Sir Elton John's exaggerated life can hardly be domestic in nature, although that is the aim of the most British all-round artist next to Paul McCartney or Rod Stewart for years to come. These days, the accolades are piling up for Reginald Kenneth Dwight, his real name, as he soon turns 77.
The United States Library of Congress has just announced the awarding of its prestigious Gershwin Prize in the Popular Songs (Pop) category in 2024 to the British artist and lyricist of most of his hits, Bernie Taupin. Shortly before this latest recognition was announced, Elton John had become an EGOT, that special kind of showbiz person capable of Emmy (television), Grammy (music), Oscar (film) and Tony awards. (Theatre) awards to collect. There are only 19 of them. The live broadcast of his concert at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, the last American stop on his farewell world tour, the Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour, brought the artist what he was missing: the coveted Emmy. At the end of a 330-performance tour, it is estimated that the tour grossed around 920 million euros. Just a week ago he announced a book in which he will tell all the details of his farewell tour: “It was a beautiful journey writing this book and remembering the people and places that shaped an incredible chapter of my life. “In addition to the stories and memories, not only from this tour but from my entire career, I have included unpublished photos and memories that I hope will give you an unprecedented picture of my life on the road,” he explained on his Instagram about Farewell Yellow Brick Road: Memories of My Life On Tour, a title that won't be released until September 24th.
More information
It wouldn't be the last goodbye. There were more, and none of them sounded completely definitive. A year later he performed at the legendary Glastonbury festival in the countryside of southwest England. “It was an incredible journey. I had a great time and will never forget you. You are in my head, in my heart and in my soul. “You were an incredible audience tonight and I wish you love, health and happiness,” Elton John said to the nearly 200,000 spectators who enjoyed his music live that evening. Between seven and eight million more watched it on the BBC, an audience share (48.9%) that is hard to beat.
I'm a bitch, I'm a bitch, the bitch is back (I'm a bitch, I'm a bitch, the bitch is back). It was one of the hits that the singer had chosen for a concert that was, above all, a nostalgic look back at half a century at the front, but also made it clear that he had no intention of giving up the scene completely. He wore a gold suit and black glasses with pink lenses. Something rather discreet for the artist who made his outfits an essential part of his personality. In the age of rock guitars, it was the trick of a just-beginning Elton John to stay glued to his piano to constantly attract the audience's attention. Crocodile Rock, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Your Song, Candle in the Wind… He didn't leave any of his great songs out of his repertoire. And he showed the generosity he had shown over the years. He didn't let surprisingly big names accompany him on stage, but instead used his overwhelming influence to promote young talents like Stephen Sanchez and Rina Sawayama.
In Windsor, with the children
Elton John married David Furnish (Toronto, Canada, 61 years old) almost 10 years ago, when the UK finally legally recognized same-sex marriages. They have two children, Zachary (12 years old) and Elijah (10), through a surrogate mother whose identity is unknown, but with whom the couple say they maintain warm and constant communication.
Elton John and David Furnish at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, which took place at St. George's Church in Windsor Castle on May 19, 2018. Pool (WireImage)
The singer assures that in the coming years he wants to devote the maximum of his time to family and personal life at his villa in Windsor. It's not hard to spot him with his two children at Pizza Hut or Waterstones bookstore in the picturesque British town. “It's always hard to say goodbye. But the truth is, I miss him, the kids miss him and he misses us,” Furnish said in the final weeks of the farewell tour. “He's had enough. “It’s time to spend more time together as a family,” he predicted.
However, Elton John's farewell suggests that it will be about more than just his famous “Candle in the Wind”, whose flame, the lyrics say, went out long before the legend. The singer refuses to enter the “legendary” category. He is working on a new album and a musical and does not rule out sporadic and occasional appearances on stage.
blown by the wind
Thirty years later, Elton John also said goodbye to his villa in the elegant Buckhead district in the south of Atlanta. In the American city of Miss Scarlet from the film “Gone with the Wind”, the singer decided to settle, compared to more popular options at the time such as Los Angeles or New York. A thousand reasons have been offered to explain why this boy from the London suburb of Pinner parked part of his heart in the same city that is home to Coca-Cola or CNN. The warmth and hospitality of the Historic South – undeniable –; the cultural and musical vitality of the city – unbeatable –; or the prosperity and interracial coexistence of a capital city that is home to the main African American middle class and the Martin Luther King Center for Social Change.
Rina Sawayama and Elton John perform during the Elton John AIDS Foundation Benefit Gala on March 12, 2023 in West Hollywood, California. Michael Kovac (Getty Images for Elton John AIDS)
However, there is another reason that is more related to the singer's personal history and philanthropic efforts. Atlanta, home to the largest gay community in the southern United States, is home to the CDC, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Along with the Pasteur Institute, it was the institution that was committed to research and the fight against AIDS when HIV terrified, stigmatized and killed the homosexual community.
Elton John has loosened his ties with Atlanta and will auction the more than a thousand works of art and personal items he has stored in his mansion at Christie's in New York this February. But he remains firmly at the helm of the Elton John Foundation against AIDS, one of the nonprofit institutions that raises most of the money for the research still needed to eradicate the disease.
“I’m still standing,” Elton John shouted in one of his catchiest and most inspiring songs. He is not suggesting a domestic retreat, but rather a mere tactical retreat before returning to the scene.