Birthday: 25 March 1947, Pinner, Harrow, Middlesex [now London], England, UK
Birth Name: Reginald Kenneth Dwight
Height: 172 cm
Sir Elton John is one of pop music's great survivors. Born 25 March, 1947, as Reginald Kenneth Dwight, he started to play the piano at the early age of four. At the age of 11, he won a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music. His first band was called Bluesology. He later auditioned (unsuccessfully) as lead singer for the progressive rock ba...
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Sir Elton John is one of pop music's great survivors. Born 25 March, 1947, as Reginald Kenneth Dwight, he started to play the piano at the early age of four. At the age of 11, he won a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music. His first band was called Bluesology. He later auditioned (unsuccessfully) as lead singer for the progressive rock bands King Crimson and Gentle Giant. Dwight teamed up with lyricist Bernie Taupin and changed his name to Elton John (merging the names of saxophonist Elton Dean and Long John Baldry). The duo wrote songs for Lulu and Roger Cook. In the early 1970s, he recorded the concept album "Tumbleweed Connection." He became the most successful pop artist of the 1970s, and he has survived many different pop fads including punk, the New Romantics and Britpop to remain one of Britain's most internationally acclaimed musicians.Elton John announced he was a bisexual in 1976, and in 1984, he married Renate Blauel. The marriage lasted four years before he finally came to terms with the fact that he was actually homosexual. In the 1970s and 1980s, he suffered from drug and alcohol addiction and bulimia but came through it. He is well known as a campaigner for AIDS research and he keeps his finger on the pulse of modern music, enjoying artists such as Eminem, Radiohead, Coldplay and Robbie Williams. He was knighted in 1997. Show less «
My voice has gotten deeper and it's all down to when I was living in Australia. I could speak and on...Show more »
My voice has gotten deeper and it's all down to when I was living in Australia. I could speak and only barely sing. Deep down I knew that something was chronically wrong with my voice. It was polyps. The first thing the doctor said to me, "You smoke a lot of dope, don't you?" I gasped and said, "How do you know?" The doctor said, "I can tell by the way you're talking. If you're a singer, the worse thing you can do is smoke dope." We did the operation in Australia and it lowered the timbre of my voice. It's deeper, has more resonance and it's stronger. I used to be a piano player who sang and now I'm a singer who plays piano. Show less «
We should show that we are country committed to the sacred institution of marriage, proud of our tol...Show more »
We should show that we are country committed to the sacred institution of marriage, proud of our tolerant heritage, and brave enough to let lovers like David and I call each other a husband. Show less «
I like Simon Cowell, but what he does is television entertainment. There have been some good acts, b...Show more »
I like Simon Cowell, but what he does is television entertainment. There have been some good acts, but the only way to sustain a career is to pay your dues in small, shit clubs. Show less «
[2007] The Internet has stopped people from going out and being with each other, creating stuff. Ins...Show more »
[2007] The Internet has stopped people from going out and being with each other, creating stuff. Instead, they sit at home and make their own records, which is sometimes okay but it doesn't bode well for long-term artistic vision. It's just a means to an end. We're talking about things that are going to change the world and change the way people listen to music and that's not going to happen with people blogging on the Internet. I mean, get out there - communicate. Hopefully, the next movement in music will tear down the Internet. Let's get out in the streets and march and protest instead of sitting at home and blogging. I do think it would be an incredible experiment to shut down the whole Internet for five years and see what sort of art is produced over that span. There's too much technology available. I'm sure, as far as music goes, it would be much more interesting than it is today. Show less «
[on Hillary Clinton] There is no-one more qualified to lead America. I'm amazed by the misogynistic ...Show more »
[on Hillary Clinton] There is no-one more qualified to lead America. I'm amazed by the misogynistic attitudes of some of the people in this country, and I say to hell with them. I love you Hillary, I'll be there for you. Show less «
An overview of my career is usually ... glasses ... homosexuality ... Watford Football Club ... tant...Show more »
An overview of my career is usually ... glasses ... homosexuality ... Watford Football Club ... tantrums ... flowers. But the music was pretty phenomenal, you know. Show less «
[after being asked about his sexuality in the 1970s] I think people should be free to engage in any ...Show more »
[after being asked about his sexuality in the 1970s] I think people should be free to engage in any sexual practices they choose; they should draw the line at goats, though. Show less «
[2007] In the early '70s, there were at least ten albums released every week that were fantastic. No...Show more »
[2007] In the early '70s, there were at least ten albums released every week that were fantastic. Now you're lucky to find ten albums a year of that quality. And there are more albums released each week now than there were then. Show less «
The X Factor (2004) is a cruise ship show. I've got nothing against the people who go on - good luck...Show more »
The X Factor (2004) is a cruise ship show. I've got nothing against the people who go on - good luck to them. But I hate how they're treated. They're given an awful sense of stardom and pressure straight away but they're only successful until the next series. The record companies sell a lot of records and those people are gone. It's cruel. Will Young is the best thing that's ever come out of those shows. He has proved himself. But it's no way to find talent. I want to hear new songwriters, people who are creating their own stuff, not just singing my songs every week. Show less «
Queen were one of the bands to come out of the Seventies that were so innovative. I mean, when you l...Show more »
Queen were one of the bands to come out of the Seventies that were so innovative. I mean, when you look at videos today, Queen started videos off really. They were the people that had all the ideas to begin with. Show less «
[on performing at the Colosseum in 2005]: I love places that have an incredible history. I love the ...Show more »
[on performing at the Colosseum in 2005]: I love places that have an incredible history. I love the Italian way of life, I love the food, I love the people, I love the attitudes of Italians. Show less «
[on Live Aid (1985)] It was a wonderful time, it was a wonderful day and it's all thanks to Bob [Bob...Show more »
[on Live Aid (1985)] It was a wonderful time, it was a wonderful day and it's all thanks to Bob [Bob Geldof]. Show less «
[on "How Deep Is Your Love" by The Bee Gees] It's a great kick to see a song stay silent for a while...Show more »
[on "How Deep Is Your Love" by The Bee Gees] It's a great kick to see a song stay silent for a while and then a new generation of people pick up on it and think it's great. That happened with the Take That cover and will happen to The Bee Gees again and again. They have written some of the greatest pop songs ever. Show less «
[after breaking his fingernails by playing so hard] If I had one finger left, I'd play for you.
[after breaking his fingernails by playing so hard] If I had one finger left, I'd play for you.
The BBC Theatre is so small and compact, I love playing those kind of venues 'cause you can actually...Show more »
The BBC Theatre is so small and compact, I love playing those kind of venues 'cause you can actually see the audience and touch 'em practically. Show less «
I want to bring my songs and melodies to hip-hop beats. It may be a disaster, it could be fantastic,...Show more »
I want to bring my songs and melodies to hip-hop beats. It may be a disaster, it could be fantastic, but you don't know until you try. Show less «
I tried to commit suicide one day. It was a very Woody Allen-type suicide. I turned on the gas and l...Show more »
I tried to commit suicide one day. It was a very Woody Allen-type suicide. I turned on the gas and left all the windows open. Show less «
If there is a better singer in England than Craig David, then I am Margaret Thatcher.
If there is a better singer in England than Craig David, then I am Margaret Thatcher.
[November 2004] I've never lived in a time so vexing. I just want to scream. It's a nightmare. Bush ...Show more »
[November 2004] I've never lived in a time so vexing. I just want to scream. It's a nightmare. Bush [George W. Bush] and this administration are the worst thing that's ever happened to America. I'm just as angry at Tony Blair. You lied to us, Tony. It was like - these idiots think they can get away with anything! I voted for Tony. He's basically a nice guy. What happened? Is it because power does that thing to you, that you isolate yourself? It enrages me that people can just smirk their way through it. Show less «
I had a hell of a time last year [2004] and this is the end of it. I haven't spoken to Madonna since...Show more »
I had a hell of a time last year [2004] and this is the end of it. I haven't spoken to Madonna since. She's been in Kabbalah meetings ever since. I don't think I'll ever be forgiven for that one. Then I had the George Michael-thing and the Victoria Beckham-thing. I will keep my mouth shut now. Show less «
We focus so much on celebrity in our culture, and we don't focus on the right things. I hate the cel...Show more »
We focus so much on celebrity in our culture, and we don't focus on the right things. I hate the celebrity that is around now. The vacuous, talentless horror shows that get paid millions of dollars for nothing. Show less «
[on Madonna] Anyone who lip syncs in public on stage when you pay £75 to see them should be shot. T...Show more »
[on Madonna] Anyone who lip syncs in public on stage when you pay £75 to see them should be shot. That's me off her Christmas card list. But do I give a toss? No. Show less «
[on Dusty Springfield] Hers was the first fan club I belonged to. I had pictures of Dusty all over m...Show more »
[on Dusty Springfield] Hers was the first fan club I belonged to. I had pictures of Dusty all over my walls. Show less «
It's very hard to be a frontman. I mean there's not many you can think of that have actually pulled ...Show more »
It's very hard to be a frontman. I mean there's not many you can think of that have actually pulled it off. You can think of Jagger [Mick Jagger], you can think of Daltrey [Roger Daltrey], and then you can think of Freddie Mercury. Show less «
[on the album "The Diving Board" (2013)] It's the first album I've done with a piano, bass and drums...Show more »
[on the album "The Diving Board" (2013)] It's the first album I've done with a piano, bass and drums as the template for the rhythm section. We started with just the three of us and then we added stuff after we'd finished but we wrote and recorded everything with just the three people. That's how I started off but I've never really made a record like it. I went out to lunch with T-Bone and he said "You know, I want you to go back to piano, bass and drums. It would be really, really simple. I want the piano to be the forefront of the album." And so it seems to have worked. I've never been so relaxed in a studio, I'm playing really relaxed, and when you've got two instruments battling against you, it's not the same as having seven or eight. I've made 36 or 37 albums and I would never have thought of that and it's just so obvious to do. Show less «
The historic fight for equality must go on. Let's get on and legalise same-sex marriage. I know a lo...Show more »
The historic fight for equality must go on. Let's get on and legalise same-sex marriage. I know a lot of people will say we should count ourselves lucky to live in a country that allows civil partnerships, and call it quits there. I don't accept that. Show less «
[on Russia's laws banning the promotion of homosexuality] Is Tchaikovsky's [Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky...Show more »
[on Russia's laws banning the promotion of homosexuality] Is Tchaikovsky's [Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky] beautiful music 'sexually perverting'? Show less «
Some people don't get hyped enough, people like David Ackles, who could well be hyped as much as I'v...Show more »
Some people don't get hyped enough, people like David Ackles, who could well be hyped as much as I've been. But once you're successful, they're going to try to get as much hype going as possible. Show less «
I've dodged so many bullets. Not just because of unsafe sex, but because of the amount of drugs I di...Show more »
I've dodged so many bullets. Not just because of unsafe sex, but because of the amount of drugs I did, the amount of alcohol, the amount of work I was doing. I started the Elton John AIDS Foundation because I got so lucky. Show less «
There was no question: I was going to change, or I was going to die. And I desperately wanted to cha...Show more »
There was no question: I was going to change, or I was going to die. And I desperately wanted to change. I remember many days when I would sit alone in my room, drinking, using, binging, listening to Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush sing "Don't Give Up" over and over, weeping at the chorus. I was falling further down the rabbit hole with every gram of cocaine. But I couldn't - or, I should say, wouldn't - ask for help. Many people in my life suffered through my rage, my denial, my refusal to listen. I was an asshole and knew I had a problem. Show less «
[on the death of Donna Summer] I'm so sad. This woman was the queen of disco and so much more. Her r...Show more »
[on the death of Donna Summer] I'm so sad. This woman was the queen of disco and so much more. Her records sound as good today as they ever did. That she has never been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is a total disgrace, especially when I see the second-rate talent that has been inducted. She is a great friend to me and to the Elton John AIDS Foundation and I will miss her greatly. Show less «
[on Freddie Mercury] One of my very closest friends, a man whom I loved dearly, and a man who was lo...Show more »
[on Freddie Mercury] One of my very closest friends, a man whom I loved dearly, and a man who was loved by millions of people around the world. Freddie told me he had AIDS soon after he was diagnosed in 1987. I was devastated. I'd seen what the disease had done to so many of my other friends. I knew exactly what it was going to do to Freddie. As did he. He knew death, agonizing death, was coming. But Freddie was incredibly courageous. He kept up appearances, he kept performing with Queen, and he kept being the funny, outrageous, and profoundly generous person he had always been. Show less «
The great thing about rock and roll is that someone like me can be a star.
The great thing about rock and roll is that someone like me can be a star.
Everyone makes all the money off The X Factor (2004) and sells the records but it's the cart before ...Show more »
Everyone makes all the money off The X Factor (2004) and sells the records but it's the cart before the horse. What's the psychological damage going to be when you've humped and dumped them, and the next one comes along? They're a bit like products, to be honest with you. They're products, and the record comes out at Christmas, and it's always No.1, and then what happens next year? Why aren't they touring? Who's managing these people? Show less «
[on his unsuccessful album, "Peachtree Road" (2004)]: It is probably one of my lowest-selling albums...Show more »
[on his unsuccessful album, "Peachtree Road" (2004)]: It is probably one of my lowest-selling albums of all time. It was disappointing everywhere in the world, so I have to hold my hands up and accept that the songs just didn't connect. I'm proud of "Peachtree", but, if I think about it logically, people may have ten or twelve Elton John albums in their collection already. Do they need another one? Show less «
I think Jesus was a compassionate, super-intelligent gay man who understood human problems.
I think Jesus was a compassionate, super-intelligent gay man who understood human problems.
Nowadays, record companies want the quick buck from the Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears, S Club 7, S...Show more »
Nowadays, record companies want the quick buck from the Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears, S Club 7, Steps. They've always been around, I'm not knocking the music perhaps, but it's like packets of cereal. There are too many of them, too many of them are just mediocre. And I think it damages real people's chance, real talent, of getting airplay. It's just fodder. Show less «
I've always wanted to smash a guitar over someone's head. You just can't do that with a piano.
I've always wanted to smash a guitar over someone's head. You just can't do that with a piano.
[on Live Aid (1985)] I got there in a helicopter, yes, from my house in Windsor. Not being grand or ...Show more »
[on Live Aid (1985)] I got there in a helicopter, yes, from my house in Windsor. Not being grand or anything like that, because I just thought the fucking traffic would be a nightmare. Show less «
[on Rod Stewart] Bar none, Rod's the best singer I've heard in rock'n'roll.
[on Rod Stewart] Bar none, Rod's the best singer I've heard in rock'n'roll.
[on David Bowie] We all know how inspiring he is. We all know that his music stands. We don't have t...Show more »
[on David Bowie] We all know how inspiring he is. We all know that his music stands. We don't have to say anything about the music: it speaks for itself. He was innovative, he was boundary-changing and he danced to his own tune - which in any artist is really rare. He kept his illness private in an age we're living in with Twitter when everyone knows everything about everything - he kept it to himself. He made two albums without anybody knowing he was making them. ... And that is the mystique of the man, because we know David Bowie the figure, the singer, the outrageous performer, but actually, we don't know anything about him - and that's the way it should be in music and should be in any art form whatsoever. Show less «
There's so much you're expected to do and you follow a pattern. You make a record, you do a video. I...Show more »
There's so much you're expected to do and you follow a pattern. You make a record, you do a video. I like to break the rules a little bit more and I did in the 1970s, I should try a little bit more now. Show less «
Fame attracts lunatics. Princess Diana, Gianni Versace, John Lennon, Michael Jackson, all dead. Two ...Show more »
Fame attracts lunatics. Princess Diana, Gianni Versace, John Lennon, Michael Jackson, all dead. Two of them shot outside their houses. None of this would have happened if they hadn't been famous. I never had a bodyguard, ever, until Gianni died. Show less «
[on The Beatles] They influenced me just from the songwriting point of view. Lennon (John Lennon) an...Show more »
[on The Beatles] They influenced me just from the songwriting point of view. Lennon (John Lennon) and McCartney (Paul McCartney) - there's no question of it, no one will ever equal the quality of the songs they wrote. Forget Rodgers (Richard Rodgers) and Hammerstein (Oscar Hammerstein II), people will probably say 'Well, come on', but for the amount of songs they wrote, those two people were the finest songwriters of this century by far. Show less «
There's a lot of Liberace in me and as a gay artist as such, but I am an openly gay man. A lot of my...Show more »
There's a lot of Liberace in me and as a gay artist as such, but I am an openly gay man. A lot of my audience is the same kind of audience that Liberace would have had and they didn't seem to give a shit. I think that's so great. Show less «
[on the Armenian Genocide] As an organization [Elton John AIDS Foundation], one of our mottos is tha...Show more »
[on the Armenian Genocide] As an organization [Elton John AIDS Foundation], one of our mottos is that no one gets left behind, and The Promise (2016) is about people who got left behind and denied their rightful place in history. [2017] Show less «
I think religion has always tried to turn hatred towards gay people. Religion promotes the hatred an...Show more »
I think religion has always tried to turn hatred towards gay people. Religion promotes the hatred and spite against gays. But there are so many people I know who are gay and love their religion. From my point of view I would ban religion completely. Organised religion doesn't seem to work. It turns people into really hateful lemmings and it's not really compassionate ... The world is near escalating to World War Three and where are the leaders of each religion? Why aren't they having a conclave? Why aren't they coming together? I said this after 9/11 and people thought I was nuts. Instead of more violence why isn't there a meeting of religious leaders? It's like the peace movement in the Sixties. Musicians got through to people by getting out there and doing peace concerts but we don't seem to do them any more. If John Lennon were alive today he'd be leading it with a vengeance. They seem to do their protesting on-line and that's not good enough. You have to get out there and be seen to be vocal, and you've got to do it time and time again. There was a big march in London when Britain decided to join the war against Iraq and Tony Blair is on the record as saying 'the people who march today will have blood on their hands'. That's returned to bite him on the ass. People come to me and I'm a bit like the Queen Mother. I never get those problems. I don't know what it is with me, people treat me very reverently. It was the same when Dave and I had our civil union - I was expecting the odd flour bomb and there wasn't. Dave and I as a couple seem to be the acceptable face of gayness, and that's great. I'm going to fight for them whether I do it silently behind the scenes or so vocally that I get locked up. I can't just sit back - it's not in my nature any more. I'm nearly sixty years old after all. I can't sit back and blindly ignore it and I won't. Show less «
I didn't have sex until I was 23 and that was with a man. I made up for lost time after that in a hu...Show more »
I didn't have sex until I was 23 and that was with a man. I made up for lost time after that in a hurry. I wish I could have had sex when I was, like, 14, 15 or 16 because that's such an exciting age to have sex. Show less «
Freddie Mercury could out-party me, which is saying something. We'd be up for nights, sitting there ...Show more »
Freddie Mercury could out-party me, which is saying something. We'd be up for nights, sitting there at 11 in the morning, still flying high. Show less «
[on politics] If I was to say what I am, I'd be a Labour man. I like Tony Blair a lot, I think he's ...Show more »
[on politics] If I was to say what I am, I'd be a Labour man. I like Tony Blair a lot, I think he's a good man. And in America I'd definitely be a Democrat; I'd never be a Republican. One government all the time isn't great for a country. I think it's very hard to be in power for a long time, I think you lose touch. If Cameron [David Cameron] can bring a strong opposition to the Labour Party, then I think it's healthy and I'm all for it. Show less «
I've always been lucky having great producers, I've had Gus Dudgeon and Chris Thomas, and a couple o...Show more »
I've always been lucky having great producers, I've had Gus Dudgeon and Chris Thomas, and a couple of other people. No point in having a producer unless they tell you what they think, and T-Bone [T Bone Burnett] is a great guitarist and he can see and hear something that you can't. Show less «
[2012] By all rights, I shouldn't be here. I should be dead, six feet under, in a wooden box. I shou...Show more »
[2012] By all rights, I shouldn't be here. I should be dead, six feet under, in a wooden box. I should have contracted HIV in the 1980s and died in the 1990s, just like Freddie Mercury, Rock Hudson and many friends and loved ones. Show less «
[on his marriage to Renate Blauel] I regret it to this day because I was not honest with Renate. I m...Show more »
[on his marriage to Renate Blauel] I regret it to this day because I was not honest with Renate. I married her while I knew that my truth was different. I find her a beautiful woman, she could have ruined me financially but she hasn't done that. That is what I call true friendship. Show less «
I have no one to leave the money to. I'm a single man. I like spending my money.
I have no one to leave the money to. I'm a single man. I like spending my money.
[on Live 8 (2005)] I thought it was a bit of an anti-climax, to be honest. The thought behind it was...Show more »
[on Live 8 (2005)] I thought it was a bit of an anti-climax, to be honest. The thought behind it was fantastic, but Hyde Park is a charisma-free zone. There was no sense of occasion and from a musical point, I didn't think there were too many highlights. I was very pleased to be a part of it, but I didn't think it was anywhere near as good as the first one (Live Aid (1985)). How could it be? Show less «
[on "Born This Way" by Lady Gaga] I've had the privilege to hear it as she played it to me last year...Show more »
[on "Born This Way" by Lady Gaga] I've had the privilege to hear it as she played it to me last year. It's phenomenal and will be absolutely huge. You can't stop her - she's a freight train, she's a great writer and a great performer. Show less «
There is a world of difference between calling someone your "partner" and calling them your "husband...Show more »
There is a world of difference between calling someone your "partner" and calling them your "husband". "Partner" is a word that should be preserved for people you play tennis with, or work alongside in business. Show less «
I haven't made a good album in a long while. Not since 1976 and Blue Moves.
I haven't made a good album in a long while. Not since 1976 and Blue Moves.
I am such a Luddite when it comes to making music. All I can do is write at the piano.
I am such a Luddite when it comes to making music. All I can do is write at the piano.
I'm not a fan of talent shows. I probably wouldn't have lasted if I'd gone on one. I was asked to ju...Show more »
I'm not a fan of talent shows. I probably wouldn't have lasted if I'd gone on one. I was asked to judge American Idol: The Search for a Superstar (2002). I couldn't do it because I won't slag anyone off. Also, I don't want to be on television. It's become boring, arse-paralysingly brain crippling. Show less «
Look, I'm 63, I don't want to be on VH1 or MTV. I'm not going to compete with JLS (Jack the Lad Swin...Show more »
Look, I'm 63, I don't want to be on VH1 or MTV. I'm not going to compete with JLS (Jack the Lad Swing) or Lady Gaga. I'm at that stage where I don't think I can write pop music anymore. I can't sit down and do a proper rock song. It was okay when I was 25 or 26, but not anymore. I like to do my little side projects like Scissor Sisters and have fun, but I don't think Elton John will be putting any pop singles out. Show less «
Every artist who makes it goes through a period where it seems they're invincible. We've seen it wit...Show more »
Every artist who makes it goes through a period where it seems they're invincible. We've seen it with Phil Collins, Bruce Springsteen, Madonna and Prince. It just seems like they can't fail. And then suddenly everything levels off. I knew it when it started happening to me. I was really tired, I knew I was peaking. I knew it was time for someone else to take over. You have to be realistic about these things. Show less «
[after this was revealed he had spent £293,000 on flowers in less than two years] Yes, I like flowe...Show more »
[after this was revealed he had spent £293,000 on flowers in less than two years] Yes, I like flowers. Show less «
