop music. To his father’s dismay, John dropped out of school at 17 to pursue his goal. He began performing with a group called Bluesology and created his stage name by combining the names of two of the group’s members.
In 1967, John responded to Liberty Records’ call for a songwriter. He obtained the position and quickly collaborated with lyricist Bernie Taupin. The next year, the pair signed to the DJM label and began writing songs for other performers.
John’s first break as a singer came with his 1969 album Empty Sky, which featured songs by John and Taupin. While that track failed to gain traction, his 1970 self-titled album had his first success, “Your Song.” More songs quickly followed, including No. 1 hits like “Crocodile Rock,” “Bennie and the Jets,” and “Island Girl.” During this period, John released several successful albums, including “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” in 1973 and “Rock of the Westies” in 1975.
John, one of the top acts of the 1970s, became equally well-known for his live performances. For his spectacular concerts, he wore extravagant clothes and eyewear. In an interview with W, John said, “I wasn’t a s.ex 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.”
“Don’t Go Breaking My Heart”
In 1976, John returned to the top of the charts with “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart,” a duet with Kiki Dee. He quickly chose to take a sabbatical from music and devote his time to his soccer team, which he co-owned in England.
Around this period, John openly admitted to being bisexual (he later came out as gay). John was mocked and teased at the time because of his sexual orientation. After the uproar subsided, he triumphantly returned to music in 1979 with the album A Single Man.
“Little Jeannie” and “Empty Garden”
Despite the fact that he did not produce any big hits in the 1980s, John remained popular. Some of the most notable songs from this period include the ballads “Little Jeannie” and “Empty Garden (Hey, Hey Johnny),” the latter composed in memorial to his friend John Lennon of the Beatles, who was slain in 1980.
“Can You Feel the Love Tonight”
John collaborated with lyricist Tim Rice on various projects as he expanded his creative horizons. John won his first Academy Award for Best Original Song and a Grammy for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for “Can You Feel the Love Tonight,” a song from the 1994 animated classic The Lion King. John and Rice won a Tony Award for Best Original Score in 2000 for their musical Aida.
Around this time, John got several distinctions. In 1994, he was admitted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The next year, Queen Elizabeth II elevated John to Commander of the Order of the British Empire. Several years later, the queen knighted him, officially naming him Sir Elton John.
“Candle in the Wind 1997”
While he loved the acclaim and praise, he was soon overcome with grief. In the summer of 1997, John lost two close friends: fashion designer Gianni Versace and Princess Diana. He recreated one of his greatest songs, “Candle in the Wind,” as a memorial to Princess Diana, with the earnings benefiting a charitable fund formed in her honor. “Candle in the Wind 1997” was a huge success, selling over 30 million copies that year and earning the pop star another Grammy.
Later Albums and Broadway
John continues to record new music later in his long career. In 2006, he released The Captain & the Kid, a sequel to his earlier autobiographical work, Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy (1975). He collaborated with Leon Russell on 2010’s The Union, resulting in a joint tour. John released his 30th studio album, The Diving Board (2013), produced by T Bone Burnett.
In February 2016, John released his 33rd studio album, Wonderful Crazy Night, which received mostly excellent reviews. The album featured the Elton John Band, with whom he had already collaborated a decade before.
John, a popular songwriter, helped bring Billy Elliott the Musical to the stage. The show, based on the 2000 film, premiered on Broadway in 2008 and instantly became a critical and commercial success. John produced and composed the 2011 animated picture Gnomeo & Juliet.
Despite his toned-down stage presence, John remained a very successful live performer. In 2012, he performed alongside Ozzy Osbourne, Eric Clapton, Stevie Wonder, and Paul McCartney to commemorate Queen Elizabeth II’s 60th year on the monarchy.
Rocketman
Around this time, it was disclosed that John and his husband were working on a biopic about the iconic singer called Rocketman. The film, starring Taron Egerton, ultimately crossed the finish line with its presentation at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2019, gaining acclaim for its whimsical musical moments and honest portrayal of John’s sexuality. The artist published his autobiography, Me, later that year.
In January 2020, John and Taupin won the Golden Globe for Best Original Song – Motion Picture for Rocketman’s “(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again.” Surprisingly, it was their first joint prize after more than 50 years of co-writing some of popular music’s biggest hits. The following month, the team won their second Academy Award together, this time for Best Original Song.
Farewell Tour
On January 24, 2018, John announced his retirement from the road following his scheduled Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour. “My priorities have changed,” he stated, referring to his desire to spend more time with his husband, David, and their children. “In 2015, David and I got down to plan a school timetable… “I don’t want to miss too much of this.”
That year also saw the end of his Las Vegas engagement, “The Million Dollar Piano,” which concluded with a May 17 performance at Caesars Palace.
Ultimately, supporters got numerous opportunities to see John before he embarked on a new phase of his career. The international Farewell Tour began on September 8, 2018 and is planned to end in 2021. However, the COVID-19 epidemic caused a delay, which was later prolonged so John could heal from a hip injury. Beginning in January 2022, John performed his final show in the United States in November 2022 in Los Angeles before concluding his 330th—and final—concert on July 8, 2023, in Stockholm.
“I don’t think it will sink in for a while yet that I’ve finally finished touring,” John said in a statement to Entertainment Weekly after the final show. “I can’t tell you how much I’m going to miss the fans and how much their support has humbled me—it will stay with me forever.”
The Farewell Tour was the first concert series to generate more than $800 million in ticket sales before surpassing the $900 million threshold. These records spurred it to an even greater feat: the highest-grossing tour in history. By the end of its run, the Farewell Tour had earned $939.1 million. However, the title was short-lived, as Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour took it in December 2023.
In a live-streamed concert special titled Elton John: Farewell from Dodger Stadium, the British music icon marked the end of his tour. It captured John’s final concert in the United States, which took place on November 20, 2022, in Los Angeles.Dua Lipa, Kiki Dee, and Brandi Carlile all performed throughout the three-hour event. In January 2024, John gained EGOT status when the program he executive produced won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Live Variety program. He is the 19th individual to win Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony awards.
Elton John AIDS Foundation
In 1990, John entered recovery after struggling with substance usage, including cocaine, which may have led to severe epileptic seizures. The newly sober musical star, overjoyed with his second chance at life, quickly established his own humanitarian organization to aid in the battle against AIDS. The Elton John AIDS Foundation, founded in the United States in 1992, has raised over $565 million to fund HIV/AIDS programs worldwide.
In addition to his own foundation, John supports other charities and artistic groups, including the Globe Theatre and the Royal Academy of Music.
In March 2020, John presented the iHeart Living Room Concert for America to benefit coronavirus relief efforts. Artists including Alicia Keys, Dave Grohl, and Sam Smith performed from their homes for the event.