In 1945, Peter Townsend was born in West London. However, as with the pressing on the promotional single above, the song was incorrectly credited at times to John Entwistle. “Pinball Wizard” was written by Pete Townshend. In the midst of this string of hits came Elton John’s cover of The Who single “Pinball Wizard”. In 1975, John had #1 hits in the USA with “Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds”, “Philadelphia Freedom” and “Island Girl”. 1974 was one of the singers best years with “Bennie And The Jets” topping the charts on the Billboard Hot 100 and “The Bitch Is Back” climbing to #1 in Vancouver. Later in 1973, “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” topped the charts in New Zealand and Canada. It stalled at #5 on the UK singles chart. Though Elton John is from the UK, his first #1 single was “Crocodile Rock”, a song that went to #1 in America, Switzerland, New Zealand and Canada in early 1973. “Tiny Dancer” also made it into the Top 20 in Vancouver, while stalling at #41 on the Billboard Hot 100. “Border Song” only made it to #92 on the Hot 100, but peaked at #21 in Vancouver. “Levon”, from Madman Across The Water, climbed to #3 in Vancouver, but stalled at #24 on the Billboard Hot 100. “Your Song” stalled at #8 in the USA, but climbed to #1 on CKVN in Vancouver. However, in 1976, Vancouver record buyers liked the song and took it to #10 on CKLG five years after its release on Tumbleweed Connection. In the early years, Elton John typically enjoyed higher chart runs in Vancouver compared to the Billboard Hot 100 in the USA. One of the tracks from the album is “ Love Song.” The tune did not appear on the Billboard Hot 100 in the USA. The album peaked in the Top 5 of the Billboard 200 Album chart. His third album was Tumbleweed Connection, released in the fall of 1970. On April 23, 1971, Elton John made his first concert debut in Vancouver (BC), performing at the Agrodome. This was the title track “Friends” and “Honey Roll”. “Your Song” climbed to #1 on CKVN in Vancouver and peaked at #8 on the Billboard Hot 100, failing to make the Year-End Top 100 singles of the year in America. Elton John’s next release was from the 1971 teen-romance film, Friends. John didn’t disappoint his critics, as his next album, the self-titled, Elton John, included “Your Song” and “Border Song,” two of his most enduring contributions to pop music. He received critical acclaim for his musicianship and heralded as a great new singer-songwriter. In 1969, Elton John released his debut album, Empty Sky. Of these 42 reached the Top Ten in Canada on the RPM singles chart, 29 made Top Ten on the UK charts and 26 singles made Top Ten on the Billboard Hot 100. Elton John holds the distinction of having the most successful single release in the rock ‘n roll era ~ 1955 to the present ~ with his 1997 version of “Candle in the Wind” which has sold over 33 million copies. The biggest selling single remains “White Christmas” by Bing Crosby which has sold 50 million copies. In the same five-decade span Elton John has released 128 singles.
Since they teamed up they’ve worked together on 32 studio albums between 19. In 1967 John met Bernie Taupin, a songwriter.
His stage name, which became his legal name in 1967, was taken from Bluesology saxophonist Elton Dean, and their lead singer, Long John Baldry. While he was playing with a band called Bluesology in the mid-60s he adopted the stage name Elton John. In 1962, by the age of 15, he was performing with his group, The Corvettes, at the Northwood Hills Hotel (now the Northwood Hills Public House) in a northern borough of London. Between the ages of 11 and 15 he attended the Academy on Saturday mornings. When he was eleven years old he won a scholarship as a Junior Exhibitor at the Royal Academy of Music. When he was three years old he astounded his family when he was able to play The Skater’s Waltz by Émile Waldteufel by ear at the piano. Reginald Kenneth Dwight was born in 1947. Peak Position on Billboard Hot 100 ~ did not chart
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