Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is an English singer, songwriter, pianist, and composer. Collaborating with lyricist Bernie Taupin since 1967 on more than 30 albums, John has sold more than 300 million records, making him one of the best-selling music artists. He has more than fifty Top 40 hits in the UK Singles Chart and US Billboard Hot 100, including seven number ones in the UK and nine in the US, as well as seven consecutive number-one albums in the US. His tribute single "Candle in the Wind 1997", rewritten in dedication to Diana, Princess of Wales, sold over 33 million copies worldwide and is the best-selling single in the history of the UK and US singles charts. He has also produced records and occasionally acted in films. John owned Watford F.C. from 1976 to 1987 and from 1997 to 2002. He is an honorary life president of the club.
Elton John & Scissor Sister's Jake Shears Team Up for Musical Tammy Faye
Elton John’s musical with Scissor Sisters’ frontman Jake Shears about the life of gay icon Tammy Faye Messner is set to premiere at London’s Almeida Theater this October.
The show, titled after the American religious televangelist, will capture her experience preaching Christianity while gaining the support of the LGBTQ+ community for her empathy toward people living with HIV during the early years of the AIDS epidemic. “Tammy just wants to put the fun back into faith.
But a new wave of ministers wants you not to just feel God in your heart, but in your homes, in your schools, and in the law too,” reads the musical's synopsis.
Directed by Almeida Artistic’s Rupert Goold, the show will feature music by John with lyrics written by Shears. “I think there’s quite a lot of faith music and church music influences in classic Elton John,” Goold told the Guardian. “Tammy came to early fame in the 70s, and then became a different kind of public figure in the 80s and 90s.
