8 Things you should know about Sir Elton

ON December 8, Filipino music enthusiasts will finally get to meet Reginald Kenneth Dwight, better known as Elton John, as he celebrates his 40th year in the music industry at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. Here are eight interesting trivia about the Rocketman.

“Without Bernie, there wouldn’t be any Elton John.” In 1994, days after a powerful earthquake hit Los Angeles, Elton John was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. When he was finally on stage, he asked his longtime friend and collaborator Bernie Taupin to come up on stage and accept the award instead. He gave Bernie a hug and afterwards he said, “Without Bernie there wouldn’t be any Elton John at all.”

Staunch AIDS awareness advocate. Elton had close friends who were stricken with the dreaded disease, Ryan White, America’s national poster child for AIDS in the late 80s, and Freddie Mercury, vocalist for the famous rock band Queen. Their deaths pushed him to aggressively take part in the global fight against AIDS. His Elton John AIDS Foundation raised over $280 million to support AIDS programs in fifty-five countries.

He could’ve been a banker. When Elton started showing signs of seriously wanting to be a professional musician, his father who worked as a flight lieutenant in the Royal Air Force tried to steer him away and convince him to be a banker.

King of the airwaves. He has sold over 250 million records in a span of 40 years, which makes him one of the most successful recording artists of all time.

Billboard hitmaker. In successful fourdecade career, he has managed to have fifty Top 40 hits, seven consecutive no. 1 albums in the United States, fifty-six Top 40 singles, sixteen Top 10 singles, four no. 2 hits and nine no. 1 hits.

Rubbing elbows with the Royals. He was named Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1996 and in 1998, Queen Elizabeth II bestowed a knighthood upon him, officially making him Sir Elton John.

Live and outrageous acts. Aside from the hit songs, Elton is famous for being one of the most energetic performers on stage since his days with the rest of the Elton John Band.

Amazing concert stamina. Elton John’s Rocket Man: Greatest Hits Live concert tour lasted for four years from 2007 to 2010. composed of 28 legs, and the Philippines is just one of the lucky 9 Asian countries to have him for a one night only concert.

For tickets log on to www.ticketnet.com.ph or call TicketNet at 911-5555.