Elton John

Few artists have soundtracked more of our lives than Elton John — and few have used their fame so generously. Across more than five decades of glittering, genre-defining music, film, and theater, he came out, stood up, and turned his platform into a global force against AIDS. Through all of it, he's still standing.

Sir Elton John is one of the best-selling musicians in history, with hundreds of millions of records sold and a catalog that spans rock, pop, disco, gospel, and Broadway. But his legacy reaches far beyond the charts. He is proof that an artist can be flamboyant, openly queer, and beloved by the entire world — and can turn that love into lasting good.

The Music

From "Your Song" and "Rocket Man" to "Tiny Dancer," "Bennie and the Jets," "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road," "Don't Go Breaking My Heart," and "I'm Still Standing," Elton's decades-long partnership with lyricist Bernie Taupin produced one of the most enduring songbooks in modern music. His theatrical stage presence — the sequins, the feathers, the towering bejeweled glasses, the relentless joy — expanded what a pop star could be and gave a generation permission to be louder, brighter, and more themselves.

Stage & Screen

Elton's music conquered Hollywood and Broadway too. He wrote the songs for Disney's The Lion King with Tim Rice, winning an Academy Award for "Can You Feel the Love Tonight," then turned it into one of the longest-running musicals in Broadway history. The pair also created the Tony-winning stage musical Aida. His life became the Oscar-winning jukebox film Rocketman (2019), whose song "(I'm Gonna) Love Me Again," recorded with Taron Egerton, earned him a second Academy Award. He has also won multiple Grammys, a Kennedy Center Honor, and a place in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Collaborations & Famous Friends

Elton's generosity shows in how often he shares the stage. He has recorded with everyone from George Michael ("Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me") and Kiki Dee to Eminem — with whom he performed at the Grammys in a famous moment of allyship — Dua Lipa ("Cold Heart," a global No. 1 hit decades into his career), Lady Gaga, Britney Spears, and Queens of the Stone Age. A devoted mentor and friend to other artists, he formed deep bonds across the music world and was famously close to figures like Princess Diana, John Lennon, Freddie Mercury, Gianni Versace, and George Michael — using his fame to lift others at every turn.

A Tribute to a Friend

When Princess Diana died in 1997, a grieving Elton — who had also lost his friend Gianni Versace weeks earlier — was asked to perform at her funeral. He and Taupin rewrote their 1973 song "Candle in the Wind" into "Goodbye England's Rose," and his solo performance at Westminster Abbey became one of the most-watched moments in television history. Released as a single, it sold more than 33 million copies — the best-selling physical single of all time — and he donated all proceeds, raising tens of millions for Diana's memorial fund. Out of respect, he has vowed never to perform that version again. You can watch the funeral performance here.

Living Openly

Elton came out as bisexual in 1976 and later as gay — at considerable risk to his career, in an era far less forgiving than today. He never retreated. In 2014 he married his longtime partner, David Furnish, and the two are raising two sons together, modeling a public, joyful gay marriage and family for millions who had never seen one celebrated on that scale.

A Force Against AIDS

After losing friends to the epidemic, Elton founded the Elton John AIDS Foundation in the early 1990s — which has since raised hundreds of millions of dollars to fight HIV/AIDS and the stigma surrounding it. He turned personal grief into one of the most effective philanthropic efforts in the history of the disease, insisting the world pay attention when so many wanted to look away.

A Lasting Legacy

• One of the best-selling music artists of all time, with a five-decade songbook
• Academy, Grammy, and Tony winner — from The Lion King to Rocketman
• "Candle in the Wind 1997" — his tribute to Princess Diana and the best-selling physical single ever
• Came out publicly decades before it was safe; married David Furnish in 2014
• Founder of the Elton John AIDS Foundation, a global force against HIV/AIDS

Through every era and every reinvention, Elton John has done more than endure — he's lifted others as he rose. Still standing, still singing, still giving. A legacy as big as the music.