Sir Elton John is 78: His Past, Present, and Future!
Sir Elton Hercules John is celebrating his 78th birthday! The Rocket Man has had quite the impact on music over his 60-year career.
Today, in celebration, we thought we’d bring you up to speed on his past, present, and future!
His Past
Of course, Elton fans know that he released his debut album in 1969, titled Empty Sky. He would go on to release 32 more albums over his career, selling over 300 million records worldwide. He’s had nine No. 1 songs in the U.S. and his tribute to Princess Diana, “Candle in the Wind,” is the best-selling chart single of all time. He’s an EGOT winner, meaning he has the rare distinction of winning an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Award. His Elton John AIDS Foundation has raised over $300 million since its inception in 1992. He’s a husband to David Furnish, and they have two sons, Zachary and Elijah. He has retired from touring.
His Present
John revealed over the past year that he has battled severe eye infections that left his sight in question. However, he performed with Grammy Award winner Chappell Roan at his Elton John AIDS Foundation’s Academy Awards viewing party. The two sang her song, “Pink Pony Club,” and his song, “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me.” However, it does seem as though the singer is having a hard time with his 78th birthday, reflecting on his mortality. He said on the “Smartless” podcast that he cried for 45 minutes while working on a new song on his new album with Brandi Carlile. John said “I wrote a song at the end of the album and I just get the lyrics, Bernie Taupin’s lyrics called ‘When This Old World Is Done With Me’. And so I’m writing the verse, like, ‘Oh, this is really pretty.’ And then I get to the chorus and of course it’s about my death. When you get to my age, which is near 100, you think, ‘How much time have I got left?’” And you’ve got children, you’ve got a wonderful husband, you just think about mortality. So, when I got to the chorus, I just broke down for 45 minutes and it’s all on film.” So about that album and film…
His Future
In the immediate future, John will release that album with Carlile on April 4th. It’s titled Who Believes in Angels? and will be accompanied by a short film featuring a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the album. The film will premiere in New York City on the 4th, and will be available on YouTube the next day. It is the first time John has allowed cameras to film his writing and recording sessions while creating an album. He posted about it on Instagram.
He’s also offering a bit of advice to up-and-coming musicians: skip reality TV and go play in a pub! John said that’s what he did, and “that experience stood me in great stead for when I became Elton John because I had backbone. And backbone is so important…Because the worst thing that can happen to you in the industry are things like ‘X Factor’ and instant fame on television, where you have no experience of playing live. You get put on stage, you go, and you can’t do it. That’s the worst thing. ‘American Idol’, just the worst. Take risks. Go and play in a pub.”
There you go, all caught up on all things Elton John in honor of his 78th birthday! Happy birthday, Sir Elton John, and since you told us in 2001 that you wanted love, we hope you feel ALL the love today!
