John was raised in the Pinner suburb of London and learned to play piano at an early age, forming the blues band Bluesology in 1962. After leaving Bluesology in 1967 to embark on a solo career, John met Taupin after they both answered an advert for songwriters. For two years, they wrote songs for other artists, and John worked as a session musician for artists. John released his debut album Empty Sky in 1969, and a year later formed the Elton John Band and released his first hit single, "Your Song".
John's critical success was at its peak in the 1970s when he released a streak of chart-topping albums in the US and UK, which began with Honky Château (1972) and culminated with Rock of the Westies (1975). John continued his success in the 1980s and 1990s, having several hit singles and albums in both decades, and has continued to record new music since then. He has also had success in musical films and theatre, composing music for The Lion King, Aida, and Billy Elliot the Musical. In 2018, John began his ongoing farewell tour Farewell Yellow Brick Road, which is scheduled to conclude in 2023. The 2019 biopic Rocketman dramatized his life and career.
Outside of music, John is an HIV/AIDS charity fundraiser and has been involved in the fight against AIDS since the late 1980s. He established the Elton John AIDS Foundation in 1992, which has raised over £300 million since its inception, and a year later he began hosting his annual Foundation Academy Awards Party, which has since become one of the biggest high-profile Oscar parties in the Hollywood film industry. John was the chairman and director of Watford F.C, from 1976 to 1987, and again from 1997 to 2002, and is an honorary life president of the club. From the late 1970s to the late 1980s, John developed a severe addiction problem to drugs and alcohol but has been sober since 1990. He entered into a civil partnership with Canadian filmmaker David Furnish in 2005; they married after same-sex marriage became legal in England and Wales in 2014.
John has sold over 300 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling artists of all time. He has more than fifty Top 40 hits on the UK Singles Chart and US Billboard Hot 100, including nine number-ones in the UK and US, as well as seven consecutive number-one albums in the US. His tribute single "Candle in the Wind 1997", a rewritten version of his 1974 single in dedication to Princess Diana, sold over 33 million copies worldwide and is the best-selling chart single of all time. In 2021, John became the first solo artist with UK Top 10 singles across six decades.
John has received numerous awards, including five Grammy Awards, five Brit Awards; including for Outstanding Contribution to Music; two Academy Awards, two Golden Globes, a Tony Award, a Laurence Olivier Award, a Disney Legend Award, and the Kennedy Center Honor. He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1992 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994 and is a fellow of The Ivors Academy. He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for services to music and charitable services in 1998 and was appointed a member of the Order of the Companions of Honour by King Charles III (then Prince of Wales) in 2020.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elton_John
Solo studio albums
Empty Sky (1969)
Elton John (1970)
Tumbleweed Connection (1970)
Madman Across the Water (1971)
Honky Château (1972)
Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player (1973)
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (1973)
Caribou (1974)
Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy (1975)
Rock of the Westies (1975)
Blue Moves (1976)
A Single Man (1978)
Victim of Love (1979)
21 at 33 (1980)
The Fox (1981)
Jump Up! (1982)
Too Low for Zero (1983)
Breaking Hearts (1984)
Ice on Fire (1985)
Leather Jackets (1986)
Reg Strikes Back (1988)
Sleeping with the Past (1989)
The One (1992)
Made in England (1995)
The Big Picture (1997)
Songs from the West Coast (2001)
Peachtree Road (2004)
The Captain & the Kid (2006)
The Diving Board (2013)
Wonderful Crazy Night (2016)
Regimental Sgt. Zippo (2021)
Young Gifted & Black
Elton John Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh what a lovely precious dream
To be young, gifted and black,
Open your heart to what I mean
In the whole world you know
There are billion boys and girls
Who are young, gifted and black,
Young, gifted and black
We must begin to tell our young
There's a world waiting for you
This is a quest that's just begun
When you feel really low
Yeah, there's a great truth you should know
When you're young, gifted and black
Your soul's intact
Young, gifted and black
How I long to know the truth
There are times when I look back
And I am haunted by my youth
Oh but my joy of today
Is that we can all be proud to say
To be young, gifted and black
Is where it's at
The lyrics of Elton John's song Young Gifted & Black capture the essence of what it means to be a young African American with boundless talent and potential. The opening lines describe what a wonderful dream it is to be both young and gifted, and also black. Knowing from the outset that black youth are a precious and wonderful dream, the lyricist turns to encourage the listeners to open their hearts to what he means.
But it's not just a dream – it's a fact. Throughout the world, there are billions of boys and girls who are not just young, but also gifted and also black. It's important to recognize this, because it creates a unique experience, one that is both wonderful and challenging. With this recognition, the singer encourages the audience to tell young people that there is a world waiting for them, and that this journey of self-discovery is just beginning.
Even when things feel tough, it's important to keep in mind that being young, gifted and black means that your soul is intact. In a world where it is often difficult to hold onto your identity, the essence of who you are is something that can never be taken away. The singer then expresses their own longing to understand the truth behind being young, gifted and black, and how at times they are haunted by their own past. But through it all, the joy of being able to be proud of one's identity as a young, gifted and black individual is something to cherish and embrace.
Line by Line Meaning
To be young, gifted and black,
Expressing the desire to be young, gifted, and black, which is considered a beautiful and valuable aspiration
Oh what a lovely precious dream
Highlighting the attractive nature of this dream
To be young, gifted and black,
Repeating the desire to be young, gifted, and black, while urging listeners to understand the deeper significance of this desire
Open your heart to what I mean
Requesting listeners to open their minds to the message being conveyed
In the whole world you know
Acknowledging the worldwide presence of young, gifted, and black individuals
There are billion boys and girls
Stating that there are many young, gifted, and black people who inhabit the earth
Who are young, gifted and black,
Repeating the point made earlier, reiterating the existence of these individuals
And that's a fact!
Asserting that this statement is true beyond a doubt
We must begin to tell our young
Highlighting the importance of educating the youth about their potential and capabilities
There's a world waiting for you
Indicating that opportunities exist for young, gifted, and black people in the world
This is a quest that's just begun
Emphasizing that the pursuit of success for young, gifted, and black individuals has just started
When you feel really low
Addressing the issue of feeling discouraged or hopeless
Yeah, there's a great truth you should know
Encouraging listeners to acknowledge an important truth
When you're young, gifted and black
Reminding young, gifted, and black people of their unique abilities
Your soul's intact
Assuring that one's inner being is not affected by external factors
How I long to know the truth
Expressing a yearning or a desire to learn more about the truth of being young, gifted, and black
There are times when I look back
Reflecting on past experiences and memories
And I am haunted by my youth
Feeling troubled or burdened by one's past
Oh but my joy of today
Expressing a sense of happiness in the present moment
Is that we can all be proud to say
Celebrating the fact that everyone can be proud of who they are
To be young, gifted and black
Reinforcing the positive attributes associated with being young, gifted, and black
Is where it's at
Indicating that being young, gifted, and black is something to celebrate and be proud of
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: Nina Simone, Weldon Irvine
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Boz Phiz
Those albums were popular in the US as well. I don't think the cover artists were even credited. I had an old vinyal copy for years. An interesting artifact of the 60s and 70s, I don't think those kind of 'budget' productions even exist anymore.
Luther Buckhurst
Superb version Elton
Betty Barton
the female vocalist duetting with Elton John is Clare Torry. She went on to work at the Ministry of Defence in Whitehall.
Jeff Jones
And provided the wordless vocals on "Great gig in the sky"
xande1962
Is not Dana Gillespie?
Vida Campbell in by
Beautiful
Vida Campbell in by
Beautiful music 🎆🎆🎆🤔🤔
capitole100
en francais "bel enfant noir " par christine lebail
Marie Swaby
As a jamaican let me give all you nice people that love this music some history that this song is originated by two beautiful jamaican couple singers Marcia Griffiths and Bob Andy
Dewayne Johnson II
Incorrect, this song was originated by the legendary Queen Mother Miss Nina Simone! It was written in honor of her talented friend Lorraine Hansberry.