Elton John

As Elton John tours Australia at 70, we track his colourful history. From tantrums and tiaras to finding himself in fatherhood, the extravagant musical genius has discovered contentment in later life

I’ve hopefully got two or three years left where I can have a good time,” declares the flamboyant man in the colourful glasses, crossing one flaredtrouser leg to reveal his platform boots. It’s February 1976, and Elton John is considering when to end his career. “But, for god’s sake, I don’t want to be doing this when I’m 36 or 37, because I think it’s really pathetic. There’s much more to be doing in life than just going ’round the stages of the world singing ‘Rocket Man’.” Little does he know that, 40 years on, he will still be at it.

Back then, the British artist – formerly known as Reginald Dwight – was 29 years old and on top of the world. His records sold millions of copies, and he was regularly mobbed on sell-out international tours. He had 11 studio albums under his leopard-print belt and, with songwriting partner Bernie Taupin, had already released many of the greatest hits of his career: “Rocket Man”, “Your Song”, “Tiny Dancer”, “Crocodile Rock”

The creative duo met in London at the offices of Liberty Records during 1967, the same year Reggie started going by the name of Elton Hercules John. He loved the limelight, and understood the power of the complete glam-rockgod persona. He dressed in clownish outfits by hip London tailor Tommy Roberts, and gave pointedly controversial interviews. In October 1976, John famously proclaimed, “There’s nothing wrong with going to bed with somebody of your own sex.”

Taupin, in contrast, liked to stay in the background. (“I couldn’t live [John’s] life. I would rather drill myself in the head with a nail gun than do what he does,” he told Rolling Stone years later). It was John, the flamboyant frontman, who would become the legend.