Elton John - Music
The monumental career of international singer/songwriter and performer Sir Elton John is now in its fifth decade. He has released over 40 gold and platinum albums, mostly co-written with his long-term songwriting partner, Bernie Taupin. Among these, Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy was the first album ever to enter the US Billboard Chart at Number One. His most recent album is The Union, recorded with American singer-songwriter Leon Russell. Elton has sold more than 250 million records worldwide, including Candle In The Wind ’97, the biggest selling single of all time. His best-loved classic hit songs include Rocket Man, Daniel, Your Song and Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.
Among the many awards and honours bestowed on Elton John are five Grammys, a Grammy Legend award, Tony Award, Best British Male Artist Brit Award, induction into the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame, the Kennedy Center Honor, Legend of Live Award and eleven Ivor Novello Awards.
Since 1970 Elton has performed well over 3000 concerts, and he continues to perform sell-out concerts worldwide, either solo or with his band.
In the early 1990s he collaborated with lyricist Tim Rice, resulting in the soundtrack to the Walt Disney Pictures blockbuster The Lion King, for which he won an Academy Award. The Lion King produced two top-selling, award-winning singles: Can You Feel the Love Tonight and Circle of Life. In 1997, The Lion King debuted on Broadway, receiving six Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and in 1998, a Grammy for Best Musical Show Album. In March 2000, the Tony Award-winning Aida opened on Broadway and Elton was honoured with another Grammy for the Best Musical Show Album. With lyricist Lee Hall, Elton co-wrote the music for the international smash hit stage production Billy Elliot The Musical, and had a personal top-five chart hit in the UK with the song Electricity.
Along with partner David Furnish, Elton produced It’s a Boy/Girl Thing, with Rocket Pictures, and has written songs for the Rocket Pictures animated movie Gnomeo & Juliet. Elton is Executive Producer of Spectacle: Elvis Costello with, hosted by its namesake and produced in conjunction with Rocket Pictures.
Established in 1992 by Founder and Chairman Elton John, the Elton John AIDS Foundation (EJAF) has raised over $220 million to support HIV/AIDS prevention and service programmes in 55 countries around the globe. Today, EJAF is one of the world’s leading non-profit HIV/AIDS organizations.
Elton’s many British accolades include Honorary Doctorate, Royal Academy of Music, 2002 and Fellow of the British Academy of Songwriters and Composers, 2004. In 1998 he was knighted by the HM Queen Elizabeth II who honoured him with the title Sir Elton John, CBE.