Elton John - biography, information, personal life. Elton John vacations in Saint-Tropez with her husband and children Elton John years of life

early years

Reginald Dwight was born in 1947 in Pinner, UK. As soon as the boy was three years old, his mother, who took on the bulk of raising the children, sent Reginald to piano lessons. Reginald turned out to be a very gifted child and, having shown excellent results at the audition, got into the Royal Conservatory. After graduating from university, the young man created his own group, “The Corvettes.” The young musicians were inspired by the works of the great rock and roll performers, many of the classic rock and roll pieces were remade by The Corvettes. The young man spent all his time ensuring that he and his group moved up the career ladder. Soon the guys were offered to perform as the opening act for various rock festivals taking place around the world.

First steps to great success

In 1967, the singer released his first solo song “Scarecrow”; after its release, the young man changed his name to Elton John. DJM Records often supported Elton and allowed him to record music, but limited his time. Most often, Elton received a text and tried to write music for it in less than half an hour; if the process dragged on for a long time, then John put off the lyrics for the next time. The first shift in the musician’s career was the song “I’ve Been Loving You.” Sales were almost zero, but critical reviews and chart positions rose to the top ten. In 1970, the musician and his team managed to find the perfect combination of soulful ballads and rock in the album “Elton John”. One of the compositions, “Your Song,” rose to number 6 in the UK charts, although it did not achieve success in the United States.

Recognition on the native stage

Soon, to increase interest among the American public, Elton gave a concert at The Troubadour club. That same year, the singer recorded “Back Home” for the England football team, which took part in the World Cup. Following the release of this song, John released the theme album "Tumbleweed Connection", which reached number two in the UK chart and tenth in the American charts. The following year, the singer released a live album, which included the best songs of his repertoire. However, its release was not successful due to the fact that shortly before the release of the official album, a recording of the full concert, and not a trimmed sample version, appeared on the market.

First successes on the world stage

In 1971, Elton released another studio album, Madman Across the Water. The album took a leading position in the world charts and was noted as the singer’s most successful album at this stage of his career. The composition of the team with which John collaborated had already finally taken shape by 1972 and consisted entirely of true professionals in their field. By the time Honky Chateau was released, John had worked so well with his team that some of the songs on the album were written without his participation. Elton soon decided to create his own label, Rocket Records. Almost immediately after opening the label, Elton released his most successful pop disc, “Don’t Shoot Me I’m Only the Piano Player.”

Creating a unique stage image

In 1973, the singer created “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road,” the most successful album of his entire career, according to music experts. It was from the moment of the release of this collection that the singer began to attract attention not only with his music, but also because he stood out from other performers with his appearance and behavior. That same year, his label began releasing songs by other artists, and the singer himself signed a contract with his previous agency worth US$8 million.

In 1974, the artist created several covers of John Lennon's compositions. After one of the covers aired, Lennon made a bet with Elton that when the song reached first place they would sing a duet. Soon both performers were on the same stage performing "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds".

Group breakup

Shortly after the end of this concert, Elton went on a tour of the United States on his personal plane. In 1974, Elton released his eighth album, “Caribou,” the material for this collection was collected in just over two weeks. Overall the product was a commercial success but a critical failure for many. The same year, the artist was offered a role in the rock opera “Tommy”. A few months after the opera was completed, the singer released the album Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy, which chronicled his early life and rise to fame. At the end of the same year, the team that had accompanied the singer at his concerts all this time broke up. The busy schedule and physically difficult concerts tired many of the participants and Elton had to recruit other guys for the team.

First results of the new composition

The first performance took place on the largest stage in London; 75 thousand listeners attended the concert. The album “Rock of the Westies”, which was released immediately after the line-up change, became the tenth full-length disc.

In 1976, the new album “Blue Moves” was released; the material presented in this collection was different from everything Elton had done before. Filled with sadness and sorrow, full of tragedy, it attracted the attention of many listeners, which surprised experts who perceived the singer’s new creation with misunderstanding. The most successful moment in all of 1976 was the performance of the song “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” in a duet with Kiki Dee. In the same year, the singer openly admitted his gay orientation during one of his interviews.

Losing my voice and my best friend

In 1979, the singer was invited to the USSR, which at that time was quite conservative and rarely allowed musicians from other countries. In the same year, the singer, after a long period of time, managed to write the successful composition “Little Jeannie”. The top five of all charts was completely filled with Elton's songs.

In 1980, the singer held a free concert near John Lennon's house; exactly three months later, Lennon was killed in the same place. In memory of his friend, Elton John held another concert at which he performed the singer’s most popular songs, together with his wife and son, who was John’s godson. Much to the shock of thousands of fans, in 1986 the singer lost his voice during a concert. Soon he underwent surgery, after which his voice timbre changed.

In 1987, the artist was sued over rumors that he had sexual relations with children. After lengthy trials, Elton John was found innocent.

Beginning of depression

In 1988, a difficult period began for the musician; he began to experience depression. He practically did not appear in public and organized a large auction at which he sold his collections. Due to complex psychological problems, the singer begins to have problems with alcohol and drug addiction.

In 1990, he was hospitalized with bulimia.

In 1991, "Basque", a song released that year, had previously won a Grammy Award.

In 1992, the singer opened the Elton John AIDS Foundation, which researches AIDS issues. The same year presented listeners with a new collection “The One”. The album peaked at number eight on the US charts, ending its long period of failure. Soon the artist released another album consisting of duets; many famous performers were invited to create this product.

Cooperation between animation studios and theaters

1994 gave the singer the opportunity to create musical accompaniment for the animated film “The Lion King” from the Disney studio. The cartoon became the most commercially successful at that time and brought Elton three awards and several Oscar nominations. In the same year, the singer was honored to be included in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In the same year, the artist was granted the title of knight, which gave him the opportunity to use “sir” in his name. 1995 gave admirers of Elton John another album, “Made in England.” 1997 was a period of loss for the singer; his close friend and Princess Diana died, at whose funeral he performed the song “Candle in the Wind.” This song became one of the best-selling in the UK and brought huge income not only to the singer, but also to the country. In 1998, the singer released a disc with songs for the musical “Aida”.

Last years of career

The 2000s began for the musician with a project to create musical accompaniment for the cartoon “The Road to Eldorado.” In 2001, the first film about the artist’s life, “The Elton John Story,” was released. In 2003, “Are You Ready for Love” was re-recorded, which in the 70s did not cause any reaction from the public, but after re-recording and changing the arrangement, it took a leading position in the pop charts. 2004 gave the singer a soul mate, David Furnish became Elton John's official partner, and Elton soon became a father through a surrogate mother. The singer decided to focus his attention on concerts and various shows and did not release albums for a long time. In the last years of his musical activity, the singer held many charity concerts and participated in voice acting and writing music for cartoons. In 2017, Elton is preparing to appear on screen in the film Kingsman 2: The Golden Circle; this film will mark the singer’s debut on the big screen.

• Elton John has a knighthood and his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
• Elton John is a fan of the Watford football club, and in 1976-1987 he was even its owner. Interestingly, this eleven-year era saw the club's heyday, reaching the FA Cup final in 1984.
• In one of the episodes of the famous animated series South Park, Elton John voiced himself. He also recorded the song "Wake Up Wendy" for the album "Chef Aid: The South Park Album", created based on the series. The album also features Ozzy Osbourne, System of a Down, Joe Strummer from The Clash and other famous artists.
• In 1974, Elton John took part in the recording of John Lennon's song "Whatever Gets You Thru the Night". The musicians made a bet: Lennon promised that if the single took 1st place, they would perform this song as a duet at a concert in Madison Square Garden. Actually, that’s what happened.

Awards:

• Oscar Award for Best Original Song (1995)
• Golden Globe Award for Best Song (1995)
• Grammy Hall of Fame (1998, 2003, 2012)
• Billboard Music Awards for Hot 100 Artist of the Year (1997)

Every summer, Elton John, his husband David Furnish and their sons, 6-year-old Zachary and 4-year-old Elijah, vacation in the resort of Saint-Tropez in France. Now the family is vacationing there. On Sunday, celebrities with children were caught by the paparazzi while walking on a yacht. As usual, Elton John and his team traveled along the Cote d'Azur to be able to stop at the best beaches, and then stop at their favorite restaurant, Club 55, located on Pampelonne beach. Judging by the pictures, Elton John, his husband and children were in a great mood.

Elton John, David Furnish with children

Click on the photo to view the gallery

Elton John and David Furnish met in 1993 and began living together a year later. In 2005, after same-sex marriage was legalized in the UK, Elton and David decided to get married. They became one of the first in the country who decided to take advantage of the new law. More than 700 guests were invited to the celebration, which took place at the Town Hall of the Windsor Estate, including Madonna, Sting, and Mick Jagger.

At the end of 2010, Elton John and David Furnish became parents; a surrogate mother gave birth to their son Zachary. A couple of years later, in January 2013, their second child, Elijah, was born in the same way.

Children have completely changed my life. “I realized that the simplest things in life, like spending a minute with them, are more valuable than any paintings, houses or even a hit record,” Elton said in an interview with the Mirror.

However, in one of his interviews with the Guardian newspaper, John admitted that he was strictly raising his sons.

They receive three pounds each as pocket money, with one pound to give to charity, one pound to put in their piggy bank, and only one to spend as they please. They receive three coins and put them in three different piggy banks. To get money, they must earn it - help in the kitchen or in the garden. They must learn to understand the value of working and making money on their own, said Elton John.

Elton John is a famous British pop-rock singer and composer, one of the most successful musicians in Great Britain. During his fruitful and very successful career, the performer has already sold more than 250 million records, many of his songs and albums were in first place in the world charts. In 1980, 400 thousand people gathered for his concert in New York's Central Park. Edgerton.

He is the winner of numerous awards, including a Grammy and an Oscar, Sir of the British Empire (1998). In 1999, Elton was voted the best musician of all time by American listeners.

Elton John was remembered by listeners not only for his wonderful music, but also for his extravagant and unique stage image - bright suits and, of course, permanent large glasses.

Childhood and family

On March 25, 1947, a boy was born into the family of pilot officer Stanley and housewife Sheila Dwight, who received the name Reginald Kenneth at baptism. The Duyats lived in the county of Middles, which became a north-west London borough in 1965.

His maternal grandparents lived in the house next door, and they were much more involved in Reginald's upbringing than his father. The only child in the family, Reggie was overweight, wore glasses and was afraid of his father. Growing up, his son called him a “cruel snob.”

His mother, a very liberal nature, constantly brought home records that introduced the boy to music: the tunes of his childhood were jazz singer Kay Starr, instrumental composer Billy May and country singer Tennessee Ernie Ford. Later, rock and roll pioneer Buddy Holly became his idol.

At the age of 3, the boy, inspired by his grandmother’s playing of the piano, showed interest in the instrument and learned a complex waltz by ear. Even before he reached the pedals, he surprised his family with intricate melodies. His father bought him a used instrument for £68.

At the age of 11, the self-taught genius had already entered the Royal Conservatory in London, and became the youngest scholarship recipient in the entire history of the educational institution. At the audition, he reproduced by ear, without looking at the notes, the work played by the teacher by Handel.

Meanwhile, the relationship between the parents became increasingly tense. The father often went on business trips, but when he returned, he tried to impose new rules on his son: how and how much to eat, what to wear.

Once upon a time, my mother and father were in love, but by the time I was born there was no trace of this feeling left. They seemed to hate each other. My father was a strict, distant man with a terrible character. Mom loved to argue and was prone to depression. When they were together, they were either silent or quarreled. They quarreled mainly because of me, because of my upbringing.

More and more often, Reginald began to feel that Sheila and Stanley were staying together only because of him, and he was gnawed by a feeling of guilt. At such moments, he locked himself in the room, listened to records of his favorite Little Richard, Ray Charles and Jerry Lee Lewis and imagined himself in their place. But, he understood, with such an appearance he was unlikely to be able to become a rock and roll star.

Documentary about Elton John

When the boy was 13, his parents divorced. Despite the difficult relationship with his father, the breakup greatly affected his mental well-being. Stanley started a new family, and Reginald had four half-brothers and sisters, with whom, according to the musician, the man became more closely related than with him.

The mother married the artist Fred Fairbrother, with whom the teenager developed a warm relationship. His own father criticized his son’s choice, even after his divorce from Sheila. So, when the grown-up Reginald got a job at a bank, but soon left, Stanley was beside himself with rage. He wrote an angry letter to his son, in which he predicted his future on the street if the guy did not return to the bank. Unlike his father, his stepfather supported the musical young man.

2 weeks before graduating from the conservatory, Reginald dropped out of school, deciding to devote himself entirely to a musical career in rock and roll music. The guy got a job at a music publishing company, also played piano in bars, and then joined a group called Bluesology. He himself came up with his stage name, borrowing some of the names of the band members: saxophonist Elton Dean and singer John Baldry.

Music career

In 1967, Elton John met poet Bernie Taupin. Both responded to an ad from Liberty Records A&R, whose representatives were looking for new talent. Neither passed the audition, but the failure was the start of something bigger. At the label, Reginald, having admitted that he had difficulty creating lyrics, received a sealed envelope from the organizer of the talent competition, inside which was a stack of papers with lyrics written by a man named Bernie Taupin.

The young people met and began working together, setting up a workplace in the house of Elton’s parents. Bernie came up with extraordinary lyrics that captivated the audience, and Reginald composed equally memorable arrangements. Taupin became a regular songwriter throughout the singer's career; together they composed more than thirty albums, and their very first song together was “Your Song.”

It was not published immediately; it was released as the second single in Elton John’s second album, “Elton John,” which was released in 1970. And the first single “I’ve Been Loving You” (1968), like the first album “Empty Sky” (1969), turned out to be a commercial failure. The second disc introduced the talented performer not only to the British but also to the American public, and so successfully that the disc received a Grammy nomination as Best Album of the Year. And the single “Your song” became a hit, which Elton John still performs at every concert. In May 1970 he performed it live on the BBC.

Elton John – Your Song (1970, live on BBC)

In an interview with Rolling Stone, John Lennon recalled the following:

I heard “Your Song” in America and thought: “This is the first time something new has come out since we came out.” This was a step forward. There was something in his voice that lifted the entire British music scene a little higher.

In 1970, the aspiring musician was noticed by Steve Brown, who worked in the advertising department of the EMI music label. With his assistance, Elton John's compositions began to be played on the radio, and soon the performer was invited to tour in the United States. In September of the same year, Elton performed brilliantly at the Troubadour club, met his idol, singer and composer Leon Russell, and, after spending three weeks in the States, returned home, intoxicated by attention.

A month later, Elton gave a large-scale tour in the United States, as a result of which The Time called him a “musical superman” capable of surpassing all the cult bands of the 60s.

In 1971, Reginald Kenneth Dwight officially changed his name to Elton Hercules John.

Even then, the extravagant image of the singer began to take shape, which can still be recognized today by his exaggerated glasses (a compromise between myopia and style), of which he had more than 4 thousand during his career, and provocative stage costumes in the style of glam rock, which was fashionable at the start of his career . He deliberately brought stage costumes to the point of absurdity, for example the costume of a giant chicken.

At the dawn of his career, critics predicted the imminent decline of Elton John, believing that “Eltonomania” was a temporary phenomenon caused by the public’s interest in the singer’s flashy outfits and outrageous behavior on stage. How wrong they were.

Elton John glasses

The composition from the album “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” (1973) “Candle in the Wind”, dedicated to Marilyn Monroe, who died 11 years earlier, made Elton a supernova in the music world. The song took 347th place in the ranking of the 500 best songs of all time according to Rolling Stone, the most authoritative music publication.

The album itself, which included 16 more songs, initially met with rejection from critics, who called the record “long,” but later “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” was recognized as the best album in Elton John’s discography.

The singer confirmed his high status with the following successful albums “Caribou” (1974) and “Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy” (1975).

In 2015, Elton John delighted fans with a performance at a concert by Ed Sheeran, with whom he performed his famous song “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” and Sheeran’s composition “Afire Love”.

In 2016, the singer presented his 32nd studio album, “Wonderful Crazy Night,” which ultimately became the last in his busy career. In 2017, Elton appeared in a cameo role in the popular spy action film Kingsman: The Golden Circle, starring Colin Firth and Taron Egerton.

Elton John's personal life

According to Elton John, he remained a virgin until the age of 23, and had his first sexual contact with a man, his producer John Reed.

After this, the singer was in close relationships with women. Thus, he had a serious relationship with his secretary Lina Woodrow, whom he met at the very beginning of his career, during a tour with Bluesology. They lived together and were even engaged, but Elton was not happy. He was tormented by thoughts of death, but did not have the courage to break off the relationship. He tried to commit suicide, but thanks to his friend, musician Long John Baldry, he decided to cancel the wedding. The song “Someone Saved My Life Tonight” is dedicated to this episode of his life.

In 1976, Elton John admitted to the press that he liked both women and men. The press attacks that followed the revelations provoked severe depression in the musician. Elton began to abuse alcohol and drugs. Later he managed to survive this unfavorable period.

In 1984, he tied the knot with 28-year-old German woman Renata Blaeul. The marriage was not happy. Perhaps the musician’s cocaine addiction took its toll. After 4 years, Elton filed for divorce.

After the divorce, in 1988, Elton John came out, admitting that he was not interested in women at all. He no longer hid his homosexuality, had numerous affairs, and met the love of his life in 1993. Elton's chosen one was Canadian director David Furnish.

In 2005, a marriage ceremony was held at Windsor Castle, followed by a banquet attended by more than 700 guests. Among them were Prime Minister Tony Blair, Ozzy Osbourne, Elton John and David Furnish with their children

In 2014, shortly after the legalization of same-sex marriage in the UK, the couple got married on the 9th anniversary of their civil relationship.

In December 2017, Sheila Dwight, Elton John's mother, died. Before this, they had not maintained a relationship for 8 years: the mother did not hide her hostility towards her son’s chosen one, but 2 years before her death they finally reconciled. Elton's father died back in 1991, and his son never became close to him.

John has always been known for his passion for expensive cars, luxury homes and shopping sprees. Already at the beginning of his career, Elton had his own Boeing for tour flights.

Elton John now

In 2018, Sir Elton John announced a farewell world tour and the cessation of concert activities. From now on, he intends to devote all his time to his happy family.

In 2019, the film “Rocketman” was released on big screens, telling a wide audience about Elton John’s thorny path to fame. The great musician was played by the young actor Taron Egerton. All songs in the film are performed by Elton; Taron was able to very subtly imitate the timbre of a musician’s voice, but he was unable to master the piano, despite lessons with a tutor.

Elton John very warmly reviewed both the film itself and Egerton's performance. According to the musician, Taron treated the source material (Elton John's diaries, which he gave the actor to study before filming) very carefully.

I sat and looked at myself, 15 minutes into the movie I was crying.

There is probably not a single person in the world who does not know who Sir Elton John is. He is the most successful rock musician in the entire United Kingdom. Experts estimate his current fortune at 260 million US dollars. And that's not counting the fact that the composer donated $1 billion to charity. John managed to win all his fans thanks to his unique voice, captivating piano music and piercing lyrics of his songs. Over the course of his career, the singer managed to sell more than 250 million records and had an incredible influence on the spread of soft rock.

The composer's childhood

Sir Elton John was named Reginald Dwight at birth. And a great event happened on March 25, 1947 in the cozy English town of Pinner. Since the boy’s father was a military man, he appeared at home extremely rarely. In 1962, the parents of the future knight divorced, and his mother took over his upbringing. Later, my mother’s second husband also joined the educational process, with whom Elton established a good relationship.

The future Sir Elton John, while still very young, began to show excellent musical creativity. Already at the age of four he began attending piano lessons. And after several years, young Reginald was able to reproduce any classical composition. For this he received the nickname "prodigy." At the age of eleven, Dwight was already a scholarship student at the Royal Conservatory, where he subsequently studied for six years.

The rocker began his musical career quite early. Together with friends in 1960, he organized the group The Corvettes. It was a blues band that later renamed itself Bluesology. During the day, the future king of the music world worked part-time in a music publishing house, and when night fell he played in various bars and taverns. The group's success was stunning, and in the mid-1960s the team toured America with all its might.

Becoming popular

During this period, Sir Elton John (then still Reginald) met Long John Baldry. He later began organizing performances for the group. A little later, Dwight and Bernie Taupin meet. The artist still collaborates with him today. The first song of this tandem appeared in 1967. It was called Scarecrow. In 1968, the guys released the single I've Been Loving You. Before this time, the singer had already performed under the now famous pseudonym Elton John.

Elton released his first solo record in 1969. It appeared under the name Empty Sky. It was not a market success, but it received excellent reviews. In 1970, Elton John (sir) recorded the album Elton John, which contained the formula for success. Both lyrical ballads and hard rock songs were provided here. Then John played his first solo concert. It took place in Los Angeles and was a fabulous success. The singer's performance style created a sensation and aroused admiration among the audience and critics.

The singer was then invited to participate in the creation of the anthem for the English football team, to which John agreed with great pleasure. In 1971 he released the album Madman Across the Water.

From the 1980s to the 2000s

A little later we will find out why Elton John is a sir, but for now we will deal with the events of his life and work throughout the 1980-2000s. In 1980, the rocker gave a charity concert in front of an audience of four hundred thousand. The show took place in Central Park in New York City. And in 1986, the maestro lost his voice. He was destined to undergo an operation, which subsequently changed the timbre of his voice forever.

Elton John began the 1990s with hospital treatment. In the hospital he was treated for drug addiction, bulimia and alcoholism. In 1994, the musician received an Oscar for his song Can You Feel The Love Tonight, which is the soundtrack to the animated film The Lion King.

During the 2000s, John collaborated with Tim Rice to create the theme for the film "Road to Eldorado". A year later, Sir John sang at the Grammy Awards with Eminem. In 2007, the star singer performed in the Ukrainian capital. And in 2011, the composer showed himself as a songwriter and producer of the film “Gnomeo and Juliet.”

Knight Elton John

In 1998, he received the title Elton John (Sir). This title was given to him personally by the Queen of Great Britain. was due to Elton's enormous contribution to modern pop music. The decision taken by the Royal House to award the singer such an honorary title put John on a par with such famous personalities as Paul McCartney, Isaac Newton and Terry Pratchett.

Same-sex love crowned by marriage

Sir Elton John and his husband met in London at one of the countless parties. The name of the celebrity's chosen one is After the meeting, the young people almost immediately began living together. And on December 21, 2005, men were practically the first in the UK to register their relationship in an official form.

The wedding ceremony took place in the Town Hall of Windsor Palace. The newlyweds held a large wedding, attended by 700 guests. Today the family has two children from a surrogate mother.

67-year-old British singer Sir Elton John and his partner, 52-year-old Canadian director David Furnish decided to get married after same-sex marriage was legalized in England this spring.

The private wedding ceremony took place at the Windsor estate near London and next door to the country residence of Queen Elizabeth II.

On the eve of the wedding, the singer posted a postcard on Instagram inviting everyone to attend the wedding, noting that “the whole world” was invited to his wedding. However, as it turned out later, the invitation was virtual. Only 50 of the couple's closest people were able to attend the wedding ceremony of Sir Elton and David, among whom were such celebrities as David and Victoria Beckham, actress Elizabeth Hurley and rock musician Ozzy Osbourne and his wife Sharon.

Let us remember that the musician met his common-law husband David Furnish in 1993, and in 2005 he entered into a legal civil partnership. During their time together, the couple had two sons - Zachary and Eli. It is noteworthy that the couple repeatedly tried to officially register their relationship, but due to the peculiarities of the legislative system, they could not register as same-sex partners.

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Elton and David's children, 3-year-old Zachary and 2-year-old Eli, were present at the wedding ceremony.

Victoria Beckham with her son at Elton John's wedding .

Actress Liz Hurley .