History of Elton John in Timeline
Sir Elton John is a highly successful British singer, songwriter, and pianist renowned for his musical talent, flamboyant performances, and long-standing songwriting partnership with Bernie Taupin. He is an EGOT winner and one of the best-selling music artists in history, with over 300 million records sold worldwide. His impact on the music industry is significant and enduring.
1959: Roy Dwight's FA Cup Final Goal
In 1959, Elton John's paternal cousin Roy Dwight scored for Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup Final before breaking his leg later in the same match.
June 1975: New Line-Up Introduction at Wembley Stadium
In June 1975, Elton John introduced a new band line-up at Wembley Stadium in London, England. Davey Johnstone and Ray Cooper were retained, Quaye and Roger Pope returned, and Kenny Passarelli joined as the new bassist. James Newton Howard joined to arrange in the studio and play keyboards.
August 1975: Outstanding Rock Personality of the Year
On August 9, 1975, Elton John was named the outstanding rock personality of the year at the first annual Rock Music Awards in Santa Monica, California.
1975: Consecutive Number-One Albums in the United States
Between 1972 and 1975, Elton John achieved seven consecutive number-one albums in the United States, a feat that had not been accomplished prior to that time.
1975: Part-Owner of Los Angeles Aztecs
From late 1975 to 1976, Elton John was a part-owner of the Los Angeles Aztecs of the North American Soccer League.
1975: Release of "Philadelphia Freedom"
In 1975, Elton John released the song "Philadelphia Freedom" in tribute to his friend Billie Jean King's World Team Tennis team, the Philadelphia Freedoms.
1975: Financing Monty Python and the Holy Grail
In 1975, Elton John was among a group of musicians who helped finance the film Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
1975: Release of "Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy"
In 1975, Elton John's autobiographical album "Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy" debuted at number one in the US, remaining there for seven weeks. The album revealed John's personality, with lyrics by Taupin describing their early days in London. The release also signaled the end of the Elton John Band, leading to Olsson and Murray being dismissed.
May 1976: Release of Live Album "Here and There"
In May 1976, Elton John's live album "Here and There" was released.
1976: Part-Owner of Los Angeles Aztecs
From late 1975 to 1976, Elton John was a part-owner of the Los Angeles Aztecs of the North American Soccer League.
1976: Chairman and Director of Watford
In 1976, Elton John became the chairman and director of Watford, a team he has supported since his youth.
1976: Critical Peak of Career
The years 1970 to 1976 are widely regarded as the critical peak of Elton John's career.
November 1977: Announcement of Retirement from Performing
In November 1977, Elton John announced he was retiring from performing, leading Taupin to begin collaborating with others.
1978: Release of "A Single Man"
In 1978, Elton John issued the album "A Single Man" with new lyricist Gary Osborne.
May 1979: Concerts in the Soviet Union
In May 1979, Elton John played eight concerts in the Soviet Union; four dates in Leningrad and four in Moscow.
1979: Tour of the Soviet Union and Israel
In 1979, accompanied by Ray Cooper, Elton John became one of the first Western artists to tour the Soviet Union and Israel.
September 1980: Free Concert in Central Park
On September 13, 1980, Elton John performed a free concert to an estimated 400,000 fans on The Great Lawn in Central Park in New York City with Olsson and Murray back in the Elton John Band.
1980: Release of 21 at 33
In 1980, Elton John released the album 21 at 33, which was a significant career boost aided by the hit song "Little Jeannie".
1981: Release of "The Fox" Album
In 1981, Elton John's album "The Fox" was released, recorded during the same sessions as 21 at 33 and including collaborations with Tom Robinson and Judie Tzuke.
December 1982: Performance with Kiki Dee at Hammersmith Odeon
On December 24, 1982, Elton John performed "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" with Kiki Dee at the Hammersmith Odeon.
1982: Release of "Jump Up!" Album
In 1982, Elton John released the album "Jump Up!", the biggest hit from which was "Blue Eyes".
October 1983: Performance at Sun City in South Africa
In October 1983, Elton John caused controversy when he broke the United Nations' cultural boycott on apartheid-era South Africa by performing at Sun City.
1983: Reunion with Taupin on "Too Low For Zero"
In 1979, John and Taupin reunited, though they did not collaborate on a full album until 1983's "Too Low For Zero".
1983: Watford finishes runners up
In 1983, under Elton John's chairmanship, Watford Football Club finished as runners-up in the English First Division, marking a significant achievement for the club.
1984: Release of "Breaking Hearts"
In 1984, Elton John released the album "Breaking Hearts", which featured the song "Sad Songs (Say So Much)".
1984: Tears at the Cup Final
In 1984, at the Cup Final, Elton John cried when the song 'Abide with Me' was played, as the song evokes his memory of childhood.
1985: Performance at Live Aid
In 1985, Elton John was one of the performers at Live Aid, held at Wembley Stadium. He performed "Bennie and the Jets" and "Rocket Man", and "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" with Kiki Dee.
1986: Success of "That's What Friends Are For"
In 1986, Elton John's collaboration with Dionne Warwick, Gladys Knight, and Stevie Wonder on "That's What Friends Are For" reached number one in the US, raising funds for HIV/AIDS research.
1987: Sale of Watford Football Club
In 1987, Elton John sold Watford Football Club to Jack Petchey but remained president of the club.
1988: Shows at Madison Square Garden
In 1988, Elton John performed five sold-out shows at Madison Square Garden in New York.
1990: First Solo UK Number One Hit
In 1990, Elton John achieved his first solo UK number one hit single, with "Sacrifice" (coupled with "Healing Hands").
1990: Commercials for Diet Coke
In 1990, Elton John started appearing in commercials for Diet Coke.
1991: Brit Awards and Grammy Award
In 1991, "Basque" won the Grammy for Best Instrumental, and John won Best British Male at the Brit Awards in London.
1991: Becoming a fan of the Atlanta Braves
In 1991, Elton John became a fan of the Atlanta Braves baseball team after moving to Atlanta, Georgia, where he maintains a part-time residence.
April 1992: Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert Performance
In April 1992, Elton John appeared at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert at Wembley Stadium, performing "The Show Must Go On" and "Bohemian Rhapsody".
1992: Release of "The One" Album
In 1992, Elton John released the album "The One", his first album recorded entirely sober.
1993: Release of "Duets" Album
In 1993, Elton John released the album "Duets," which featured collaborations with 15 artists, including Tammy Wynette and RuPaul. This included a new collaboration with Kiki Dee, "True Love", which reached the Top 10 of the UK charts.
1993: 1993 Jaguar XJ220
In June 2001, Elton John sold twenty of his cars, including a 1993 Jaguar XJ220, the most expensive at £234,750.
1994: Induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
In 1994, Elton John was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame by Axl Rose of Guns N' Roses.
1994: Success of "The Lion King" Soundtrack
In 1994, Elton John, along with Tim Rice, wrote the songs for the Disney animated film "The Lion King". At the 67th Academy Awards, John won the award for "Can You Feel the Love Tonight".
September 1995: Appearance on Randy Newman's Faust
In September 1995, Elton John appeared as Angel Rick on the original studio album of Randy Newman's musical Faust.
January 1996: Extravagant Spending
In January 1996, Elton John's spending habits came under scrutiny, revealing an expenditure of over £9.6 million on property between January 1996 and September 1997.
December 1996: Release of "Live Like Horses" Duet
In December 1996, Elton John's duet with Luciano Pavarotti, "Live Like Horses", reached number nine in the UK.
January 1997: 50th Birthday Party
Early in 1997, Elton John held a 50th birthday party, costumed as Louis XIV of France, with 500 friends. He performed with the surviving members of Queen in Paris at the opening night (17 January 1997) of Le Presbytère N'a Rien Perdu De Son Charme Ni Le Jardin De Son Éclat.
September 1997: Extravagant Spending
In September 1997, Elton John's spending habits came under scrutiny, revealing an expenditure of over £9.6 million on property between January 1996 and September 1997.
1997: Presentation of Empire Inspiration Award
At the 2nd Empire Awards in 1997, Elton John presented the comedy group Monty Python with the Empire Inspiration Award.
1998: Freddie Mercury Award at Brit Awards
Elton John met Tony Blair at the Brit Awards 1998, where Blair awarded him the Freddie Mercury Award for his charitable work with the Elton John AIDS Foundation.
November 1999: "The Lion King" Certified Diamond
On November 10, 1999, the RIAA certified "The Lion King" soundtrack "Diamond" for selling 15 million copies.
2000: Admission of lavish spending
In 2000, Elton John admitted to spending £30 million in under two years, averaging £1.5 million a month.
June 2001: Auction of Cars
In June 2001, Elton John auctioned twenty of his cars at Christie's, including a 1993 Jaguar XJ220 and several Ferraris, Rolls-Royces, and Bentleys, raising nearly £2 million.
2002: Stepping Down as Chairman
In 2002, Elton John stepped down as chairman of Watford Football Club, recognizing the need for a full-time chairman, but he continued as president.
2003: Sale of Holland Park Home Contents
In 2003, Elton John sold the contents of his Holland Park home, expected to fetch £800,000 at Sotheby's, to modernise the decoration and display his contemporary art collection.
2004: Opening of "Elton's Closet"
Since 2004, Elton John has opened a shop called "Elton's Closet" annually, selling his secondhand clothes.
2005: Concert at Vicarage Road
In 2005, Elton John held a concert at Watford's home stadium, Vicarage Road, and donated the proceeds to the club.
2006: Political Views and Declining Support for Labour
In 2006, Elton John identified himself as a Labour supporter and praised Tony Blair, but expressed declining opinions about Blair's leadership and planned to withdraw his support from the Labour Party.
2008: Reaction to Barack Obama's Victory
After senator Barack Obama won the 2008 United States presidential election, Elton John called Obama's victory "incredibly moving."
2009: "Floating Voter" Description
In 2009, despite being called one of the Labour Party's most stalwart supporters, The Daily Telegraph described Elton John as a "floating voter."
2010: Concert at Vicarage Road
In 2010, Elton John held a concert at Watford's home stadium, Vicarage Road, and donated the proceeds to the club.
January 2014: Putin's Comments on Elton John
In January 2014, Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke of Elton John in an attempt to show that there was no discrimination against gays in Russia, calling him "an extraordinary person" and saying that millions of Russians love him.
December 2014: Opening of "Sir Elton John stand"
On December 13, 2014, Elton John appeared at Watford's Vicarage Road with his husband and sons for the opening of the "Sir Elton John stand", calling the occasion "one of the greatest days of my life".
May 2015: Meeting with President Obama at the White House
In May 2015, Elton John met President Barack Obama at the White House.
September 2015: Putin's Call and Invitation to Meet
On September 24, 2015, it was reported that Vladimir Putin called Elton John and invited him to meet in the future to discuss LGBT rights in Russia.
2016: Support for Hillary Clinton's Campaign
During the 2016 presidential election, Elton John supported Hillary Clinton's campaign, performing at her fundraiser concert at Radio City Music Hall, New York City, and praising her as "the only choice" America had.
2016: Support for Remaining in the European Union
In 2016, Elton John announced his intention to vote Remain during the UK's European Union referendum, sharing an image with the words "build bridges not walls" on Instagram.
January 2017: Declining Invitation to Trump's Inauguration
In January 2017, Elton John declined an invitation to attend Donald Trump's inauguration, citing his British nationality as a reason and wishing Trump success with his presidency.
September 2017: Trump's Reference to "Rocket Man"
In September 2017, during Trump's first address to the United Nations, Donald Trump referred to North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un as "Little Rocket Man."
2017: Biden's Book Mention of "Crocodile Rock"
In 2017, Joe Biden said in his book Promise Me, Dad that he sang "Crocodile Rock" to his son Beau when he was a child, and again when he was dying of cancer.
May 2018: Visit to Armenia
In May 2018, Elton John visited Armenia and was overwhelmed by the kindness and humanity shown to him by the Armenian people.
2018: John Lewis & Partners Christmas Advert
In 2018, Elton John's John Lewis & Partners Christmas advert, "The Boy & The Piano", aired in the UK, showing him reminiscing about his life and career in reverse, ending with Christmas Day in the 1950s when he received a piano from his mother.
2019: Ashamed of Brexit Vote Handling
In 2019, Elton John said that the Brexit vote and the way it had been handled had made him ashamed.
October 2020: Attention to Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
In October 2020, Elton John called attention to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan in his Instagram post.
2020: John Reflects on Recording "The One" Sober
In 2020, Elton John recalled in how it was tough to record "The One" sober, as he was used to making records under the haze of alcohol or drugs. But he managed to come up with a good song, which was the title of the record.
October 2021: Inclusion in the Pandora Papers
In October 2021, Elton John was named in the Pandora Papers, which allege secret financial deals by politicians and celebrities using tax havens to avoid paying owed taxes.
2021: Requests to meet with Boris Johnson Ignored
In 2021, Elton John said that his requests to meet with Boris Johnson regarding Brexit and touring visas for musicians were ignored.
March 2022: Performance at Shane Warne's memorial
In March 2022, Elton John performed "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" at the memorial service for Australian cricketer Shane Warne.
November 2022: Appearance in "If These Walls Could Sing"
In November 2022, Elton John was among the people interviewed for the documentary film If These Walls Could Sing, directed by Mary McCartney, about the recording studios at Abbey Road, which premiered in November 2022.
December 2022: Leaving Twitter
On December 9, 2022, Elton John left Twitter, following changes to its rules made by new owner Elon Musk, citing concerns about misinformation.
2022: National Humanities Medal
In 2022, after Elton John performed at the White House, President Joe Biden presented him with the National Humanities Medal.
June 2023: Comments on Phillip Schofield's Affair
On June 20, 2023, Elton John said the reaction to Phillip Schofield's secret affair with a younger colleague was "totally homophobic."
July 2023: Evidence at Kevin Spacey's Trial
On July 17, 2023, Elton John gave evidence as a defense witness at Kevin Spacey's sexual assault trial.
2023: Eradication of AIDS
In 2023, Elton John addressed a cross-party gathering of politicians at Westminster and said that the winner of the next general election could help to eradicate AIDS worldwide by the end of the decade.
December 2024: Opposition to Marijuana Legalization
In December 2024, Elton John made public his opposition to marijuana legalization, describing the legalization of marijuana in Canada and parts of the United States as "one of the greatest mistakes of our time."
December 2024: New Wax Work at Madame Tussauds
In December 2024, Madame Tussauds revealed a new structurally ambitious wax work of Elton John, featuring him in his 1970s heyday, suspended mid-air over his rhinestone piano in his signature handstand move.
2024: Assistance at Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center Opening
During the 2024 United States presidential election, Elton John assisted Joe Biden at the opening of the Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center in New York.
2024: Public Support for the Labour Party
In 2024, Elton John returned to publicly supporting Labour at the general election, endorsing the party's leader Keir Starmer to become prime minister.
2025: Betrayal by the Labour Government
In 2025, Elton John said he felt "incredibly betrayed" by the Labour government over plans to exempt technology firms from copyright laws, criticizing Keir Starmer and Technology Secretary Peter Kyle.
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