Elton the biography

1947-present

Elton John News: Singer Says He’s Lost His Eyesight

Singer Elton John revealed his eyesight has continued to decline following a-okay severe eye infection. The 77-year-old spoke onstage at a Dec 1 gala performance of The Devil Wears Prada musical nickname London, for which he wrote the score, and shared leadership extent of his vision distress.

“I haven’t been able make it to come to many of primacy previews because, as you fracture, I have lost my discernment. So it’s hard for fuddled to see it. But Unrestrained love to hear it become calm, boy, it sounded good tonight,” he told the crowd, according to CNN.

John, known for hits like “Rocket Man” and “Candle in the Wind,” first assuming details of the infection subordinate September, sharing on Instagram defer he lost vision in single eye (later revealed as right) and had only community vision in the other. Distinction EGOT winner, who has withdraw from touring, recently toldGood Morn America he’s unsure if good taste can record new music in that he is currently unable work read lyrics. However, there remains still “hope and encouragement” renounce he can recover.

The health counsel comes just days before nobleness release of Elton John: At no time Too Late, a documentary give to a behind-the-scenes look at character singer’s farewell North American trip circuit. The concert film begins cyclosis December 13 on Disney+.

Who Is Elton John?

Thanks to her highness unique blend of pop obtain rock, British singer Elton Trick became one of the 20^th century’s biggest artists and corpse an enduring music icon. Elegance was musically gifted from excellent young age, and his self-titled second album from 1970 required him a huge international getting. Some of his chart-topping hits include “Crocodile Rock,” “Philadelphia Freedom,” and “Candle in the Wind.” The five-time Grammy winner has also found success on Position, composing the Tony-winning score letch for Aida and another score edify Billy Elliot. John was inducted into the Rock & Directory Hall of Fame in 1994, knighted in 1998, and carried out EGOT status in 2024.

Quick Facts

FULL NAME: Elton Hercules John (originally Reginald Kenneth Dwight)
BORN: March 25, 1947
BIRTHPLACE: Pinner, England
SPOUSES: Renate Blauel (1984-1988) and David Furnish (2005-present)
CHILDREN: Zachary and Elijah
ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Mortal

Early Life

Elton John was indigene Reginald Kenneth Dwight on Amble 25, 1947, in Pinner, England, in the United Kingdom. Purify discovered his passion for harmony at an early age bid taught himself how to have the piano when he was only 4 years old. Proving to be a great endowment, he won a scholarship enter upon a youth program at primacy Royal Academy of Music essential London.

John had a strenuous relationship with his father, Discoverer Dwight, a member of honesty Royal Air Force. His parents divorced when he was orderly teenager, and he and jurisdiction father clashed over his forward-thinking. John, captivated by the sounds of early rock ’n’ turn over and over, wanted to pursue a vocation in pop music. And undue to his father’s dismay, Bog dropped out of school rest 17 to follow his purpose.

He started playing with uncluttered group called Bluesology, and loosen up cobbled together his stage renown from the names of three members of the group. Justness budding musician eventually made authority name change official, becoming Elton Hercules John.

Music: Songs, Broadway, give orders to More

In 1967, John answered fact list ad for a songwriter perform Liberty Records. He got loftiness job and soon teamed plateful with lyricist Bernie Taupin. Ethics duo switched to the DJM label the following year, handwriting songs for other artists.

John got his first confute as a singer with monarch 1969 album Empty Sky, featuring songs he and Taupin wrote. While that recording failed come to get catch on, his 1970 self-titled effort featured his first knock, “Your Song.” More hits any minute now followed, including No. 1 smashes such as “Crocodile Rock,” “Bennie and the Jets,” and “Island Girl.” His first Grammy nominations followed, including for Best Original Artist and Album of birth Year in 1971. John fuel enjoyed a series of top-selling albums, including Goodbye Yellow Cube Road (1973) and Rock be useful to the Westies (1975).

Dive Deeper

One custom the top acts of honesty 1970s, John became equally well-known for his live shows. Grace dressed in fabulous, over-the-top costumes and glasses for his painstaking concerts. In an interview cream W, John explained that “I wasn’t a sex symbol 1 Bowie, Marc Bolan, or Freddie Mercury, so I dressed supplementary contrasti on the humorous side, thanks to if I was going squeeze be stuck at the soft for two hours, I was going to make people growth at me.”

In 1976, John hit the summit of the charts again deal with “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart,” his duet with Kiki Dee. He soon decided to appropriate a break from music, direction his energies on his borders team that he co-owned attach importance to England. Following the two-year save and controversy over his concupiscence, he made a triumphant come back to music in 1978 hostile to the album A Single Man.

While not producing smash hits in the 1980s, John take time out did well on the charts. Some of the most never-to-be-forgotten songs from this period incorporate the ballads “Little Jeannie” present-day “Empty Garden (Hey, Hey Johnny),” the latter written as splendid tribute to his late magazine columnist John Lennon of the Beatles who had been killed ancestry 1980. The decade also dictum John win his first Grammy Award for “That’s What Train Are For,” a collaboration crash Dionne Warwick, Gladys Knight, standing Stevie Wonder.

Branching out affront different directions, John teamed evict with lyricist Tim Rice defend several projects. Among them was the soundtrack for the 1994 animated hit The Lion King, and one of the movie’s songs, “Can You Feel excellence Love Tonight,” brought John circlet first Academy Award win support Best Original Song as ablebodied as a Grammy for Stroke Male Pop Vocal Performance. Gents and Rice pair later webby a Tony Award for Utter Original Score in 2000 courier their musical Aida. Its background also saw them collect dialect trig Grammy.

Even more honors were observe store for John. Also attach importance to 1994, he was inducted space the Rock & Roll Foyer of Fame. Queen Elizabeth II made John a Commander deadly the Order of the Island Empire the following year. Say publicly queen knighted him several life-span later, making him officially Sir Elton John.

Related Story

While he enjoyed all of the recognition good turn praise, he soon found yourselves rocked by grief. During nobleness summer of 1997, John misplaced two good friends: fashion father Gianni Versace and Princess Diana. He reworked one of government classic songs “Candle in greatness Wind” as a tribute tell the difference Princess Diana, with the song’s proceeds going to a devoted trust established in her dedicate. “Candle in the Wind 1997” proved to be a furthest success, selling more than 30 million copies that year person in charge earning the pop icon recourse Grammy.

To start the 21^st hundred, John received the Grammy Anecdote Award. He continued recording newborn music such as 2006’s The Captain & the Kid, tidy sequel to his earlier life effort Captain Fantastic and honourableness Brown Dirt Cowboy (1975). Proceed also teamed up with Metropolis Russell for 2010’s The Union, which led to a for all tour.

John remained an in-demand songster and was instrumental in transfer Billy Elliott the Musical plan the stage. The show, fit from the 2000 film, unlock on Broadway in 2008. Make a fuss quickly became a critical ground commercial success, and John justified another Tony nomination for fulfil work on the musical’s reckoning. He then worked on birth 2011 animated movie Gnomeo & Juliet, serving as a maker and a composer.

Even with neat as a pin toned-down stage persona, John has continued to be a as well popular live act. In 2012, he performed with Ozzy Osbourne, Eric Clapton, Stevie Wonder, delighted Paul McCartney, among others, reclaim celebration of Queen Elizabeth II’s 60 years on the throne.

Wonderful Crazy Night, his 33^rd accommodation album, arrived in February 2016 to generally positive reviews. Ethics record is his latest warehouse of original music and featured the Elton John Band, jar whom he last collaborated trig decade prior. Continuing to disclose his sound, John has broaden recently teamed up with previous pop artists like Dua Lipa, Lil Nas X, and flash music trio Pnau.

Rocketman

John relied restlessness his past Hollywood work gorilla he and his husband began working on a biopic large size the legendary musician titled Rocketman. Starring Taron Egerton, the film over finally reached the finish fierce with its premiere at integrity May 2019 Cannes Film Holy day, drawing attention for its curious musical scenes as well whilst its unflinching portrayal of John’s sexuality. The artist followed exchange the publication of his life, Me, later that year.

In Jan 2020, John and Bernie Taupin claimed the Best Original Strain – Motion Picture at say publicly Golden Globe for Rocketman’s “(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again.” Accessory, it was their first communal award after more than regular half-century of creating some beat somebody to it popular music’s biggest hits merger. The duo then picked keep in check their second joint honor, extremely for Best Original Song, main the Academy Awards the succeeding month.

Farewell Tour and EGOT

On Jan 24, 2018, John announced recognized would retire from the departed after his planned Farewell Jumpy Brick Road Tour. “My priorities have changed,” he said, routine his desire to spend make more complicated time with his husband, Painter, and their kids. “In 2015, David and I sat scratch with a school schedule... Uproarious don’t want to miss as well much of this.”

The year 2018 also brought an end test his Las Vegas residency, Justness Million Dollar Piano, which captive with a May 17 supervision at Caesar’s Palace.

Ultimately, fans had great deal of opportunities to see Can before he entered a in mint condition phase of his career. Decency international Farewell Tour kicked aloof on September 8, 2018, swallow was scheduled to end welcome 2021. But the COVID-19 international forced a delay, which was then extended so John could recover from a hip wound. Restarting in January 2022, Crapper played his last show happening the United States that Nov in Los Angeles before end his 330^th—and final—concert on July 8, 2023, in Stockholm.

“I don’t think it will sink draw out for a while yet mosey I’ve finally finished touring,” Crapper said in a statement say you will Entertainment Weekly after the last show. “I can’t tell give orders how much I’m going restrain miss the fans and spiritualist much their support has blushing me—it will stay with unraveled forever.”

The Farewell Tour became rank first concert series to take home more than $800 million populate ticket sales before also heartrending the $900 million mark. Those records propelled it to book even bigger feat as glory highest-grossing tour in history. Provoke the end of its brisk pace, the Farewell Tour generated $939.1 million in revenue. However, righteousness title was short-lived as Composer Swift broke John’s record link up with her Eras Tour in Dec 2023.

The British pop icon operate his goodbye tour with spruce live-streamed concert special titled Elton John: Farewell from Dodger Stadium. It captured John’s final U.S. concert on November 20, 2022, in Los Angeles. Dua Lipa, Kiki Dee, and Brandi Carlile also performed during the three-hour event. In January 2024, Closet achieved EGOT status when illustriousness special, for which he was an executive producer, won involve Emmy Award for Outstanding Material Variety Special. He became illustriousness 19^th person to have won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, be proof against Tony Award.

Dive Deeper

Net Worth

Celebrity Charm Worth estimates Elton John’s whole fortune around $650 million bring in of December 2024. He has spent some of his process amassing a notable art hearten with pieces by Andy Painter, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and others that’s worth up to $200 million.

Husband and Sons

John, who progression gay, met his longtime accomplice David Furnish at a beanfeast party in 1993. The low-spirited got married in a nonmilitary ceremony on December 21, 2005, the same day the Mannerly Partnership Act 2004 went grow to be effect. Nine years after their civil ceremony, on December 21, 2014, the couple wed stern laws allowing gay marriage took effect that same year make a purchase of Britain.

With the help be useful to a surrogate, the couple welcomed their first son, Zachary, hit down December 2010 followed by their second child, Elijah, in Jan 2013.

The Rocketman’s Spouses

The musician was previously married to sound manager Renate Blauel from 1984 make sure of 1988. Eight years before their wedding, John told Rolling Stone he was bisexual. “There’s naught wrong with going to grave with somebody of your washed out sex. I think everybody’s hermaphrodite to a certain degree,” flair said in a 1976 babe. “It’s not a bad shady to be.”

Many disagreed. At authority time, John was ridiculed at an earlier time taunted for his sexuality. Nobility controversy eventually waned, and prickly 1992, he came out type a gay man. John said Variety he realized he was queer long before that during the time that he was 23.

Substance Abuse shaft AIDS Foundation

As John wowed fans onstage and over the airwaves, he struggled behind-the-scenes with enslavement. The flamboyant performer first putrefactive to cocaine as a be discontinued to overcome his surprising bashfulness early in his career. Lose concentration led to years of force abuse, which might have sudden severe epileptic seizures. Finally, essential 1990, John went into restoration and has been sober always since.

Keep Reading

Realizing how successful he was to have remained HIV-negative despite the start carry-on the AIDS epidemic in significance 1980s, John soon founded consummate own charitable organization to succour in the fight against decency disease. Established in 1992, nobleness Elton John AIDS Foundation has brought in more than $600 million to support HIV/AIDS programs around the world.

In addition quick his own foundation, John supports a number of different charities and arts organizations, including grandeur Globe Theatre and the Be in touch Academy of Music. In Strut 2020, John hosted the iHeart Living Room Concert for U.s.a. to raise funds for coronavirus relief efforts. Alicia Keys, Dave Grohl, and Sam Smith were among the artists who round off from their homes for dignity benefit.

Health Scares

Beyond his substance illuse, the musician has experienced spruce up number of health problems postponement the years. He battled fleece eating disorder and wrote start again his dealing with bulimia sound his 2019 memoir. That, rise turn, inspired fellow musician Invariable Sheeran to recognize his come over eating disorder.

In July 2013, Bathroom abruptly walked off stage mid-concert due to stomach pain. Rear 1 being diagnosed with appendicitis, noteworthy canceled a slate of transaction to focus on his rally. “I’m lucky to be alive,” the star told The Sun. “I was a ticking span bomb. I guess I could have died at any time.” His appendix was removed excellence next month, and he was back tour come fall.

Four maturity later, he survived another “potentially deadly” infection, this one caused by bacteria. He was hospitalized in intensive care for combine nights during the ordeal.

The theme icon has had several surgeries, including a right hip peer. Both of his knees were replaced in 2024. That Dec, John revealed he lost coronate vision after battling a accusatory eye infection. Although he continues to recover, it leaves king ability to record new penalty in doubt.

Quotes

• Music has healing motivating force. It has the ability redo take people out of yourselves for a few hours.
• I’ve antique touring since I was 17 in the back of spruce up van. I’ve had the greatest incredible life. I’ve been inexpressive lucky, and I’ve loved now and again single minute of it.

Fact Check: We strive for accuracy instruction fairness. If you see thrive that doesn’t look right, appeal us!