Free Essays,College Free Essays,Free College Essays at Anti Essays

Reginald Kenneth Dwight, known to most as Elton John, is a flamboyant English singer, musician, and songwriter. He found great fame during the 1970s and 1980s, but unlike many pop stars he was able to sustain his popularity. Elton John charted a Top 40 single every year from 1970 to 1996 (Erlewine). He follows a path of his own and is out of the norm, but somehow still manages to connect with everyone. While demonstrating themes of individuality and nonconformity, Elton John touches the world through the songs “Candle in the Wind”, “Your Song,” and The Elton John AIDS Foundation.
Reginald Dwight decided he wanted to break into the music business at a young age. He began playing piano at the age of four, and won a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music at the age of eleven. Dwight joined a band called Bluesology and embarked on a British tour. Two of his band members included singer, Long John Baldry, and saxophone player, Elton Jean. The combination of their first names provided Dwight with the stage name “Elton John (Loomis).” After responding to an advertisement by Liberty Records, Elton teamed up with Bernie Taupin and wrote lyrics and music for many pop singers of the time (Erlewine). Things got off to a slow start from here. Many of Elton’s first singles along with his first album, Empty Sky, went largely unnoticed in the music industry with no sales (Askmen.com).
Elton John’s journey for acknowledgement came to an end with the release of the Top Ten Single “Your Song.” It became a hit in both the United States and the United Kingdom. Critics became fascinated with his talent, and Elton was on his way to becoming a worldwide superstar (Askmen.com). Throughout the Seventies, his concerts were enormously popular, and had a four year streak of sixteen Top 20 hits in a row (Loomis). In 1974 he appeared on the cover of Time magazine and performed on the stage at Madison Square Garden with John Lennon (Askmen.com). Elton John was...