Happy 77th Birthday, Sir Elton John!

Today is Sir Elton John’s 77th birthday! Reginald Kenneth Dwight was born March 25, 1947 and we are so glad he was! Can you imagine a world without “Your Song,” “Rocket Man,” or “Tiny Dancer?”

He retired from touring after performing the last show of his “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” tour last summer. However, he’s still keeping busy with many other projects. So, in honor of his 77th birthday, here are 7 things to look for from Sir Elton John this year!

1. He has two Broadway musicals in the works! John wrote the music for the musical “Tammy Faye,” coming to Broadway in the fall. The musical will tell the story of televangelists Tammy Faye Bakker and her ex-husband Jim Bakker. It’s being billed as “the story of a traveling preacher’s wife who beamed into homes with a message of hope… and stole the country’s heart.” John also did the music for “The Devil Wears Prada,” which opens in London this summer. John has now composed six major musicals, including “The Lion King,” “Aida,” “Billy Elliot,” and “Lestat.”
2. He’s working on new music! His husband, David Furnish, recently told Variety that “He’s been working away. I don’t think you’re going to have to wait too long [for new music]. I can’t say when but he’s making real progress. It was important for him when he came off the road to have a little bit of a breather and a break. But he’s always said he’s retiring from touring, but he’s not retiring from working.”
3. He’s going to have knee replacement surgery. John was spotted in February with a cane and a boot on his foot, sparking concern. His husband told British reporters that he’ll soon have his other knee replaced “and by the time summer rolls around, he’ll have two brand new spanking knees.” Furnish also joked that he may not be able to keep John away from the dance floor once he’s recovered!
4. He is a dedicated philanthropist, and wants to end AIDS by 2030. “If you’re successful, you have to give back,” John told the AP earlier this month. “That’s my mantra, when I got sober, in 1990, and it’s been my mantra ever since.” One of the ways John gives back is through The Elton John AIDS Foundation. Funds are available to support access to HIV prevention and treatment services for more than one million people, including providing access to tests, antiretroviral therapies, and pre-exposure prophylaxis treatment for HIV. The Foundation has the goal of ending AIDS by 2030.
5. He’s spending time with his family. John and Furnish have two sons. He told “Extra” that “We’re doing lots of creative things — musicals and stuff like that. I still have my finger on the pulse, running around. We’re spending more time with our kids.”
6. He’s winning awards. You probably already know that John just became an EGOT, having won an Emmy Award, five Grammy Awards, two Academy Awards, and a Tony Award. He also just received the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song from the Library of Congress with his writing partner Bernie Taupin.
7. He’s amassing an impressive photography collection! We bet you didn’t know that the Sir Elton John and David Furnish Photography Collection is one of the largest private collections of photography in the world with more than 7,000 pieces? A few pieces from his Atlanta home were auctioned by Christie’s earlier this year. The Collection is also loaning three images of Marilyn Monroe to the Victoria and Albert Museum for its exhibition “Fragile Beauty.” John wrote his song “Candle in the Wind” in honor of Monroe.

There you have it ! Seven ways John is keeping very busy in retirement! Happy birthday, Sir Elton John!