MEMORABLE MONDAYS: Elton John

 If you want to look for someone loud, proud, and unashamed of their identities - then you cannot throw a stone past Reginald Kenneth Dwight. You probably have no idea who I just referenced. You probably know him better as Sir Elton John. With more than fifty top 40 hits, 300 million records sold worldwide, and one of the few to obtain an EGOT, it is hard to miss out on his stellar career. 

Elton John wa born March 25th, 1947 in Pinner, Middlesex, which is now part of the London Borough of Harrow. He is the eldest child of Stanley Dwight and only child of Sheila Eileen. He was raised in a council house by his grandparents. He began by playing his grandmother's piano, and learning songs by ear. He started formal lessons at 7. At 11, he won a junior scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music. 

John suggests his wild stage costumes and performances were a release after a restrictive childhood. His instructors said he played back like a gramophone record. He was considered a model student, but John said he resented going to the academy as he could scrape by doing the bare minimum. He even would skip classes to ride the London Underground. He left the academy before taking the final exams. While his mother was more free spirited, his father was more strict. Stanley was often disinterested in his son, and when home they would fight about John often. Part of this is his father wanting John to pursue a different career, like banking. When John was 14, his parents divorced. He became close to his stepfather and lived with them in Frome Court, where he wrote most of his early songs. 

At 15, with the aid of his family, John was hired as a pianist at a nearby pub. He was known simply as "Reggie", and played a range of popular standards. A stint with a short-lived group called the Corvettes rounded out his time. Although his vision was okay as a teenager, he began wearing horn-rimmed glasses to imitate Buddy Holly. 

In 1962, he and some friends formed a band called Bluesology. He ran errands for a music publishing company by day, and divided his nights with solo gigs and working with the band. By the mid-60s, the band had been touring musicians like the Isley Brothers, Major Lance, and Patti Labelle and the Bluebelles. In 1966, they became the Long John Baldry's supporting band. 

In 1967, John answered an ad for New Musical Express, by the manager for Liberty Records. At the first meeting, he was given an unopened envelope of lyrics written by Bernie Taupin, who answered the same ad. John wrote music for the lyrics and sent them to Taupin, beginning the songwriting partnership. Their first complete song was "Scarecrow". He began going by Elton John as a homage to two band members of Bluesology, Elton Dean and Long John Baldry. He would go on to legally change his name to Elton Hercules John on January 7th, 1972.

John and Taupin joined DJM Records as staff songwriters in 1968, and wrote material for various artists such as Lulu and Roger Cook. With advice from music publisher Steve Brown, they began writing more complex songs for John to record for DJM. The first was "I've Been Loving You". His debut album, Empty Sky, released in 1969. It was not issued in the US until later, with different cover art. 

The next album, Elton John, released in 1970 to great commercial success. Despite this, retrospective reviews consider the album heavily overdone. In spite of this, it is in the Grammy Hall of Fame and considered one of the top 500 albums of all time by Rolling Stone. The album includes famed track Your Song, and was produced by Gus Dudgeon. Dudgeon noted the album was not made with the intent of success, but to encourage other singers to use songs of theirs for releases. 

His next release, Tumbleweed Connection, released late 1970, and hit the US in 1971. It was inspired by country and western. Many felt it was inspired by them visiting America, but Taupin said they had not been yet and were very inspired by the Band's "Music From Big Pink". It being a concept album, there was no official singles released for the album. Retrospective reviews still acclaim the album, considering it a classic, and one of the best country-rock albums written by "London cowboys". His first live album was inspired a live shove aired from A&R Studios. It was not originally planned to be released, but it was so heavily bootlegged they decided to officially release it. 

Together they wrote the soundtrack to the 1971 film Friends, and then the next album. Madman Across the Water reached number 8 on the chart and includes acclaimed hit "Tiny Dancer". It was his first progressive rock release, and Yes keyboardist Rick Wakeman plays Hammond organ on two of the songs. Despite the success in the US, it struggled to chart in his home country. He would not revisit the progressive rock style again for several releases.

His next release shifted. Honky Chateau in 1972 became his first US number one album. It also includes acclaimed song "Rocket Man". The music was seen as innovative and Taupin's lyrics humoring. Modern reviews still praise the album, calling it one of his most unique and durable collections. The next album received success in both countries. 1973s "Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player" gave him a number one album in the US and the UK. Daniel and Crocodile Rock were both successful singles. John says it was the first album he felt comfortable experimenting with his style and vocal performances. This success and acclaim continued with his next release in 1973. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road consists of many major hits including Bennie and the Jets and the title trck. It is widely regarded as John's magnum opus, and has sold over 20 million copies worldwide. 

Also in 1973, John formed his own record label, Rocket Record Company. He signed acts to it, notably Kiki Dee and Neil Sedaka. John chose to sign a contract with MCA in 1974, which led to the release of his massively selling Greatest Hits album. He collaborated with John Lennon on his cover of Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds. Caribou was released in 1974 to more acclaim and became his fourth number one album in a row in the US. Despite its commercial success, the album was seen as a regression in his catalog. A "startling empty experience" one critic concluded. 

1975 release Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy was their first album to debut number one in the US instead of rising to the status. The album was an autobiographical take on he and Taupin's early days and struggles as songwriters. John himself suggested that the album is his finest work, with nothing commercial to it, just a story they had lived. Lead single "Someone Save My Life Tonight" references a 1968 suicide attempt of John. This year he also received his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. This would become a difficult time for John, as he had developed an addiction to cocaine and the eating disorder bulimia. 

By the time his next release came, his stage wardrobe had become even more eccentric. Rock of the Westies also debuted at number one. It would end his streak of number one albums in the US. This album returned to hopes of commercial appeal but also included a new band set up, since he dismissed Nigel Olsson and Dee Murray. His next release returned to his progressive rock attempts. Blue Moves in 1976 is considered some of John's most experimental work. It was his last to be produced by Gus Dudgeon until later. While it received lukewarm reception, some retrospective reviews see it as underrated and John himself sees the release as a personal favorite. In 1977, John said he was going to retire from performing. Taupin began working with other people, and John began only producing one album a year. 

A Single Man, released in 1978, was his first without Taupin as his lyricist. It instead had Gary Osborne, and no songs co-written with Taupin. It would be his first release to be officially released in the USSR. It has mixed reviews from critics on release. Instead of the usual lyrics first method, John came up with melodies first. His next release, Victim of Love in 1979, was inspired by disco and one of his worst performing releases. 1980 release "21 at 33" found him partially reuniting with Olsson, Murray, and Taupin along with shifting back to rock instead of disco. Little Jeannie was his highest charting single in 5 years in the US. 

1981 release The Fox was met with limited success on release but has had a reappraisal in recent years. Close to half the songs came from the 21 at 33 sessions. Jump Up!, the next release in 1982 fared better commercially and critically, but Taupin called it one of their worst efforts and utterly disposable besides Empty Garden. The next album, Too Low For Zero, saw a full reuniting with Taupin and a return to form. It was his second best selling release of the 1980s and spent a year on the Billboard album chart. In 1984, he would marry friend Renate Blauel. The marriage would only last 3 years.

1984 brought release Breaking Hearts, and would be the last to include all the core members of his original band. 1985s release Ice on Fire was met with little prise and struggled on the chart. Leather Jackets released in 1986, and John considers this his personal worst album. 1988s release Reg Strikes Back was a self-proclaimed comeback and his way of fighting back against bad press. The album cover is costumes that John sent to be auctioned off. It was his first album after his recovery from throat surgery the previous year.

The next album in 1989, Sleeping with the Past, was a return to success. It was also renewed inspiration, with John and Taupin feeling inspired by Billy Joel's album "An Innocent Man", choosing to also pay a homage to the R&B sound of the 60s and 70s. John credits the creative success to the certainty that some unpleasant chapters of his life were drawing to a close. 

His next release in 1992, The One, was his biggest selling album since 1976 in the US and reached number one in Germany. It was his first release since rehabilitating from drugs and bulimia in 1990. He considers it his first album completely sober. This year Elton John also came out as gay, rather than bisexual. John and Taupin signed a 12 year, 39 million dollar publishing deal with the largest cash advance in music history. In 1993, John released a duet album, Duets, to moderate success. 

1995 brought Made in England, and was dedicated to then boyfriend and future husband David Furnish. The album was seen favorably and had some chart success. Two of John's close friends would die in 1997. Gianni Versace was murdered and Princess Diana died. He asked Taupin to rework Candle in the Wind in honor of Diana, which Taupin accepted. He would perform this reworked version for her funeral in Westminster Abbey. It became the fastest and biggest selling single of all time, selling 33 million copies worldwide. The songs proceeeds were donated to Diana's charities. The Big Picture, his next album, met great commercial success although Taupin disliked the production of the album. 

John would have a bit of a break between major releases by working on musicals and movie soundtracks. He would do the music for the musical Aida, the movie The Muse, and the Road to El Dorado. John would continue his interest in musical theatre and scores into the 2000s. 

His first main release of the 2000s, 2001s Songs from the West Coast, was deemed by many critics to have the warmth of his early work. John said the album was very inspired by Ryan Adams' Heartbreaker. Peachtree Road, released in 2004, became John's only release where he is credited as sole producer. It had lukewarm sales but good critical reception. The Captain and the Kid, release in 2006, was considered a sequel to Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy, covering more of their life events over the next three decades. Due to being dissatisfied with Interscope's promotion of the release, it would be several years before his next release.

His second collaborative studio album, The Union, was centered around blues and country and released in 2010. His next solo effort did not come until 2013s the Diving Board. It was his highest charting US release since Blue Moves in 1976. It was met with warm critical reviews, but some considered the album formless. 2016 relese Wonderful Crazy Night received mostly positive reviews and a decent week of album sales. 

Since then, John announced a retirement from touring but first embarked on a three year farewell tour. He cited family as the reason for his retirement. Consisting of 300 shows, the tour would end in Stockholm, Sweden following rescheduled shows due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Biopic Rocketman was released about John's life in 2019. John released autobiography "Me" in 2019 also. Despite his retirement from touring, John says he intends to keep releasing music and has another album in the works. 

John's life is both unique and troubled, and his music can lead you to having a deeper understanding of this iconic artist.