Elton John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight, 25 March 1947) is an English singer-songwriter, composer and pianist. He has worked with lyricist Bernie Taupin as his songwriting partner since 1967; they have collaborated on more than 30 albums to date. In his five-decade career Elton John has sold more than 300 million records, making him one of the best-selling music artists in the world. (More from Wikipedia)
The extravagant glasses that Elton John has worn throughout his decades-long career all started when young Reg Dwight began wearing glasses in his teens “not because he needed them, but in homage to Buddy Holly”, as Philip Norman wrote in his biography of the English legend. Lead singer Freddie Garrity of Freddie and the Dreamers is another British star who wore Buddy Holly glasses on stage; in the 1970’s, pub-music star Elvis Costello was doing the same. Allmusic describes Freddie and the Dreamers as “the clowns of the British Invasion” due to their outlandish hits like “Do the Freddie”, but there is a lot more to them than that (though I will have to get into that another time).
(June 2013/1)
* * *
In 1969, lead vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Caleb Quaye (vocals, guitar, keyboards) formed a band called Hookfoot with former Soul Agents Ian Duck (vocals, guitar, harmonica), Dave Glover (bass guitar) and Roger Pope (drums). Quaye had previously been in one of the final incarnations of Long John Baldry’s band Bluesology (whose previous members included Elton John when he was still known as Reg Dwight – in fact, the “John” in his stage name is in tribute to Long John Baldry).
(May 2014)
* * *
In 1967, Elton John – then using his real name Reggie Dwight – answered an ad in the prominent British magazine New Musical Express by Ray Williams, a Liberty Records A&R man. (The initials stand for “artists and repertoire”; they are basically the people who shake the bushes looking for new talent). Bernie Taupin had answered the same ad; although neither artist was actually signed by Liberty Records, Ray Williams gave him Taupin’s telephone number.
Reggie Dwight was based in London and was then in a band called Bluesology that was backing British blues artist Long John Baldry; within six months, he started using the name Elton John as an homage to Baldry and to Elton Dean, a saxophone player in Bluesology.
(April 2015/1)
