The Journey of Elton John
Elton John is one of the most prominent names of music. His music and stage performances are known worldwide, but he is known for more than just his songs. Elton John is a prominent face of the LGBTQ+ community and fight against AIDS, as well as an advocate for recovery from substance abuse.
Music
Elton John (born Reginald Dwight) was born in 1947 in Middlesex, England. As depicted in the film Rocketman, as a child he seemed to have a difficult relationship with his father and often connected with his mother through their love of music. One of his big inspirations growing up was Elvis Presley. As a talented pianist and singer, he attended the London Academy of Music. He eventually left to pursue his career as a musician, which took a period of time to get started.
He met Bernie, his songwriter, and they worked together on his music together. For a long time, his music was rejected, and they were facing a lot of failures. However, “Your Song” was their first success that was accepted by executives. With the success, he eventually went on to make his American debut at West Hollywood’s Troubadour, leading to his global success. Following this, he released more hits, such as, “Rocket Man,” “Crocodile Rock,” and “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart.”
He’s stage presence is another reason he is so prominent. His extreme outfits and wild persona on stage made a mark with his audience. Some of his most iconic looks include his sparkly Dodgers uniform, denim outfit with dozens of patches, and his “giant chicken outfit.” As he mentioned in his Vogue interview, he often sat at the piano for his performances, so he needed some way to attract and maintain the audience’s attention.
Struggles With Addiction
Elton John began to struggle with addiction during the height of his career. When discussing his struggles with substance abuse, he says he had almost died on numerous occasions. His addiction caused him to have seizures and nearly die, but then he’d go back to drugs hours later. In 1990, he went into rehab to get help with his addiction. He now is an advocate for people to seek out help and recovery.
Sexuality
Elton John is a prominent face of the LGBTQ+ community. He came out as gay in 1992 in Rolling Stone. However, his journey to coming out was not easy. Elton John was engaged to Linda Woodrow in 1969. However, the engagement ended, and he had his first queer relationship with his manager John Reid. In the film Rocketman, it insinuates that this relationship was extremely unhealthy. A few years later, he came out as bisexual to the public. He then proposed to Renate Blauel in 1983, however he was in a relationship with a man, Gary, at the time. Blauel and John married on February 14, 1948. This marriage was short-lived however, as they divorced in 1988. During their marriage, John had a major lawsuit against British newspaper, The Sun, for publishing that he was engaging in sexual relations with male prostitutes. In addition, they published an image of him committing sexual acts. John eventually won the case, and celebrated this win at a drag show. Following his divorce in 1988, Elton eventually began a relationship with David Furnish, who he married right after the legalization of same sex marriage on December 21, 2005.
AIDS and Same-Sex Marriage
In 1991, he lost his close friend Freddie Mercury to AIDS, which led to him becoming a major activist for AIDS research. He created the Elton John AIDS Foundation and raised over 450 million dollars. In addition, he recorded “That’s What Friends Are For” and donated all the proceeds to the American Foundation for AIDS Research.
In addition to being an activist towards AIDS Research, he is also an advocate for same-sex marriage laws to be protected. After finally getting to marry his husband, together they are raising their two sons and fighting for the rights of others to have the chance to marry their love. According to John, it’s more than just equality. It’s freedom and dignity to love someone without fear.
Conclusion
Elton John has made changes to the world far beyond his music. Through his journey in life so far, he has been an advocate for so many. He is a talented musician who has used his platform to advocate for others and encourage others to carry on in life. His ability to share his journey has helped so many find comfort in him as a role model and advocate.
Sources:
https://variety.com/2015/voices/columns/elton-john-marriage-equality-column-1201529639/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhpQjuOcFd0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsCVMj0NBWg
https://www.notablebiographies.com/Ho-Jo/John-Elton.html
https://www.radiox.co.uk/features/how-when-elton-john-came-out-gay-lgbtq-icon/
https://www.billboard.com/culture/pride/elton-john-me-book-memoir-8533251/
https://nostuntsmagazine.com/en/queer-icons-in-the-music-industry/
Rocketman. Directed by Dexter Flecher