Elton John
 One of the most commercially
successful entertainers of the last 30 years, pop singer Elton John
was born Reginald Dwight on March 25, 1947 to a middle-class family
living in Pinner, England. His mother encouraged him to play piano
as a toddler, and by age 11 Dwight won a scholarship to study
at the Royal Academy of Music. While at school he performed with a
succession of small-time rock bands, including the Corvettes, and
the more successful R&B group Bluesology. Dropping out shortly
before graduation, John toured England with Bluesology backing bigger-name
blues performers; he also played piano in hotels and worked for a
music publisher. In 1967 Dwight met lyricist Bernard Taupin
through a newspaper ad, and the duo became a professional songwriting
team for Dick James' new label DJM, cranking out up to 10 songs a
day. Taking the stage name Elton "Hercules" John from the first names
of Bluesology's vocalist Elton Dean and saxophonist "Long" John Baldry,
Dwight embarked on a solo career in mid-1968, performing songs he
had written with Taupin.
1.toddler: n. 初学走路的孩子
2.lyricist: n. 抒情诗人
Working with producer Gus Dudgeon, John and Taupin released a new
album for MCA Records in 1970, Elton John. Thanks to critical
praise and the U.S. success of the Top 10 single "Your Song," John
found himself quite popular in America, touring that country for
the first time later that year. His 1971 follow-up, the concept
album Tumbleweed Connection, was another big hit, reaching
the Top 10. The prolific pair put together several more albums
during 1971-72, culminating in 1972's Honky Chateau,
John's first No. 1 album. Its big single, "Rocket Man," inaugurated
a string of hits for the singer-pianist, who scored 16 consecutive
Top 20 hits between late 1972 and mid-1976, releasing up to three
albums a year. Hits like "The Bitch Is Back," "Saturday Night's
Alright for Fighting," "Bernie and the Jets," "Yellow Brick Road,"
"Don't Let the Sun Go Down On Me," "Someone Saved My Life Tonight"
and "Crocodile Rock" became pop classics, turning Elton John into
a bona fide superstar. He appeared on the cover of Time,
performed for more than 100,000 people in Los Angeles, dueted with
John Lennon in New York and appeared in the movie Tommy.
John's live shows became known for their flamboyance and energy
-- the singer would appear on stage wearing feather boas,
garish sunglasses, platform shoes, and multi-colored hair.
1975's Captain Fantastic became the first album ever to debut
at No. 1. In 1977 John announced that he would no longer perform
live, due to exhaustion, and would limit his record output; more
importantly, he and Bernard Taupin ceased working together, with
John bringing in other songwriters and Taupin penning lyrics for
other artists. Elton John's began a comeback tour in 1979, without
his usual backup band. The extensive world tour passed through Russia,
among other stops, making John the first Western artist to tour
the Communist U.S.S.R.
1.prolific:adj. 多产的, 丰富的, 大量繁殖的
2.culminate:v. 达到顶点
3.inaugurate:vt. 举行就职典礼, 创新, 开辟, 举行开幕(落成、成立)典礼.
4.consecutive: adj. 连续的, 联贯的
5.boa: n. 蟒蛇, 女用毛皮, 围巾
6.garish: adj. 炫耀的, 过分装饰的, (色彩、装饰、打扮等)俗气的
In 1980 John and Taupin reunited for 21 at 33, spawning
the Top 10 hit "Little Jeanie." Switching from MCA to Geffen, John
continued releasing gold records, occasionally scoring hits like
1983's "I Guess That's Why They Call it the Blues" and 1984's "Sad
Songs (Say So Much)," but moved from rock/pop to a more mellow adult
contemporary sound. He also took an interest in AIDS research, befriending
teenage AIDS victim Ryan White and forming the Elton John AIDS Foundation
in 1991; he also announced that he would donate all future royalties
from his singles to AIDS charities.
1.charity: n. 慈善, 施舍, 慈善团体
John mounted another comeback with 1992's The One, which
went double platinum. That same year he and Taupin signed a publishing
deal with Warner/Chappel Music for nearly $40 million. In 1994 Elton
John scored his biggest hit in years with "Can You Feel the Love
Tonight" from The Lion King soundtrack, winning five Grammy
nominations and three Oscar nominations. That same year,
he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
1.nomination: n. 任命
Elton John released his latest album, The Big Picture, in
September 1997. Earlier that month, he captured the hearts of millions
when he sang a re-written version of "Candle in the Wind" at the
funeral of Princess Diana.
The a recording of the song, released as "Candle in the Wind 1997"
became the first single to outsell Bing Crosby's "White Christmas."
All proceeds from the sale of the single were donated to the Princess
of Wales Memorial Fund.
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