November 2022 Nonconformist of the Month – Elton John
On November 20, 2022, Elton John played his last American concert at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. The event was live-streamed by Disney Plus and several musical guests appeared onstage with him. Just nine days earlier on November 11, I had the pleasure of seeing him live for the first time. I have to say it was quite a treat. His performance was fantastic and lasted nearly 2 ½ hours. Therefore, I decided to make Sir Elton john the November nonconformist of the month.
Ever since I can remember, I have heard Elton John’s music. He dominated the radio airwaves in the 1970’s and I heard his songs frequently. I also recall hearing some of his controversial headlines on the news. As a young child, I didn’t put a lot of importance on what I was hearing, although the songs became engrained in my psyche. As the years went on, I have become more fond of Elton’s music and his public persona. He dares to be himself in spite of sometimes appearing quirky, eccentric, and at times a prima donna. He is the first to find humor in many of his outbursts and in fact developed a documentary in 1997 called “Tantrums and Tiaras” which documented his life and personality for the world to see.
Elton John was born Reginald Kenneth Dwight in London on March 25, 1947 (he and I share a birthday, although years apart). He started playing piano by ear at a young age and was enrolled in piano lessons, later attending The Royal Academy of Music. His parents had a difficult marriage and his relationship with both his parents was challenging. His father was cold and rejecting and his mother was strict and moody. His parents divorced when he was 14 and both parents later remarried.
Reginald was hired as a piano player/performer at a local pub and later formed a band called Bluesology. During this time, he started using the stage name Elton John. He later changed it legally to Elton Hercules John. Fate would intervene when Elton answered an advertisement for songwriters and was called to audition. He was able to play and compose music, but not lyrics. In what I consider to be one of the greatest divine interventions in history, Elton was given an envelop containing lyrics written by Bernie Taupin, who had also answered the ad by submitting his lyrics. This began a song-writing partnership and friendship that has lasted for more than 5 decades and has given the world some of the best songs ever written.
Elton John is known for a musical style that mixes genres such as blues, folk, pop, rock, and country and while showcasing his piano playing, it includes a multitude of other musicians to create a sound that was perfect for Top 40 radio starting in the 1970’s and into the 1980’s and beyond. He has been known for his outrageous stage costumes, which in my opinion were always brilliant and fun. He was never afraid to be his outlandish self. He also courted controversy in the 1970’s by stating that he was bisexual. He, in fact, was in a relationship with his then-manager John Reid for a number of years and they fought to keep it out of the headlines. In the 1980’s he shocked everyone, including those close to him, by marrying a woman. The marriage ended in divorce and Elton John later came out as gay.
Prompted by the death of his friend Freddie Mercury from AIDS as well as the little boy named Ryan White who contracted AIDS from a blood transfusion, he founded the Elton John AIDS Foundation in 1992/1993 which helps with education, prevention, research, and treatment of AIDS. Elton John was knighted by Queen Elizabeth in 1998 and was a close friend of several members of the Royal Family, especially Princess Diana. She comforted him at the funeral of his best friend Gianni Versace who was murdered in 1997. A month later, Diana herself was killed in a car accident and Elton sang at her funeral. Ever the professional, he managed to hold his composure during his performance only breaking down in grief later.
Elton John also had a controversial relationship with drugs, alcohol, and bulimia which was much publicized until he achieved sobriety in 1990. He has managed to remain sober ever since and often advocates for others to not be afraid to ask for help if they need it. In fact, that is one of the themes of the biopic “Rocketman” the making of which he was active in. In 1993, Elton John met David Furnish and they began a long-term relationship. In 2005 when civil partnerships became legal in the UK, they formed a legal union. In 2014 they were legally married once same-sex marriage became legal in the UK. Elton and David now have two sons.
Elton John is a legendary musician, song-writer, performer, and also a gay icon. Thank you, Sir Elton for being so fantastically unconventional. You are a true nonconformist.