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Oct 01, 2019 · When Elton John Seeked Rehab In 1990, he checked in to a Chicago hospital. There, he penned a letter to his “worst, best friend, cocaine,” acknowledging that he …
Who is Elton John's partner?
Elton John (l.) and his partner David Furnish at their home art gallery in London. M. Sharkey for OUT. Elton John was inspired to pull his own life together and check into rehab after he’d struck up a friendship with Ryan White, the Indiana teen who famously fought to attend public school when he contracted AIDS from a blood transfusion ...
When did Ryan White die?
According to Out, “Ryan White died in 1990… but his brief, curtailed life proved a catalyst for [John] who checked himself into rehab three months after White’s funeral and never looked back.”. The singer has since raised $275 million to support HIV/AIDS prevention programs around the globe, the magazine says.
Who was Elton John's boyfriend?
The Start of Recovery. When Elton John saw his boyfriend, Hugh Williams, also struggle with addiction and check himself into a rehab, John decided to try to turn his own life around. He saw the same struggles his boyfriend was going through in himself.
How many Grammys did Elton John win?
Sir Elton John is a singer, songwriter, composer, and pianist who has won five Grammys and made a huge impact on the world of music. He also had a long struggle with addiction. By learning about how John’s addiction started and how he rose above his addiction, this world-famous singer can serve as an inspiration to all.
Did Elton John go to rehab?
When Elton John completed his treatment, he knew it was time to start a new life. He told NPR that coming back from rehab was like learning to walk again. He was happy to be living a life without drugs and was thankful to not be like others who found their new sober lifestyle as difficult.
When did Elton John start the AIDS Foundation?
John has been involved in the fight against AIDS since the late 1980s. In 1992 , he established the Elton John AIDS Foundation, and a year later he began hosting his annual Academy Awards Party, which has since become one of the biggest high-profile Oscar parties in the Hollywood film industry.
When did Elton John release his first album?
Elton John was released in April 1970 on DJM Records/ Pye Records in the UK and Uni Records in the US, and established the formula for subsequent albums: gospel-chorded rockers and poignant ballads. The album's first single, " Border Song ", peaked at 92 on the Billboard Hot 100.
What was Elton John's first hit song?
In 1969, John's debut album, Empty Sky, was released. In 1970, his first hit single, " Your Song ", from his second album, Elton John, became his first top ten in both the UK and the US.
Who wrote the song "Levon"?
John and Taupin then wrote the soundtrack to the 1971 film Friends and then the album Madman Across the Water, which reached number eight in the US and included the hit songs " Levon " and the album's opening track, " Tiny Dancer ". In 1972, Davey Johnstone joined the Elton John Band on guitar and backing vocals.
Where was Elton John born?
Early life. Elton John was born Reginald Kenneth Dwight on 25 March 1947 in Pinner, Middlesex, the eldest child of Stanley Dwight (1925–1991) and only child of Sheila Eileen ( née Harris; 1925–2017), and was raised in a council house in Pinner by his maternal grandparents.
Who did John Lennon collaborate with?
In 1974, John collaborated with John Lennon on his cover of the Beatles ' " Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds ", the B-side of which was Lennon's "One Day at a Time". It was number 1 for two weeks in the US. In return, John was featured on " Whatever Gets You Thru the Night " on Lennon's album Walls and Bridges.
What record label did Elton John own?
John formed his own label, The Rocket Record Company (distributed in the US by MCA and initially by Island in the UK), and signed acts to it—notably Neil Sedaka (John sang background vocals on Sedaka's " Bad Blood ") and Kiki Dee, in whom he took a personal interest. Instead of releasing his own records on Rocket, he signed an $8 million contract with MCA. When the contract was signed in 1974, MCA reportedly took out a $25 million insurance policy on John's life. In 1974, MCA released Elton John's Greatest Hits, a UK and US number one that is certified Diamond by the RIAA for US sales of 17 million copies.
Who played John in Rocketman?
Over 16 years throughout much of the 1970s and 1980s he experienced life through a drug-fueled haze, and his addiction during the earlier decade will be represented onscreen in the biopic Rocketman, starring Taron Egerton as John and Jamie Bell as his longtime lyricist Bernie Taupin.
Who is Ryan White?
The singer credits meeting Ryan White, the American teenage hemophiliac who contracted HIV through a contaminated blood transfusion, with providing the impetus for his start on the path to sobriety. “I had the luck to meet Ryan White and his family,” he said during a Harvard University talk in 2017.
Is addiction a serious problem?
Addiction is a very serious problem and it needs to be addressed by yourself and you need help from people.”. John says he tried to help his late friend George Michael come to terms with his substance abuse, but “you can’t help people who don’t want to help themselves,” he told Britain’s Channel 4 News in 2018.
What happened to John in the movie?
The way it’s portrayed in the movie, John has a breakdown right before he’s due on stage in Madison Square Garden, after years of alcohol and drug abuse . He bursts out onto the street in full costume and hops into one of New York’s yellow cabs, which drives him to a countryside rehab centre, where he learns to deal with his many addictions (sex, ...
Who was the first person to die from AIDS?
The first was the death of Ryan White, an American teenager who had AIDS and had, earlier, filed a lawsuit against his local school district that barred him from attending classes. John was one of several celebrities that tried to comfort White in the days before his death in April 1990.
What is Elton John known for?
The singer was known for his wild antics back in the day - seen here in 1973 Credit: Getty - Contributor. Elton has been open about his struggles with drugs and alcohol for several years, which were recently documented in his 2019 musical biopic Rocketman.
Did Elton John take cocaine?
Elton has revealed how cocaine and alcohol took hold of his life. The superstar singer admits to hoovering up the Class A drug throughout the 70s and 80s to a point that he thought he might die. Writing in his autobiography Me, Elton recalled fist taking cocaine in 1974.
When did Elton John get married?
Elton – who entered into a civil partnership in 2005 and later wed David in 2014 – really started to fret about his husband’s wellbeing after finding empty wine bottles around their home, and later finding him slumped over his computer.
Did Elton John's husband go to rehab?
While Sir Elton John has documented his former battle with alcohol and drugs, he has now revealed his husband David Furnish once entered rehab for an alcohol problem after failing to cope with fame.
Childhood
The Start of Addiction
- Throughout the 1970s, Elton John and his lyricist, Bernie Taupin, were writing 13 top-selling albums. While John was performing confidently onstage in his sequined outfits and catchy hits, John was introduced to the world of drugs offstage. In 1974, John was introduced to cocaine when he walked into one of the backrooms of the studio recording “Caribou.” Because he alway…
The Start of Recovery
- When Elton John saw his boyfriend, Hugh Williams, also struggle with addiction and check himself into a rehab, John decided to try to turn his own life around. He saw the same struggles his boyfriend was going through in himself. He felt like yelling at Williams to sort out his own problems without realizing he needed to do the same for himself. When Williams returned from t…
A New Life For Elton John
- When Elton John completed his treatment, he knew it was time to start a new life. He told NPR that coming back from rehab was like learning to walk again. He was happy to be living a life without drugs and was thankful to not be like others who found their new sober lifestyle as difficult. Good things came his way such as in 1993 when he met his pa...