Elton John (Reginald Kenneth Dwight), born in Pinner, Middlesex, United Kingdom, March 25, 1947.
. Anyone who has visited at least one of the legendary debut concert of
Elton John in the U.S. in the early 70's soon realized that the musical sky ascended a new superstar
. Then he was like a star of early rock 'n' roll, Jerry Lee Lewis, but not the style of execution, which was much softer and is based on a much better voice, but by his stage "antics". Like Lewis,
John graced their actions, pushing his foot bench and jumping up and down while continuing to "beat" crazy rhythms of the piano keys. But the only thing he could not afford a Jerry Lee, is a huge amount of costumes: from the image of a long-haired punk to fluffy tsiplenka.
John's demeanor on stage has led critics to believe that his career influenced his frills. Allegedly, he concentrated on his stage shtuchka to such an extent that his music has suffered, and in late 1971, some observers have suggested: the end of his career is not far off. But within a few years,
John showed ill-wishers of their unfounded conclusions, releasing several excellent albums, which confirm it as a rock giant mid 70. Then in the late 70's came a little break. Again in the press in doubt at the expense of his return to the scene, but at 80 he again became one of the best performers.
Start
Before becoming a musical sensation of the early 70's were years of hard study and work on yourself, which of course helped him withstand criticism. Family, in which he was born Reginald Dwight, belonged to the middle class. Since childhood he enjoyed playing the piano, and in 1958, when he was only 11 years old, he was invited to study at the Royal Academy of Music.
However, under the influence of new trends in music (rhythm and blues, rock), his interest in the classics, and he faded away for hours listening to rock and blues artists on the phonograph or the radio. He tried to imitate their style to play the piano and also began to learn to play the organ. Another teenager, he was moonlighting as a pianist in a small music clubs of London, and began writing his own music: the slow, soulful folk-blues to rock rhythmic.
In 1961 in his first speech to a young follower of the blues-rock
John Beldri (
John Baldry). Soon Beldri assembled ensemble called Bluesology, in which
Elton (then known as Reg Dwight) was a full member. In the mid-60's
Elton performed with this ensemble, which became one of the best blues-rock performers in England. In 1967, starting his solo career, Reg Dwight changed his name by combining the names of saxophonist
Elton Dean and Blueology name of the leader of the ensemble.
Rocket Man
Realizing that writing music for it is much easier than words,
Elton placed an advertisement in a London newspaper with a proposal to sotdrudnichestve with poet. One of those who responded to his proposal was a 22-year-old Bernie Taupin (born in Market Reisen, Lincolnshire, 22 May 1950). He began writing poetry while still in school, but at that time he was moonlighting at a local farm. It is hard to imagine a better match. For eight consecutive years was not a single song by
Elton John, the author of words to which would have been someone else but Bernie. In March 1968 the first single of
Elton "I've Been Loving You" was released in England. And in January, he became famous in the UK with the single "Lady Samantha". In 1969 he released his first album, Empty Sky and the single "It's Me That You Need". October 27 he wrote the song "Your Song", in the new year which fell in the top ten hit parade Billboard.
In 1970,
Elton John creates a trio with bass guitarist Dee Murray (Dee Murray) and drummer Niggelom Olsson (Niggel Olsson). The band debuted on April 21 at the Roundhouse stage in London along with groups Tyranosaurus Rex and Pretty Things. However, even then, he wrote many songs for his own repertoire, which differed in that began with a slow melody on the piano, turns into an explosion of energy - both in music and in the behavior of the composer on stage.
His reputation grew at home. He established contacts with several American record companies and one of them, Universal Records (division of MCA), signed a contract to release their records overseas. The first album by
Elton John in the U.S., released by the company in 1970,
Elton John, went gold, as well as Tumbleweed Connection, Friends (the soundtrack to the film of the same name), 11-17-70 recording of the concert, and Madman Across the Water.
In early 1972, his group went guitarist Davey
Johnstone (Davie
Johnstone). This year, gold was the album released by Uni, Honky Chateau, which included such hits as "Rocket Man" and "Honky Cat". The song "Crocodile Rock" from the gold album Don't Shoot Me, I'm Only the Piano Player (1973) reached number one in hitparada Billboard, while "Daniel" - the second. In April,
Elton started his own record company, Rocket Records, issues of distribution of its products involved in MCA. In October, a double-disc Good-bye Yellow Brick Road won first place in Billboard. At the end of the year Cash Box and Record World declared it the best performer year (the same as last year) and the same publication, along with Billboard named it the best performer hits of the year.
Another landmark year was 1974. Golden Caribou album, and
Elton John's Greatest Hits (MCA), . singles "Bennie and the Jets" and the remake of the song Beatles "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" - all took first place in Billboard, . "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" and "The Bitch Is Back" entered the top ten,
. Meanwhile, the growing list of artists, record buyout came at Rocket Records. Protege
Elton, Kiki Dee (Kiki Dee) appeared in the top twenty hit with "I've Got the Music in Me", while a veteran of the stage, singer and songwriter Neil Sedaka (Neil Sedaka) was in first place on Billboard with the hit "Laughter in the Rain". It was estimated that the proceeds of
Elton John this year amounted to about $ 8 million.
In January 1975 the U.S. finally comes out
Elton John's first album, Empty Sky, and immediately falls into the top ten. In March, he made his debut in film, . playing the role of the Pinball Wizard in the rock opera Tommy (Tommy) Another gold disc, . MCA released, . Rock of the Westies took first place in Billboard, . as singles "Philadelphia Freedom" and "Island Girl, . "While" Someone Saved My Life Tonight "only rose to fourth place, . Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy (original it includes biography of
Elton in the comics) took first place once in three charts,
. In July, his picture appears on the cover of Time magazine. Also,
Elton was awarded a star on the Walk of Fame in Hollywood, and October 25-26 Stadium Los Angeles Dodgers', capable of holding 110,000 spectators, was filled to capacity, but many more would buy tickets to this spectacular show, if they were on sale. Previously, the show reached such a scale only to the Beatles in 1966. In December, just three magazine named it the best-selling singer of the year.
In early 1976, the sarcastic couturier Mr. Blekuel (Blackwell)
Elton included in the list of 'most extravagant Women of the Year'. Recording his live concert Here and There was another gold album, Blue Moves was his first platinum album and single 'Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word' entered the top ten. His duet with Kiki Dee 'Don't Go Breaking My Heart' won first place in Billboard.
But in 1976 knocked off track by
Elton. This year, ended his collaboration with Bernie Taupin, partly due to the fact that Bernie wanted to develop their own career. Temporarily
Elton teamed up with poet Gary Osborne (Gary Osborne), he co-wrote song 'Amoureuse' with the first plate Kiki Dee, recorded on the Rocket, Loving & Free.
Osborne recalls that the idea of their collaboration was born of itself: "For some time we were just good friends and spent time together. Sometimes he would say that Bernie permanently in the United States, as well as my co-author Richard Coeur (Richard Kerr), so for us it was obvious to start working together, he's a composer, but I am a poet. I tried not to pay attention to it. Of course I was very interesting, but if it had to happen, it would happen, and if I refused to do so would terminate our friendship. This friendship was to me very important, although everyone knows that
Elton loves solitude, but with a lot of fun to spend time.
It was very interesting. For a long time he did not write. Typically, in between recording albums, he says nothing. It does not apply to those composers who can write every day or every week. But he writes very rapidly. I doubt that anyone can write faster than he.
In any case, he is very excitable person and we were playing backgammon, pinball and other games. One of those games was that we sat at the piano and on-stage singing lines from songs, composing a song gradually absurd. Once during the game began to appear quite normal song and twenty minutes later she was ready. It was called 'Smile That Smile', a song which we often forget when we are asked about the first of our joint work, because it is not written. I think he liked how it happened, and without any effort to play a melody, over which time he worked. I recorded it on tape, and the next day wrote the text. This song became the first in the new album A Single Man and was called 'Shine On Through'.
Then, we have not thought about a formal collaboration. This happened a couple of months later, when he recorded the song with the words of Bernie, and decided to record another song of his and two of our. Then I was the only person with whom he could discuss their ideas. During one break, he composed a little tune and I quickly came up to him words to the next break, we wrote another song, and then another. "
This approach, said Osborne, differed on how
Elton usually worked with Bernie. Taupin wrote the first word is always. "Earlier, Sir
Elton wrote the music to the words, but now everything was the opposite."
But Osborne was aware that he will have to work very hard. 'Hitparad Billboard pointed out that I was an uphill struggle, because people will compare one album, written by me, with eighteen written by Taupin song, and, as a gambler, I understood: the chances of eighteen to one against me. "
. Triumphant return
. Osborne forecasts were too optimistic
. The problem was complicated by the fact that
Elton could not recover from a break with Topino. This was reflected in his work in 1977: the single 'Bite Your Lip' and two unsuccessful album
Elton John's Greatest Hits, Volume II (October 1) and
Elton-Its a Little Bit Funny. (3 November). Output in 1978 the album A Single Man, who represented the co-Osborne,
John also was crowned with success particularly. Album differed little from the Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, and was similar to the earlier collection of
Elton, but critics were inclined to believe that he is worse, since its establishment did not take part Taupin. This album went platinum for sales results. But the following releases MCA (Victim of Love, 1979, and gold 21 at 33, 1980) were far from his best works, many said that it was another "rock-dinosaur".
When many no longer believed in the return of
Elton, he saved his energy, using every opportunity and even gave a few concerts in the Soviet Union. In May 1979, he became the first rock star who conquered the crowd of spectators in Leningrad and Moscow.
In 1980, he announced the cancellation of the contract with MCA and Geffen to sign a new. His debut album, The Fox (1981), released by Geffen, was the best for last time. In the new year, he returned to hitparady gold by selling album Jump Up and hits from the 'Empty Garden' and 'Blue Eyes'. For his concert tour
Elton once again assembled his group of the glorious 70's: Davey
Johnstone, Dee Murray and Niggel Olsson.
1983 remembered by the release of his golden plates Too Low for Zero, which was again set up with Bernie Taupin. Being a football fan for life (and a good player in his youth). he maintained a team of Uatforda (Watford), United Kingdom, during 1983. Together with the team he visited China at the invitation of the Beijing government.
In support of his excellent disc Breaking Hearts (Gold, 1984),
Elton went on a world tour, which broke all records for attendance. At the end of the tour, he reiterated that it was time to finish his career, although late summer, he told a reporter: "With the road and I'm so far this year, and it convinced me that we need to continue to work". Two years later, in a suit, in which, as written, it looked like a punk-Amadeus, he returned to his former opinion and again amazed the crowd spectacular performances around the world. His program included two of his latest hit from the top-10 'I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues' and 'Sad Songs'.
In 1986,
Elton teamed up with Dionne Warwick (Dionne Warwick), Stevie Wonder (Stevie Wonder) and Gladys Knight (Gladys Knight), to record the single 'That's What Friends Are For' (Arista). To name a simple 'Dionne and Friends', they got a Grammy nomination "For the best vocal performance duo, group or choir. At the end of the year on the shelves was an album by
Elton Leather Jackets.
In 1987, again in conjunction with MCA, he released the double disc Live in Australia, recorded with the Melbourne Orchestra Simfoinicheskim. It became an old-new hit "Candle in the Wind", Initiation of Marilyn Monroe, which was first recorded on the disc Goodbye Yellow Brick Road fourteen years earlier. Nobody thought that it could make a single.
In 1994,
Elton John Grammy winner for his song 'Can You Feel The Love Tonight' from the Disney blockbuster The Lion King. Another song from this CD, 'Circle of Life', a hit MTV Top-20.
6 and 7 June 1995,
Elton John, visited Moscow for the second time. Tickets for both concerts at the Kremlin Palace have been sold zaranee.On performed as old hits like 'Goodbye Yellow Brick Road' and 'Candle in the Wind', and new songs - 'Made in England' and 'Pain' from his new album Made in England.
In 1997, again became the popular song "Candle in the Wind". But this time it was dedicated to Princess Diana, whose death shocked millions of people on the planet.
Elton John - a great friend of the family of Queen Elizabeth.
In 2000,
Elton John received a Grammy for rock opera "Aida". Revenues from these submissions were sent to the
Elton John AIDS, whose goal is to conduct educational activities for HIV-infected children. In the same year, the soundtrack to your film, Steven Spielberg's "The Road to El Dorado, as well as" Aida ", created in collaboration with Tim Rice (Tim Rice).
. Official site
Unofficial page
Biographies
