By Brandon Engel
When Elton John released his first album quietly in 1969 to relatively solid success, few could have expected that the timid singer/songwriter from a working-class family would become Sir Elton John, the most successful male solo artist in the world, LGBT icon, and one of the public biggest voices in the fight against AIDS. To help celebrate the release of his upcoming 31st studio album The Diving Board, let’s take a look at that long and winding road that led a young Reginald Dwight to become Sir Elton John.
After his first album release in 1969, John followed with two albums in 1970 and the release of his first hit single, “Your Song”. His star steadily rose during 1971 when he released Tumbleweed Connection, but his 1972 album, Honky Chateau is what really shot him to the top. The album hit #1 in the U.S., and began his record-breaking run as the first artist to ever have seven consecutive #1 albums in America. His over-the-top personality and outrageous stage costumes captivated audiences across the globe, but by the time the 70’s ended his success began to wane.
During the 80’s, Elton produced a few hit singles like “Little Jeannie”, “Nikita”, and “That’s What Friends Are For”, which raised funds for AIDS research. Having fully come out of the closet as gay (not bisexual as he had previously stated) in 1988, John slowly became familiar with a new disease gripping the LGBT community. That disease was, of course, AIDS and John saw its impact in both the LGBT community but also the world as a whole and vowed to do whatever he could to help. He made the decision to publicly support the family of Ryan White, the poster child for HIV/AIDS in the 80’s after having contracted it from a blood transfusion. John helped the family move from their frequently vandalized home and spent the last week of White’s life with him in the hospital. After White’s death in 1990, and of John’s friend Freddie Mercury in 1992 (also of an AIDS-related illness) John founded the Elton John AIDS Foundation, which has since raised over $300 million to help the fight against AIDS. It was shortly after the creation of his charity that he met his longtime partner David Furnish.
Read more after the jump.
Showing posts with label Elton John. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Elton John. Show all posts
Thursday, August 29, 2013
Elton John: Music Legend, LGBT Icon, and Pioneering HIV/AIDS Activist Releases 31st Album
Labels: gay Denver, MileHighGayGuy, LGBT Denver
Brandon Engel,
Elton John,
entertainment,
guest post,
HIV/AIDS,
Music
Monday, April 18, 2011
Matthew Morrison and Elton John Duet
RyanSeacrest.com has your first listen to the Matthew Morrison and Elton John duet. Taken from Matthew's upcoming solo album (available on May 10), the song is a mash-up of Elton’s hits “Mona Lisa And Mad Hatters” and “Rocket Man.”
The full song will be available for purchase tomorrow, April 19, exclusively on Amazon.
The full song will be available for purchase tomorrow, April 19, exclusively on Amazon.
Labels: gay Denver, MileHighGayGuy, LGBT Denver
Elton John,
Matthew Morrison
Thursday, December 30, 2010
It's a boy for Elton John and David Furnish
Multisource political news, world news, and entertainment news analysis by Newsy.com
Elton John and his husband, David Furnish, welcomed Zachary Jackson Levon Furnish-John into the world on Christmas Day.
Labels: gay Denver, MileHighGayGuy, LGBT Denver
Elton John
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Elton John and Leon Russel collaborate on The Union
Musical legends Elton John and Leon Russell will release their collaboration album 'The Union' on October 19 marking the first time these iconic artists have worked together since 1970.
Recorded live in the studio with John and Russell on dueling pianos, the album features a variety of musical genres from R&B, soul, gospel, country, pop and rock. Icons Neil Young and Brian Wilson provide guest vocals on the 14-track record along with legendary R&B organist Booker T. Jones, steel guitarist Robert Randolph and a 10-piece gospel choir.
Russell first met John in 1970 when he attended John’s first ever U.S. show at the famous Troubadour in Los Angeles. The meeting heralded the beginning of a long friendship and a mutual appreciation between the two artists. “In the late ’60s and early ‘70s, the one piano player and vocalist who influenced me more than anybody else was Leon Russell,” John said. “He was my idol.”
After years of being out of touch, John listened to Russell’s music while on safari in Africa last summer and was inspired to reconnect. “Elton called to ask if I would do a duet album with him,’” Russell said. “I’m very happy that he chose me to do this.”
Recorded live in the studio with John and Russell on dueling pianos, the album features a variety of musical genres from R&B, soul, gospel, country, pop and rock. Icons Neil Young and Brian Wilson provide guest vocals on the 14-track record along with legendary R&B organist Booker T. Jones, steel guitarist Robert Randolph and a 10-piece gospel choir.
Russell first met John in 1970 when he attended John’s first ever U.S. show at the famous Troubadour in Los Angeles. The meeting heralded the beginning of a long friendship and a mutual appreciation between the two artists. “In the late ’60s and early ‘70s, the one piano player and vocalist who influenced me more than anybody else was Leon Russell,” John said. “He was my idol.”
After years of being out of touch, John listened to Russell’s music while on safari in Africa last summer and was inspired to reconnect. “Elton called to ask if I would do a duet album with him,’” Russell said. “I’m very happy that he chose me to do this.”
Labels: gay Denver, MileHighGayGuy, LGBT Denver
Elton John
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Scientific proof that Elton John is awesome
Cracked.com makes the case that Elton John is the reason your parents hate and fear gays less than their parents before them.
Labels: gay Denver, MileHighGayGuy, LGBT Denver
Cracked.com,
Elton John
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Billy Joel and Elton John: Face to Face at the Pepsi Center
Billy Joel and Elton John will bring their wildly successful Face 2 Face tour to Denver's Pepsi Center on November 22nd at 7:30pm. Since kicking off the 2009 Face 2 Face tour in March 2009, the duo have performed over 40 sold out concerts in front of nearly three-quarters of a million people.
Labels: gay Denver, MileHighGayGuy, LGBT Denver
Billy Joel,
Concerts,
Elton John,
Pepsi Center
Friday, September 25, 2009
Joy Behar sez: Let Elton John adopt!
Everybody's favorite 'View' co-host Joy Behar recently wrote an opinion piece for CNN.com about Elton John and his husband's recent failed attempt to adopt an HIV-positive baby from Ukraine.
Labels: gay Denver, MileHighGayGuy, LGBT Denver
Elton John,
gay adoption,
Joy Behar
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Elton John: The Bitch Is Back
Until Mark Bego's Elton John: The Bitch Is Back, no book published has successfully captured his passion and outlandishness or the truth behind the gay superstar's complex private life.
“I am really excited about this new book, and I know that Elton’s fans will be as well," says Bego. “I specifically wanted to talk to people who personally know Elton, and who are not usually interviewed for Elton John books,” he explains. “Researching this book I interviewed Alice Cooper, Billy Wyman of The Rolling Stones, Mary Wilson of The Supremes, Angela Bowie, Sarah Dash of LaBelle, Randy Jones of the Village People, Duncan Faure of The Bay City Rollers, and Gary Brooker of Procol Harum. I also received some great stories from Danny Hutton and Jimmy Greenspoon of Three Dog Night. A lot of people don't realize that it was Three Dog Night who recorded the song that became America’s first exposure to Elton's music, via their recording of ‘Lady Samantha.’ One of my most fun interviews was with the totally colorful and outrageous RuPaul. And, those are just some of the rock and roll figures quoted in the book! There are many more.”
Elton John: The Bitch Is Back is filled with all of the addictions, the self-doubts, bad toupĂ©es, affairs and scandals—but also with John's triumphant later years, the coming-to-terms with his sexuality and the establishment of a happy and healthy private life.
“I am really excited about this new book, and I know that Elton’s fans will be as well," says Bego. “I specifically wanted to talk to people who personally know Elton, and who are not usually interviewed for Elton John books,” he explains. “Researching this book I interviewed Alice Cooper, Billy Wyman of The Rolling Stones, Mary Wilson of The Supremes, Angela Bowie, Sarah Dash of LaBelle, Randy Jones of the Village People, Duncan Faure of The Bay City Rollers, and Gary Brooker of Procol Harum. I also received some great stories from Danny Hutton and Jimmy Greenspoon of Three Dog Night. A lot of people don't realize that it was Three Dog Night who recorded the song that became America’s first exposure to Elton's music, via their recording of ‘Lady Samantha.’ One of my most fun interviews was with the totally colorful and outrageous RuPaul. And, those are just some of the rock and roll figures quoted in the book! There are many more.”
Elton John: The Bitch Is Back is filled with all of the addictions, the self-doubts, bad toupĂ©es, affairs and scandals—but also with John's triumphant later years, the coming-to-terms with his sexuality and the establishment of a happy and healthy private life.
Labels: gay Denver, MileHighGayGuy, LGBT Denver
Books,
Elton John
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Elton John took 60 Valium and a swim
Oh, those crazy rock stars and their drugs.
An excerpt from from the new book 'Everybody Must Get Stoned' reads:
In his mid-1970s heyday, Los Angeles declared "Elton John Week." To celebrate, the glam rock pasha invited his relatives out to L.A. to celebrate. Allegedly, Elton took 60 Valiums, jumped into a hotel pool, and shouted, "I'm going to die." His grandmother was heard to comment: "I suppose we're going to have to go home now." - via BoingBoing
An excerpt from from the new book 'Everybody Must Get Stoned' reads:
In his mid-1970s heyday, Los Angeles declared "Elton John Week." To celebrate, the glam rock pasha invited his relatives out to L.A. to celebrate. Allegedly, Elton took 60 Valiums, jumped into a hotel pool, and shouted, "I'm going to die." His grandmother was heard to comment: "I suppose we're going to have to go home now." - via BoingBoing
Labels: gay Denver, MileHighGayGuy, LGBT Denver
Boing Boing,
Elton John
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Tickets still available for Elton John in Laramie, WY
The legendary Elton John will be performing solo at the Arena Auditorium on Friday, April 3 as the 2009 Tour: Rocket Man Number Ones comes to Laramie, WY.
"The University is thrilled to have legendary artist Elton John return to Laramie for a concert in the Arena Auditorium," says UW President Tom Buchanan. "Elton John has been a long time supporter of the Matthew Shepard Foundation and UW’s Matthew Shepard Symposium, and we are appreciative of his continued interest in both".
Sir Elton will be performing Friday, April 3, playing his greatest hits and more recent songs from his latest release, Rocket Man Number Ones. He has sold more than 200 million records and continues to add innovative work to his personal repertoire of 29 consecutive Top 40 hits, 35 gold and 25 platinum albums.
Rocket ManNumber Ones, released in March 2007, debuted in the top 10 and features newly compiled and digitally mastered greatest hits spanning the first three decades of the singer-songwriter’s career.
The Matthew Shepard Foundation was founded by Dennis and Judy Shepard in memory of their 21-year old son, Matthew, who was murdered in an anti-gay hate crime in Wyoming in October 1998. Created to honor Matthew in a manner that was appropriate to his dreams, beliefs and aspirations, the Foundation seeks to "Replace Hate with Understanding, Compassion & Acceptance" through its varied educational, outreach and advocacy programs and by continuing to tell Matthew's story. For more information about the Foundation and its programs, visit www.MatthewShepard.org.
"Ten years ago Sir Elton did a concert in Laramie to benefit the Foundation. It was wonderful beyond description. He is a gracious and generous human being. We are sincerely grateful for his continuing support," said Judy Shepard, Executive Director of the Matthew Shepard Foundation.
Labels: gay Denver, MileHighGayGuy, LGBT Denver
Elton John,
Matthew Shepard Foundation
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
An evening with Elton John in Laramie, Wyoming
Labels: gay Denver, MileHighGayGuy, LGBT Denver
Elton John,
Matthew Shepard Foundation
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
How morbid: The Top 10 Songs About Death
Obit magazine has compiled their Top 10 Songs about Death and it's pretty gay.
Making the list were Elton John's 'Candle in the Wind', Bruce Springsteen's 'Streets of Philadelphia' from 'Philadelphia', and Queen's 'Bohemian Rhapsody'.
See the rest of the list here.
Making the list were Elton John's 'Candle in the Wind', Bruce Springsteen's 'Streets of Philadelphia' from 'Philadelphia', and Queen's 'Bohemian Rhapsody'.
See the rest of the list here.
Labels: gay Denver, MileHighGayGuy, LGBT Denver
Elton John,
Philadelphia,
Queen
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