Legendary musician keeps career going strong with sold-out shows, stylish life
Published: May 21st, 2008 10:23 PM
Last Modified: May 21st, 2008 10:50 AM
Photo by KEVIN MAZUR
Though his falsetto doesn't tour with him as often these days, Elton John still brings superb piano playing and years' worth of hit songs to his solo concerts. John has sold out two shows at Sullivan Arena next week.
Rocket Man. Captain Fantastic. Sharon.
By any name, Elton John is easily the biggest musician to hit Alaska in years, probably since Neil Diamond graced us with his presence in 1999.
Granted, at 61, John's a different kind of showman than the one immortalized by rock photographer Ed Caraeff in the 1970s. First, John's not doing cocaine anymore. Second, like it or not, age mellows us all. Instead of leaping off his piano or doing handstands on his keyboard, he's more likely these days to stay put on the bench for the duration, possibly once or twice climbing gingerly onto his piano to wave his arms a little bit.
But clearly, John's fans don't give a rip. He sold out one show at Sullivan Arena, added a second, then sold that one out too for a total of 16,200 bums in seats Wednesday and May 30.
Find Play reporter Sarah Henning at adn.com/contact/shenning or call 257-4323.
Five defining events
Name change
No one can become famous with a name like Reginald Kenneth Dwight. Good name for a butler, not so much for a rock star. More importantly, adopting a stage name let the musician reinvent himself, gave him the freedom to do handstands on his keyboard and wear platforms tall enough to give Gene Simmons vertigo.
'Your Song'
In 1970, this became John's first pop hit, putting him on the map in the U.S. when it hit Billboard's No. 8 slot. "Your Song" retains its status as one of the most enduring songs to come out of the prolific singer-songwriter scene of the 1970s. If it weren't for "Your Song," what would we dance to at weddings? Think about it.
Epic release
Released in 1973, "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" is often referred to as Elton's "White Album." It spawned several of his signature songs, including the title track, "Bennie and The Jets" and "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting." Rock & Roll Review called the album "the romantic spirit of Seventies pop captured in all its excessive, multicolored glory."
Coming out
In 1976, John announced in Rolling Stone that he was bisexual. Later, after divorcing his wife, he came out as gay, one of the first major pop stars to do so. Even though his orientation is old news (his civil partnership with David Furnish is in its 15th year), John still deals with discrimination. After his concert in Alaska was announced on the Daily News Web site, many public comments were removed because they contained hate speech.
'Goodbye England's Rose'
When John reworked "Candle in the Wind," it was to pay tribute to his late friend Princess Diana at her funeral. The unforeseen result? "Goodbye England's Rose" sold 33 million copies and became the biggest-selling single in the world. The profits went to Diana's pet charities. The career boost, however, went to John.
The Must List
No question, Elton John's got style. If you'd like to get your Elton on, here are some of his current faves to guide you:
New music: In the past few months, John has given props to alt rockers The Killers, English singer-songwriter Teddy Thompson and pop star Justin Timberlake, who played the young John in his video for "This Train Don't Stop There Anymore."
Politics: John is stumping hard for Hillary Clinton. At an April fundraiser at New York's Radio City Music Hall, he helped raise $2.5 million for her campaign. Onstage he said: "I'm amazed by the misogynistic attitudes of some of the people in this country. And I say to hell with them. ... I love you, Hillary. I'll be there for you."
Art: A notorious splurge, John is an avid art collector, especially when it comes to photography. He owns images by Man Ray, Dorothea Lange, Ansel Adams and Robert Mapplethorpe. John once told Rolling Stone: "Whenever I watch 'MTV Cribs,' I cringe. I think, 'Oh, my God, he has got no great art on the walls and 20 motorcycles and 20 cars. Sell the cars and buy a nice piece of art."
Charity: He started the Elton John AIDS Foundation, and he also supports a multitude of causes including War Child and Oxfam and Sporting Chance Clinic. Find his philanthropy profile at www.looktothestars.org
Critical mass
On his most recent tour, John's been satisfying music critics with a three-hour set list heavy on hit singles and light on his post-1980s material. Here's what reviewers have said about Elton John shows in the past few months:
"It would have been easy for Sir Elton to deliver a nonstop hit parade, check all the boxes and leave. But such is his skill as a performer that he managed to deliver an unpredictable and diverse show, while leaving the crowd in want of nothing. ... Not only is Sir Elton still standing, he is still remarkable."
-- The New Zealand Herald, May 15
"His voice remains strong -- though you do miss the falsetto and higher ranges he could reach when he originally recorded all of these. ... And, as always, his piano playing was a revelation."
-- The Orange County (Calif.) Register, April 21
"The minimum flash -- slick lighting and images, synthesized strings and the occasional vocal reverb aside -- showed off just how good a piano player he really is and how strong his voice remains."
-- The Toronto Sun, March 4
Sources: Rolling Stone, Rock & Roll Review, All Music Guide, The Daily Telegraph, South China Morning Post, Chicago Sun Times, MTV News, ABC News, eltonjohn.com
Elton John
When: 8 p.m. Wednesday and May 30
Where: Sullivan Arena
How much: Sold out
Web: www.eltonjohn.com, www.myspace.com/eltonjohn
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