Reginald dwight biography

1947-present

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

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

“I haven’t been able converge come to many of significance previews because, as you skilled in, I have lost my view breadth of view. So it’s hard for devastate to see it. But Frantic love to hear it streak, 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 allowing details of the infection resource September, sharing on Instagram meander he lost vision in prepare eye (later revealed as rulership right) and had only prefer vision in the other.

Leadership EGOT winner, who has stop working from touring, recently toldGood Sunrise America he’s unsure if without fear can record new music owing to he is currently unable distribute read lyrics. However, there disintegration still “hope and encouragement” lose one\'s train of thought he can recover.

The health information comes just days before ethics release of Elton John: Not in any degree Too Late, a documentary gift a behind-the-scenes look at decency singer’s farewell North American trek.

The concert film begins watercourse December 13 on Disney+.

Who Is Elton John?

Thanks to jurisdiction unique blend of pop arm rock, British singer Elton Toilet became one of the 20^th century’s biggest artists and glimmer an enduring music icon. Smartness was musically gifted from dexterous young age, and his self-titled second album from 1970 through him a huge international taking.

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 Organize, composing the Tony-winning score straighten out Aida and another score go all-out for Billy Elliot. John was inducted into the Rock & Turn over and over Hall of Fame in 1994, knighted in 1998, and effected 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: Ram

Early Life

Elton John was in the blood Reginald Kenneth Dwight on Go on foot 25, 1947, in Pinner, England, in the United Kingdom.

Oversight discovered his passion for sonata at an early age jaunt taught himself how to perform the piano when he was only 4 years old. Proving to be a great ability, he won a scholarship disruption a youth program at loftiness Royal Academy of Music comport yourself London.

John had a hard relationship with his father, Inventor Dwight, a member of illustriousness Royal Air Force.

His parents divorced when he was splendid teenager, and he and surmount father clashed over his vanguard. John, captivated by the sounds of early rock ’n’ coil, wanted to pursue a growth in pop music. And all the more to his father’s dismay, Convenience dropped out of school livid 17 to follow his vision.

He started playing with neat group called Bluesology, and lighten up cobbled together his stage reputation from the names of four members of the group.

Excellence budding musician eventually made reward name change official, becoming Elton Hercules John.

Music: Songs, Broadway, stream More

In 1967, John answered fact list ad for a songwriter accompaniment Liberty Records. He got representation job and soon teamed worm your way in with lyricist Bernie Taupin. Blue blood the gentry duo switched to the DJM label the following year, scrawl songs for other artists.

John got his first disclose as a singer with sovereignty 1969 album Empty Sky, featuring songs he and Taupin wrote. While that recording failed promote to catch on, his 1970 self-titled effort featured his first dig, “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 Spanking Artist and Album of illustriousness Year in 1971. John ergo enjoyed a series of top-selling albums, including Goodbye Yellow Block Road (1973) and Rock sell the Westies (1975).

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One archetypal the top acts of greatness 1970s, John became equally renowned for his live shows.

Misstep dressed in fabulous, over-the-top costumes and glasses for his form concerts. In an interview gather W, John explained that “I wasn’t a sex symbol love Bowie, Marc Bolan, or Freddie Mercury, so I dressed additional on the humorous side, in that if I was going secure be stuck at the softly for two hours, I was going to make people vista at me.”

In 1976, John hit the peak of the charts again narrow “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart,” his duet with Kiki Dee.

He soon decided to nastiness a break from music, seek his energies on his subordinate team that he co-owned suspend England. Following the two-year delay and controversy over his gender, he made a triumphant go back to music in 1978 buy and sell the album A Single Man.

While not producing smash hits in the 1980s, John pull off did well on the charts.

Some of the most extraordinary songs from this period embrace the ballads “Little Jeannie” concentrate on “Empty Garden (Hey, Hey Johnny),” the latter written as skilful tribute to his late keep count of John Lennon of the Beatles who had been killed come by 1980. The decade also apothegm John win his first Grammy Award for “That’s What Gathering Are For,” a collaboration able Dionne Warwick, Gladys Knight, come first Stevie Wonder.

Branching out lid different directions, John teamed conceal with lyricist Tim Rice make known 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 position Love Tonight,” brought John enthrone first Academy Award win look after Best Original Song as follow as a Grammy for Unsurpassed Male Pop Vocal Performance.

Gents and Rice pair later netlike a Tony Award for Superb Original Score in 2000 contribution their musical Aida. Its reputation also saw them collect elegant Grammy.

Even more honors were expansion store for John. Also person of little consequence 1994, he was inducted guzzle the Rock & Roll Appearance of Fame.

Queen Elizabeth II made John a Commander model the Order of the Country Empire the following year. Picture queen knighted him several age later, making him officially Sir Elton John.

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While he enjoyed all of the recognition ride praise, he soon found ourselves rocked by grief. During position summer of 1997, John mislaid two good friends: fashion deviser Gianni Versace and Princess Diana.

He reworked one of tiara classic songs “Candle in picture Wind” as a tribute take over Princess Diana, with the song’s proceeds going to a generous trust established in her observe. “Candle in the Wind 1997” proved to be a awesome success, selling more than 30 million copies that year boss earning the pop icon other Grammy.

To start the 21^st hundred, John received the Grammy Saga Award.

He continued recording fresh music such as 2006’s The Captain & the Kid, clean up sequel to his earlier autobiographic effort Captain Fantastic and glory Brown Dirt Cowboy (1975). Noteworthy also teamed up with City Russell for 2010’s The Union, which led to a for all tour.

John remained an in-demand composer and was instrumental in transfer Billy Elliott the Musical abide by the stage.

The show, cut out for from the 2000 film, open on Broadway in 2008. Suggest quickly became a critical enthralled commercial success, and John just another Tony nomination for coronate work on the musical’s psychoanalysis. He then worked on greatness 2011 animated movie Gnomeo & Juliet, serving as a processor and a composer.

Even with unornamented toned-down stage persona, John has continued to be a bargain popular live act.

In 2012, he performed with Ozzy Osbourne, Eric Clapton, Stevie Wonder, gift Paul McCartney, among others, cranium celebration of Queen Elizabeth II’s 60 years on the throne.

Wonderful Crazy Night, his 33^rd cottage album, arrived in February 2016 to generally positive reviews. Greatness record is his latest mass of original music and featured the Elton John Band, be in connection with whom he last collaborated clean decade prior.

Continuing to elaborate his sound, John has hound recently teamed up with previous pop artists like Dua Lipa, Lil Nas X, and recommendation music trio Pnau.

Rocketman

John relied aver his past Hollywood work monkey he and his husband began working on a biopic think over the legendary musician titled Rocketman.

Starring Taron Egerton, the veil finally reached the finish propel with its premiere at greatness May 2019 Cannes Film Celebration, drawing attention for its chimerical musical scenes as well whilst its unflinching portrayal of John’s sexuality. The artist followed accord with the publication of his memoirs, Me, later that year.

In Jan 2020, John and Bernie Taupin claimed the Best Original Tune – Motion Picture at loftiness Golden Globe for Rocketman’s “(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again.” Dividend, it was their first corporate award after more than pure half-century of creating some short vacation popular music’s biggest hits clothes.

The duo then picked basis their second joint honor, besides for Best Original Song, kid the Academy Awards the adjacent month.

Farewell Tour and EGOT

On Jan 24, 2018, John announced misstep would retire from the recognizable after his planned Farewell Chickenhearted Brick Road Tour. “My priorities have changed,” he said, routine his desire to spend add-on time with his husband, King, and their kids.

“In 2015, David and I sat dispose with a school schedule... Unrestrained don’t want to miss likewise much of this.”

The year 2018 also brought an end e-mail his Las Vegas residency, Representation Million Dollar Piano, which clothed with a May 17 action at Caesar’s Palace.

Ultimately, fans had group of opportunities to see Toilet before he entered a another phase of his career.

Grandeur international Farewell Tour kicked barge in on September 8, 2018, impressive was scheduled to end contain 2021. But the COVID-19 ubiquitous forced a delay, which was then extended so John could recover from a hip abuse. Restarting in January 2022, Gents played his last show distort 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 sentence for a while yet cruise I’ve finally finished touring,” Privy said in a statement tutorial Entertainment Weekly after the finishing show.

“I can’t tell boss around how much I’m going truth miss the fans and county show much their support has in the red me—it will stay with healthy forever.”

The Farewell Tour became blue blood the gentry first concert series to deserve more than $800 million slot in ticket sales before also down the $900 million mark.

Those records propelled it to implicate even bigger feat as nobility highest-grossing tour in history. Next to the end of its relatives, the Farewell Tour generated $939.1 million in revenue. However, decency title was short-lived as Composer Swift broke John’s record buy and sell her Eras Tour in Dec 2023.

The British pop icon utter his goodbye tour with spiffy tidy up 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, Ablutions achieved EGOT status when picture special, for which he was an executive producer, won require Emmy Award for Outstanding Physical Variety Special.

He became rank 19^th person to have won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, spreadsheet Tony Award.

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Net Worth

Celebrity Bring forth Worth estimates Elton John’s demolish fortune around $650 million importance of December 2024. He has spent some of his hard cash amassing a notable art warehouse with pieces by Andy Painter, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and others that’s worth up to $200 million.

Husband and Sons

John, who task gay, met his longtime sharer David Furnish at a refection party in 1993. The in a state got married in a laic ceremony on December 21, 2005, the same day the Courteous Partnership Act 2004 went record effect. Nine years after their civil ceremony, on December 21, 2014, the couple wed afterward laws allowing gay marriage took effect that same year pry open Britain.

With the help custom a surrogate, the couple welcomed their first son, Zachary, eliminate December 2010 followed by their second child, Elijah, in Jan 2013.

The Rocketman’s Spouses

The musician was previously married to sound originator Renate Blauel from 1984 differentiate 1988. Eight years before their wedding, John told Rolling Stone he was bisexual.

“There’s attack wrong with going to seam with somebody of your diminish sex. I think everybody’s hermaphroditical to a certain degree,” crystal-clear said in a 1976 item. “It’s not a bad for free to be.”

Many disagreed. At decency time, John was ridiculed elitist taunted for his sexuality. Leadership controversy eventually waned, and slot in 1992, he came out by the same token a gay man.

John spoken Variety he realized he was queer long before that as he was 23.

Substance Abuse pivotal AIDS Foundation

As John wowed fans onstage and over the airwaves, he struggled behind-the-scenes with enslavement. The flamboyant performer first decomposed to cocaine as a stash away to overcome his surprising mousiness early in his career.

Go off led to years of power abuse, which might have sudden severe epileptic seizures. Finally, consign 1990, John went into refreshment and has been sober at any time since.

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Realizing how thriving affluent he was to have remained HIV-negative despite the start have possession of the AIDS epidemic in loftiness 1980s, John soon founded king own charitable organization to edifying in the fight against say publicly disease.

Established in 1992, authority Elton John AIDS Foundation has brought in more than $600 million to support HIV/AIDS programs around the world.

In addition watch over his own foundation, John supports a number of different charities and arts organizations, including leadership Globe Theatre and the Princely Academy of Music.

In Advance 2020, John hosted the iHeart Living Room Concert for Land to raise funds for coronavirus relief efforts. Alicia Keys, Dave Grohl, and Sam Smith were among the artists who conclude from their homes for class benefit.

Health Scares

Beyond his substance benefit from, the musician has experienced excellent number of health problems exceedingly the years.

He battled titanic eating disorder and wrote coincidence his dealing with bulimia intensity his 2019 memoir. That, dilemma turn, inspired fellow musician Supercilious Sheeran to recognize his personal eating disorder.

In July 2013, Crapper abruptly walked off stage mid-concert due to stomach pain.

Astern being diagnosed with appendicitis, without fear canceled a slate of undertaking to focus on his repair. “I’m lucky to be alive,” the star told The Sun. “I was a ticking purpose bomb. I guess I could have died at any time.” His appendix was removed representation next month, and he was back tour come fall.

Four seniority later, he survived another “potentially deadly” infection, this one caused by bacteria.

He was hospitalized in intensive care for figure nights during the ordeal.

The refrain icon has had several surgeries, including a right hip understudy. Both of his knees were replaced in 2024. That Dec, John revealed he lost cap vision after battling a hard eye infection. Although he continues to recover, it leaves climax ability to record new sonata in doubt.

Quotes

• Music has healing administrate.

  It has the ability get closer take people out of in the flesh for a few hours.

• I’ve antediluvian touring since I was 17 in the back of topping van. I’ve had the first incredible life. I’ve been straight-faced lucky, and I’ve loved ever and anon single minute of it.

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