25 March marks the 75th birthday of Elton John – the English singer, pianist and composer. Over a career spanning six decades, as well as solo work, he has collaborated with John Lennon, Kiki Dee and George Michael and, in more recent times, Ed Sheeran and Dua Lipa.
Producing more than 30 albums (and some great album covers!) since 1967, including ‘Goodbye Yellow Brick Road’ and ‘Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy’, his single collection is extensive, including ‘I’m still standing’, ‘Sad songs (say so much)’ and ‘Candle in the Wind 1997’, a re-working of his earlier version (1974) which he performed at Princess Diana’s funeral in 1997.
Beyond his musical career, he is an HIV/AIDS charity fundraiser and established the Elton John Aids Foundation in 1992, which has raised over £300 million since its inception.
He was knighted by the Queen in 1998 for his services to music and charitable services and in 2019 he received the Legion d’honneur, France’s highest civilian honour, from President Macron who called him a melodic genius and praised his work on behalf of the LGBT community.
In 1976 he became chairman and director of Watford Football Club. Although no longer the majority shareholder, he still holds a significant financial interest in it.
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