Today's History, Elton John Was Born As A Music Icon As Well As A Fighter For Homosexuals And People With AIDS

JAKARTA - Today, March 25, to be precise, Sir Elton Hercules John or Elton John celebrates his 73rd birthday. This British singer has a unique blend of pop and rock styles. Elton John became one of the greatest music icons of the 20th century. He is also a warrior. In many ways, especially the issue of the legality of same sex relations and HIV AIDS, two things are attached to the name.

He was musically gifted from a young age. He is a great music player. Elton John's song lyrics are also known to be strong. Elton John released his first American album in 1970, making him a huge international star.

Some of his hit songs, which topped the charts, include Crocodile Rock, Philadelphia Freedom, and Candle in the Wind. Elton John also found success on Broadway for Billy Elliot (2008), who went on to win ten awards at the Tony Awards.

Elton John was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994 and knighted in 1998. His love for music grew from an early age.

Elton John even learned to play the piano on his own when he was only four years old. Proving extraordinary talent, Elton John won a scholarship for the youth program at the Royal Academy of Music in London.

Elton John has a bad relationship with his father, Stanley Dwight, a member of the Royal Air Force. His parents divorced when Elton John was a teenager.

John and his father then argue about his future. Elton John was fascinated by rock and roll from the very beginning decided to pursue a music career.

Meanwhile, his father is very disappointed that John dropped out of school at the age of 17 to pursue his dream. Cited from Biography, Elton John began music in a group called Bluesology and made his stage name from the names of two group members.

Elton John then made his first breakthrough as a singer in 1969 with the album Empty Sky, featuring songs by himself and Taupin. However, the album failed.

Elton John at his concert in Australia (Instagram / @ eltonjohn)

Elton John re-launched his self-titled album in 1970, featuring the hit Your Song. After that, many hits followed, such as Crocodile Rock, Bennie and the Jets, and Island Girl.

Elton John enjoyed a series of best-selling albums to date, including Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (1973) and Rock of the Westies (1975).

Elton John experienced deep sadness when he lost two of his best friends, fashion designer, Gianni Versace, and Princess Diana. Elton John then reworked one of his classic songs, Candle in the Wind.

The song was written in honor of Princess Diana. The proceeds from the song go to a charity founded in honor of Princess Diana. Candle in the Wind proved to be a tremendous success. The song sold more than 30 million copies in 1997.

Billy Elliott the Musical and Rocketman

Apart from singer and song composer, Elton John also played an important role in Billy Elliott the Musical. The show, adapted from the 2000 film, hit Broadway in 2008, where it quickly became a critical and commercial success.

John also worked on the 2011 animated film, Gnomeo & Juliet. In that project, he served as a producer and composer. Even with his gentle stage persona, John remains a very popular live artist.

In 2012, he appeared with Ozzy Osbourne, Eric Clapton, Stevie Wonder, and Paul McCartney, in celebration of the 60th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II. Around this time, it was revealed that Elton John and his husband were working on a biographical film called Rocketman.

Starring Taron Egerton, the film has finally reached the finish line with its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2019. The film has garnered attention for its musical scenes and depiction of Elton John's unshakable sexuality.

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Self-recognition as bisexual

In 1976, Elton John again reached the top of the charts with Don't Go Breaking My Heart, which was a duet with Kiki Dee. After that he decided to take a break from music, focusing his energies on the football team he has with in England.

At the same time, Elton John also publicly announced that he was bisexual. Growing up in a time when bisexuality or homosexuality was considered a mental disorder, did not make Elton John shut down.

Instead, he became bolder, stiffer, and remained flamboyant in the best way possible. In 1988, Elton John publicly said he was "comfortable being gay."

John had married a woman named Renate Blauel in 1984. But the two divorced four years later.

In May 2005, Elton John proposed to his boyfriend, David Furnish, then registered as a civil partnership on December 21, 2005. When same-sex marriage was legal in Britain in 2014, the couple changed their partnership status to marriage on December 21, 2014.

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A post shared by Elton John (@eltonjohn)

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Elton John is also outspoken about the legality of same-sex relationships. As a form of support for same-sex marriage in Australia in 2017, Elton John took to Instagram to upload a photo of himself and Furnish on their wedding day.

"When we got married in 2014, it felt like that fact was accepted by the world", he said in the post.

"For David and me, being able to openly love and commit to each other, and to be recognized and celebrated is what makes life truly worth living", added Elton John.

Most recently, Elton John has criticized the Vatican for what he called hypocrisy for rejecting same-sex marriage. He expressed his disappointment through social media by comparing two news stories.

On the left, John includes a screenshot of the news about the Catholic Church not condoning same-sex marriage. On the right, there is a story about the Vatican funding the production of Elton John's biopic entitled Rocketman.

“How can the Vatican not condone same-sex marriage because it is a 'sin' but make a fortune by investing millions in Rocketman, a film celebrating the joys of my marriage to David?", said John in the caption.

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AIDS and the issue of dying

Elton John has been rumored to have died several times, mainly because of AIDS. Since the 1980s, Elton John has been living with HIV AIDS. Finally, at the International AIDS Conference in Washington, United States (US), Elton John expressed his gratitude for being alive to this day.

Elton John mentioned a number of his friends, such as Queen frontman Freddie Mercury and actor Rock Hudson who died of AIDS before turning 60. On that occasion, Elton John also revealed his past as a rock and roll star, how he fell into a life full of drugs and free sex.

“I should be dead, two meters in the coffin. I got AIDS in 1980 and died in 1990 like Freddie Mercury and Rock Hudson ... Every day I think, how can I survive until now", said Elton John, quoted by Antara.

Elton John, however, is a powerful and inspiring AIDS survivor. The star founded the Elton John AIDS Foundation (EJAF) in 1992 after his relative Ryan White died in 1990 from the virus.

Since its establishment, EJAF has raised more than USD 200 million in donations in an effort to eliminate discrimination against people living with HIV AIDS (PLWHA). He provides support for various innovative HIV prevention programs, education, to provide direct care and services for PLHIV, and motivates the government to end AIDS.

*Read other information about CELEBRITY or read other interesting articles from Putri Ainur Islam.