134-445: Santo Spirito Blues is the twenty-third studio album by British singer-songwriter Chris Rea , released in 2011 by his independent record label Jazzee Blue and Rhino Entertainment . The album, titled "Santo Spirito Blues" marked a distinctive project. In addition to the standard CD edition, a deluxe version was released, featuring two DVDs containing documentaries titled "Bull Fighting" and "Santo Spirito," along with two CDs containing
268-711: A Grammy nomination as Best New Artist in 1978. A decade later, "Working On It" topped the Mainstream Rock chart. He has sold more than 40 million records worldwide. Christopher Rea was born on 4 March 1951 in Middlesbrough in the North Riding of Yorkshire to an Italian father, Camillo Rea (died December 2010) originating from Arpino in the Province of Frosinone , and an Irish mother, Winifred K. Slee (died September 1983), as one of seven children. His family were of
402-647: A civil partnership with his long-term partner, the Canadian filmmaker David Furnish . They married in 2014, when same-sex marriage became legal in England and Wales. John has had more than fifty top-40 hits on the UK Singles Chart and US Billboard Hot 100 , including nine number ones in both countries, as well as seven consecutive number-one albums in the US. He has sold over 300 million records worldwide, making him one of
536-418: A 1961 Höfner V3 and 25-watt Laney amplifier He played primarily "bottleneck" guitar, also known as slide guitar . Rea's playing style was inspired by Charlie Patton whom he had heard on the radio. He had initially thought Patton's playing sounded like a violin. Rea was also influenced by Blind Willie Johnson and Sister Rosetta Tharpe as well as by the playing of Ry Cooder and Joe Walsh . He
670-615: A European tour starting in October until December. On 9 December, Rea collapsed during a performance at the New Theatre Oxford , the 35th concert of the tour. He was taken to hospital where his condition was stabilized. This health issue caused the last two concerts of the tour to be cancelled. In December 2020, Rea guest starred on the Christmas edition of Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing , where he discussed his health issues over
804-773: A UK and US number one that is certified Diamond by the RIAA for US sales of 17 million copies. 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 . Later that year, in Lennon's last major live performance,
938-496: A car that's too much money, I definitely regret it, just for five minutes". After Auberge , Rea released God's Great Banana Skin (1992) which reached No. 4 in the UK, while the single Nothing to Fear gave him another Top 20 hit. A year later the album Espresso Logic made the Top 10 and Julia , written about his second daughter, gave him his sixth and last Top 20 single. The album
1072-551: A character who was told that cancer gave him six weeks to live and decided to kill those people who had badly affected his life. Afterwards, two feature-length films were made for the Santo Spirito Blues project, just "so that I could do the music". Rea has acknowledged that several of his songs were "born out of Middlesbrough ", his hometown. The verse "I'm standing by a river, but the water doesn't flow / It boils with every poison you can think of" from "The Road to Hell",
1206-468: A decent journalist". Rea is a fan of historic motor racing and races a Ferrari Dino , a Ferrari 328 , and a 1955 Lotus 6 . In 1993, he participated in the 1993 British Touring Car Championship ToCa shootout as a guest driver. He owned and raced the 1964 Lotus Elan 26R, and the well known Caterham 7 from the Auberge album cover, until it was sold in 2005 with all proceeds (£11,762) going to
1340-632: A duet with Elton John , " If You Were Me ". Rea was nominated three times for the Brit Award for Best British Male Artist : in 1988 , 1989 and 1990 . Rea has never toured the United States, where he is best known for the 1978 single " Fool (If You Think It's Over) ", which reached No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and spent three weeks at No. 1 on the Adult Contemporary chart , earning him
1474-693: A heavier backbeat. James Newton Howard joined to arrange in the studio and to play keyboards. In June 1975 John introduced the line-up at the London, England, Wembley Stadium . The rock-oriented Rock of the Westies entered the US albums chart at number 1, as had Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy , a previously unattained feat. John's stage wardrobe now included ostrich feathers, $ 5,000 spectacles that spelled his name in lights, and costumes such as
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#17328515801921608-428: A lower register. A disco -influenced album, Victim of Love , was poorly received. In 1979, John and Taupin reunited, though they did not collaborate on a full album until 1983's Too Low For Zero . 21 at 33 , released in 1980, was a significant career boost, aided by his biggest hit in four years, " Little Jeannie " (number 3 US), with the lyrics by Gary Osborne. In May 1979, John played eight concerts in
1742-510: A man on a quest for truth in religion in the city of Florence—a journey he may or may not wish he had undertaken. Both documentaries were written and directed by Rea, with assistance from filmmaker Scott McBurney.[citation needed] Rea recalls that he created these films "just so that I could compose the music." The second documentary was broadcast in September 2011 on Tagesschau German television service. Jon O'Brien in review for AllMusic rated
1876-595: A million copies in just a few months. The single I Can Hear Your Heartbeat charted in Europe. With the album's success along with that of the subsequent Wired to the Moon (1984), which was his first Top 40 album in the UK (reaching No. 35), Rea began to focus his attention on touring continental Europe and building up a fan base. He established a loyal following in West Germany, and believes this audience saved his career as there
2010-542: A music publishing deal with Warner/Chappell Music for an estimated $ 39 million over 12 years, including the largest cash advance in music publishing history. In April 1992, John appeared at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert at Wembley Stadium , performing " The Show Must Go On " with the remaining members of Queen , and " Bohemian Rhapsody " with Axl Rose of Guns N' Roses and Queen's remaining members. In September, John performed "The One" at
2144-601: A quartet that was completed by Caleb Quaye and Nigel Olsson . On the advice of music publisher Steve Brown, John and Taupin began writing more complex songs for John to record for DJM. The first was the single " I've Been Loving You " (1968), produced by Caleb Quaye , Bluesology's former guitarist. In 1969, with Quaye, drummer Roger Pope, and bassist Tony Murray, John recorded another single, " Lady Samantha ", and an album, Empty Sky . For their follow-up album, Elton John , John and Taupin enlisted Gus Dudgeon as producer and Paul Buckmaster as musical arranger. Elton John
2278-659: A restrictive childhood. Both his parents were musically inclined, his father having been a trumpet player with the Bob Millar Band, a semi-professional big band that played at military dances. The Dwights were keen record buyers, exposing John to the popular singers and musicians of the day. John started playing his grandmother's piano as a young boy, and within a year his mother heard him picking out Waldteufel 's "The Skater's Waltz " by ear. After performing at parties and family gatherings, at age seven he began formal piano lessons. He showed musical aptitude at school, including
2412-464: A short-lived group called the Corvettes rounded out his time. Although normal-sighted as a teenager, John began wearing horn-rimmed glasses to imitate Buddy Holly . In 1962, John and some friends formed a band called Bluesology . By day, he ran errands for a music publishing company; he divided his nights between solo gigs at a London hotel bar and working with Bluesology. By the mid-1960s, Bluesology
2546-623: A singer. The album soon became his first hit album, reaching number four on the US Billboard 200 and number five on the UK Albums Chart . Backed by former Spencer Davis Group drummer Nigel Olsson and bassist Dee Murray , John's first American concert took place at the Troubadour in Los Angeles, California on 25 August 1970, and was a success. The concept album Tumbleweed Connection
2680-485: A song called "What's So Wrong With A Man Who Tells The Truth?", saying "in the old way, Corbyn is useless. Because he says the wrong things. But the young people have had enough". Rea considers that the politicians and government of the UK and EU became out of touch with the common people. He is sceptical about the idea of unification of Europe because with a common European market "you [...] force different people to live together [when] they simply do not want to", recalling
2814-427: A thoughtful, introspective poet than a natural pop performer" which Levy felt stopped Rea from becoming a bigger star. Few of Rea's early singles charted in the UK. "Fool" performed modestly on its second release in late 1978, prompted by its strong performance in the US, and that stateside success also led to Rea being categorized as a piano-playing singer-songwriter, similar to Elton John and Billy Joel , rather than
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#17328515801922948-519: A tour named The Blue Cafe Tour followed to promote the album. In 1999, ten years after The Road to Hell , the dance and electronica infused The Road to Hell: Part 2 failed to reach the UK Top 40. Rea rebounded in 2000, when King of the Beach made it to the UK Top 30. Rea was first "diagnosed with pancreatic cancer at the age of just 33". In 2000, he underwent a Whipple procedure , which resulted in
3082-467: A work by French ballet legend Maurice Béjart that draws upon the AIDS crisis and the deaths of Freddie Mercury and the company's principal dancer, Jorge Donn . Later in 1997, two close friends died: designer Gianni Versace was murdered on 15 July, and Diana, Princess of Wales died in a Paris car crash on 31 August. In early September, John asked Taupin to revise the lyrics of their 1973 song "Candle in
3216-682: A year later formed the Elton John Band , also releasing his first hit single, " Your Song ". John's critical and commercial success was at its peak in the 1970s, when he released a string of chart-topping albums both in the US and UK, which began with Honky Château (1972) and culminated with Rock of the Westies (1975) . His success continued in the 1980s and 1990s, having several hit singles and albums in both decades, and he has continued to record new music since. John has also had success in musical films and theatre, composing music for The Lion King (1994), Aida (2000), and Billy Elliot
3350-551: A year later he began hosting his annual AIDS 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 Football Club 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 to drugs and alcohol, but has been clean and sober since 1990. In 2005, he entered
3484-463: Is also held in the highest regard critically. In the three-year span from 1972 to 1975, John saw seven consecutive albums reach number one in the US, something that had not been accomplished before. All six of his albums to make Rolling Stone ' s 2003 list of " The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time " are from this period, with Goodbye Yellow Brick Road ranked highest at number 91. Between 1972 and 1976 he also had six singles reach number one on
3618-407: Is an English rock and blues singer-songwriter and guitarist from Middlesbrough . Known for his distinctive voice and his slide guitar playing, Rea has recorded twenty five studio albums, two of which topped the UK Albums Chart , The Road to Hell in 1989 and its successor, Auberge , in 1991. He had already become "a major European star by the time he finally cracked the UK Top 10" with
3752-674: Is one of 19 entertainers to win the EGOT , which includes an Emmy Award , five Grammy Awards , two Academy Awards , and a Tony Award . He also won two Golden Globes , a Laurence Olivier 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 appointed Knight Bachelor for services to music and charity in 1998 and
3886-576: Is one of the most successful in history. John was raised in Pinner and learned to play piano at an early age, winning a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music , where he studied for five years. He formed the blues band Bluesology in 1962, but left in 1967 to embark on a solo career and met Taupin that same year. For two years, they wrote songs for other artists, and John worked as a session musician. In 1969, John released his debut album Empty Sky , and
4020-484: Is the first single certified Diamond in the US where it sold over 11 million copies. The 2009 Guinness World Records states it is "the biggest-selling single since UK and US singles charts began in the 1950s, having accumulated worldwide sales of 33 million copies". The song's proceeds of approximately £55 million were donated to Diana's charities via the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund . It won
4154-543: The Billboard Hot 200 , and charted for 12 weeks. The lead single, " Fool (If You Think It's Over) ", was Rea's biggest hit in the US, reaching No. 1 on the Adult Contemporary Singles chart, and No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 . As Rea gave Magnet Records its first major breakthrough and its first US Top-10, he was their biggest artist, the more so when he was nominated at the 21st Annual Grammy Awards as Best New Artist . Levy remembers him as "more of
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4288-539: The 11 September attacks , John appeared at the Concert for New York City , performing "I Want Love" as well as "Your Song" as a duet with Billy Joel . In August 2003, John's fifth UK number one single, " Are You Ready for Love ", topped the charts. Returning to musical theatre, John composed music for a West End theatre production of Billy Elliot the Musical in 2005 with playwright Lee Hall . John had been moved to write
4422-403: The 1992 MTV Video Music Awards and closed the ceremony performing " November Rain " with Guns N' Roses. In 1993, he released Duets , which featured collaborations with 15 artists, including Tammy Wynette and RuPaul . This included a new collaboration with Kiki Dee, " True Love ", which reached the Top 10 of the UK charts. In the same year, The Bunbury Tails , a multi-artist charity album,
4556-467: The Billboard Hot 100. In November 1977, John announced he was retiring from performing; Taupin began collaborating with others. Now producing only one album a year, John issued A Single Man in 1978 with a new lyricist, Gary Osborne ; the album produced no singles that made the top 20 in the US, but the two singles from the album released in the UK, " Part-Time Love " and " Song for Guy ", both made
4690-852: The Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance at the 40th Annual Grammy Awards in 1998. The song " Something About the Way You Look Tonight " was released as a double A-side . On 15 September 1997, John appeared at the Music for Montserrat charity concert at the Royal Albert Hall , London, England, performing three songs solo ("Your Song", "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" and "Live Like Horses") before finishing with " Hey Jude " alongside Paul McCartney , Eric Clapton, Phil Collins , Mark Knopfler and Sting . Two months later he performed on
4824-459: The Hammersmith Odeon on 24 December 1982; and introduced George Michael , still then of Wham! , to sing "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me". John also recorded material with Millie Jackson in 1985. Towards the end of the year, John released " Nikita " from the album Ice on Fire , which had a music video directed by Ken Russell . The song reached number three in the UK and number seven in
4958-545: The London Underground . Several instructors have attested that he was a "model student", and during the last few years he took lessons from a private tutor in addition to his classes at the Academy. He left the Academy before taking the final exams. John's mother, though strict with her son, was more vivacious than her husband, and something of a free spirit. With Stanley Dwight uninterested in his son and often absent, John
5092-563: The Roman Catholic faith. The name Rea was well known locally thanks to his father's ice cream factory and café chain. When he was twelve, he worked clearing tables in the coffee bar and making ice cream in the factory. He wanted to improve the business, but his ideas got no support from his father. After leaving, he was replaced by one of his brothers. At that time he wanted to be a journalist and attended St Mary's College, Middlesbrough . Rea bought his first guitar in his early twenties,
5226-570: The Statue of Liberty , Donald Duck , and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart . In 1975, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame . The album features his fifth US number one single, " Island Girl ". To celebrate five years since he had first appeared at the venue, in 1975, John played a two-night, four-show stand at the Troubadour . With seating limited to under 500 per show, the chance to purchase tickets
5360-753: The Tony Award for Best Musical , in Sydney and Melbourne, Australia, Chicago, Illinois, Toronto, Ontario, Seoul, South Korea, the Netherlands and São Paulo, Brazil, etc.), grossed over $ 800 million worldwide and won over 80 theatre awards internationally. John's only theatrical project with Taupin is Lestat , based on Anne Rice 's The Vampire Chronicles . It received negative reviews from critics and closed in May 2006 after 39 performances. John featured on rapper Tupac Shakur 's posthumous single " Ghetto Gospel ", which topped
5494-504: The University of St Andrews . Rea used to live at Cookham , Berkshire, where he owned Sol Mill Recording Studios and produced some of his later albums. When he is not writing songs, other interests particularly include painting. Rea says that he likes to "read a lot and even though I chose music, journalism was my first passion. I wanted to be a journalist and write about car racing [...] somewhere deep down I believe I could have been
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5628-522: The best-selling music artists of all time . He is the most successful solo artist in the history of the US Billboard charts . His tribute single to Diana, Princess of Wales , " Candle in the Wind 1997 ", a rewritten version of his 1974 single , sold over 33 million copies worldwide and is the best-selling chart single of all time . In 2021, he became the first solo artist with UK top 10 singles across six decades. Among John's numerous awards , he
5762-402: The downfall of Yugoslavia . Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight ; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, songwriter and pianist. Acclaimed by critics and musicians, particularly for his work during the 1970s, his music and showmanship have had a significant, lasting impact on the music industry . His songwriting partnership with lyricist Bernie Taupin
5896-448: The title track and music score for the 1993 drama film Soft Top Hard Shoulder . He wrote and produced the 1996 film La Passione , partially inspired by Rea's childhood experience of falling in love with motor racing and F1 Ferrari 's driver Wolfgang von Trips . Rea was the lead actor in the 1999 comedy film Parting Shots , alongside Felicity Kendal , John Cleese , Bob Hoskins and Joanna Lumley . Rea, ironically, played
6030-406: The 1975 film adaptation of the rock opera Tommy , and to perform the song " Pinball Wizard ". Drawing on power chords , John's version was recorded and used in the movie. The song charted at number 7 in the UK. John, who had adopted a glam aesthetic on stage, would later state glam rock icon Marc Bolan "had a great effect on me." The 1975 autobiographical album Captain Fantastic and
6164-465: The Academy in central London, and he has said he enjoyed playing Frédéric Chopin and Johann Sebastian Bach and singing in the choir during Saturday classes, but that he was not otherwise a diligent classical student. "I kind of resented going to the Academy," he said. "I was one of those children who could just about get away without practising and still pass, scrape through the grades." He has said that he would sometimes skip classes and ride around on
6298-517: The Atlanta, Georgia, Alliance Theatre and went on to Chicago, Illinois and eventually Broadway in New York City. John released a live compilation album, Elton John One Night Only – The Greatest Hits , featuring songs from his show at Madison Square Garden in New York City that same year. A concept album of songs from the musical Aida , Elton John and Tim Rice's Aida , was also released and featured
6432-681: The BBC's Children in Need charity single " Perfect Day ", which reached number one in the UK. John appeared as himself in the Spice Girls film Spice World , released in December 1997. The Lion King musical debuted on Broadway in 1997 and the West End theatre in 1999. In 2014, it had grossed over $ 6 billion and became the top-earning title in box-office history for both stage productions and films, surpassing
6566-607: The Brown Dirt Cowboy debuted at number one in the US, the first album to do so, and stayed there for seven weeks. John revealed his previously ambiguous personality on the album, with Taupin's lyrics describing their early days as struggling songwriters and musicians in London. The lyrics and accompanying photo booklet are infused with a specific sense of place and time that is otherwise rare in his music. The hit single from this album, " Someone Saved My Life Tonight ", captured an early turning point in John's life. The album's release signalled
6700-598: The Elton John Band, and joined by Richie Zito on lead guitar, Tim Renwick on rhythm guitar, and James Newton Howard on keyboards, John performed a free concert to an estimated 400,000 fans on The Great Lawn in Central Park in New York City. He played part of the set dressed as Donald Duck . The album Jump Up! was released in 1982, the biggest hit from which was " Blue Eyes ". With original band members Johnstone, Murray and Olsson together again, John returned to
6834-505: The Fabulous Hofner Bluenotes , dedicated to the 1960s Höfner guitars, with 38 tracks on three CDs and two 10" vinyl records - the vinyl replicated the tracks contained on the first CD of the set. The box set also included a hardback book of his paintings along with period photos. The release of the album was followed by a European tour, visiting various venues across the UK, including the Royal Albert Hall in London. Part of
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#17328515801926968-645: The John duets " Written in the Stars " with LeAnn Rimes , and "I Know the Truth" with Janet Jackson . By this time, John disliked appearing in his own music videos; the video for " This Train Don't Stop There Anymore " featured Justin Timberlake portraying a young John, and the video for " I Want Love " featured Robert Downey, Jr. lip-syncing the song. At the 2001 Grammy Awards , John performed " Stan " with Eminem . One month after
7102-593: The Matter . He recorded his first album that same year, but according to Michael Levy (co-founder of Magnet) the recordings were burned and started over again because it did not capture his whole talent. Whatever Happened to Benny Santini? , Rea's debut studio album, was released in June 1978, produced by Gus Dudgeon . The title referred to a stage name that Rea had suggested when the record label insisted that his given name did not sound "croony" enough. It peaked at No. 49 on
7236-512: The Musical (2005). John's final tour, Farewell Yellow Brick Road (2018–2023), became the highest-grossing tour ever at the time. His life and career were dramatised in the 2019 biopic Rocketman . 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
7370-543: The Rain " as a song and dance act with Elton playing piano. Kubrick's Clockwork Orange film had recently featured that song. Plus I designed crazy, over-the-top costumes and giant stage sets – known as 'Legstravaganzas'. Elton loved all of it." The pop album Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player came out at the start of 1973 and reached number one in the UK, the US, and Australia, among other countries. The album produced
7504-681: The Soviet Union ; four dates in Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg) and four in Moscow. At the same time, John collaborated with the French couple France Gall and Michel Berger on the songs "Donner pour donner" and "Les Aveux", released together in 1980 as a single. John's 1981 album The Fox was recorded during the same sessions as 21 at 33 and included collaborations with Tom Robinson and Judie Tzuke . On 13 September 1980, with Olsson and Murray back in
7638-683: The Stony Road (2002), reached No. 14 and was certified Gold by the BPI. He wanted the label to be a place "where musicians came and made a record" of this style of music. Jazzee Blue released several blues and jazz albums mostly by members of his then current band. He was disappointed with the music business when Michael Parkinson, who supported him to do Dancing Down the Stony Road , told him songs longer than three minutes were not played as often on radio anymore. In 2003, Rea released Blue Street (Five Guitars) and Hofner Blue Notes , and The Blue Jukebox
7772-405: The UK albums chart, and was another hit across Europe. The single of the same title made the UK Top 20. Even at the peak of his success, Rea refused to mount an American tour or perform on MTV Unplugged , although he was a guest on Late Night with David Letterman , and also performed on the show. Rea said his neglect of the US market was one of his biggest mistakes because "every time I see
7906-415: The UK albums chart, behind Michael Jackson 's Bad , and which included his first Top 20 UK single, " Let's Dance ", which reached No. 12. In 1986, Rea was a support act along with The Bangles and The Fountainhead for Queen at Slane Concert for an estimated 80,000 audience. He also performed at Milano Suono festival at stadium San Siro , Italy. By 1987, Rea was finally in a position to pay off
8040-401: The UK and topping the charts in the US, Canada and Australia. Reportedly recorded in two weeks between live appearances, it featured " The Bitch Is Back " and " Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me ". " Step into Christmas " was released as a stand-alone single in November 1973, and appears in the album's 1995 remastered reissue. Pete Townshend of the Who asked John to play the "Local Lad" in
8174-408: The UK charts in July 2005. In October 2003, John announced that he had signed an exclusive agreement to perform 75 shows over three years at Caesars Palace on the Las Vegas Strip in Nevada. The show, The Red Piano , was a multimedia concert featuring massive props and video montages created by David LaChapelle . Effectively, he and Celine Dion shared performances at Caesars Palace throughout
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#17328515801928308-485: The UK, being certified 6× Platinum by the BPI in 2004. While the album peaked at No. 107 in the US, the single The Road to Hell (Part 2) climbed to No. 11 on the US Mainstream Rock chart, and was Rea's first and only UK Top 10 single. The song Texas achieved extensive radio airplay in the state itself. In December 1989, Rea performed on the Band Aid II single " Do They Know It's Christmas? " In 1991, Auberge repeated its predecessor's success, reaching No. 1 in
8442-467: 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 ,
8576-399: The US. John's highest-charting single of the decade was a collaboration with Dionne Warwick , Gladys Knight and Stevie Wonder called " That's What Friends Are For ". It reached number one in the US at the beginning of 1986; credited as Dionne and Friends, the song raised funds for HIV/AIDS research . In the same year, a live orchestral version of "Candle in the Wind" reached number six in
8710-430: The US. He also played piano on two tracks on the heavy metal band Saxon 's album Rock the Nations . In 1988, he performed five sold-out shows at Madison Square Garden in New York, giving him 26 for his career. Netting over $ 20 million, 2,000 items of John's memorabilia were auctioned off at Sotheby's in London. He also released " I Don't Wanna Go On with You Like That " from the album Reg Strikes Back ,
8844-413: The Wind" to honour Diana, and Taupin agreed. On 6 September 1997, John performed " Candle in the Wind 1997 " live for the only time at Diana's funeral in Westminster Abbey . The song became the fastest- and biggest-selling single of all time, eventually selling over 33 million copies globally. The best-selling single in UK chart history, and the best-selling single in Billboard history, it
8978-422: The ability to compose melodies, and gained some notoriety by playing like Jerry Lee Lewis at school functions. At age 11, he won a junior scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music . According to one of his instructors, John promptly played back, like a "gramophone record", a four-page piece by George Frideric Handel after hearing it for the first time. For the next five years, John attended Saturday classes at
9112-498: The accumulated costs of the production for his first four albums. To keep costs low, the label decided to release the demo tapes of his fifth studio album Water Sign . It was the first of several successful albums Rea collaborated with producer David Richards on. He also changed managers and went on a UK club tour, followed by a 60-date tour as a support act for Canadian band Saga . Water Sign performed far better than Rea or his team expected in Ireland and Europe, selling over half
9246-484: The aircast, not just the 40 minutes selected by Dick James Music. John and Taupin wrote the soundtrack to the 1971 film Friends and 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. Released in 1972, Honky Château became John's first US number one album, spending five weeks at
9380-416: The album 3/5 stars and concluded that the "overall ambitious concept proves that the just-turned-sixty-year-old certainly no longer holds any commercial aspirations". Artur Schulz for laut.de gave it the same score, and noted it has a mixture of both authentic blues and his pop-rock catchy work (particularly "The Chance of Love") from the " Dancing with Strangers " era, "with mostly good results: Chris manages
9514-420: The artwork Rea wanted for the cover of his fourth album, 1981's Chris Rea (produced by Jon Kelly , who later oversaw Rea's most successful albums). None of these albums reached the Top 50 in the UK, with his singles also delivering lacklustre performances. Diamonds reached No. 44 in the US, and Loving You went to No. 88 on the Billboard Hot 100. Rea had a difficult working relationship with Dudgeon and
9648-556: The award for " Can You Feel the Love Tonight ". Both that and " Circle of Life " became hits. "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" also won the Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance at the 37th Annual Grammy Awards . The soundtrack for The Lion King remained at the top of the Billboard 200 for nine weeks. On 10 November 1999, the RIAA certified The Lion King " Diamond " for selling 15 million copies. In 1994, John
9782-667: The balancing act between fun and seriousness mostly effortlessly". Luke Turner in BBC review noted that it is a "straightforward homage to blues traditionalism [...] playing is exemplary, his songwriting accomplished, the boxes ticked", but being too focused on guitar playing, besides "The Chance of Love" his "gravelly voice [...] struggles to be heard". All tracks are written by Chris Rea All tracks are written by Chris Rea All tracks are written by Chris Rea Sales figures based on certification alone. Chris Rea Christopher Anton Rea ( / ˈ r iː ə / REE -ə ; born 4 March 1951)
9916-636: The ballad "Valentino". The album reached No. 8 and was certified Gold by the BPI. Rea started the European tour called "Still So Far to Go" in January 2010. His special guest on stage was Irish musician Paul Casey . The tour ended on 5 April at Waterfront Hall in Belfast . In September 2011 Santo Spirito Blues box set was released. The set contained two feature-length films on one DVD written and directed by Rea along with three accompanying CDs - two of which featured
10050-449: The band and took up singing only because the singer in the band failed to show up for a playing engagement. Rea then went on to form the band The Beautiful Losers which received Melody Maker ' s Best Newcomers award in 1973. He secured a solo recording deal with independent Magnet Records , and released his first single entitled "So Much Love" in 1974. The band itself split up in 1977. He guested on Catherine Howe 's EP The Truth of
10184-456: The bonus disc. On 4 October, One Fine Day had been released, limited to 1000 numbered copies. The album contains tracks recorded in 1980 at Chipping Norton Recording Studios , most of which had never been released. On 20 November 2020, the triple CD compilation Era 1: 1978 - 1984 was released. It contains a mix of A-sides, B-sides, foreign language versions and different mixes, as well as all of One Fine Day on disc 2. Rea's first guitar
10318-456: The charity NSPCC . He also owned the Ferrari 330 which was used as a donor car for the replica of Ferrari 250 Le Mans used in the 1996 movie La Passione . In 2014, he was completing a 22-year restoration of an original replica of a Ferrari 156 Sharknose Formula One racing car. He also joined Historic Racing Drivers Club, where he drives a 1957 Morris Minor 1000 police car. He has taken
10452-537: The chart on both sides of the Atlantic, remaining at number one for two months. It also temporarily established John as a glam rock star. It contained the US number 1 " Bennie and the Jets ", along with the hits " Goodbye Yellow Brick Road ", " Candle in the Wind ", " Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting " and " Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding ". John formed his own label, The Rocket Record Company (distributed in
10586-632: The charts with the 1983 album Too Low for Zero , which included the singles " I'm Still Standing " (No. 4 UK) and " I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues ", the latter of which featured Stevie Wonder on harmonica and reached number four in the US and number five in the UK. In October 1983, John caused controversy when he broke the United Nations' cultural boycott on apartheid -era South Africa by performing at Sun City . He married his close friend and sound engineer, Renate Blauel, on Valentine's Day 1984;
10720-554: The costs of being in the group. As a result, he found himself working casual labouring jobs, including working in his father's ice cream business. Rea commented that, at that time, he was "meant to be developing my father's ice-cream cafe into a global concern, but I spent all my time in the stockroom playing slide guitar". In 1973 he joined the local Middlesbrough band, Magdalene, which earlier had included David Coverdale who had left to join Deep Purple . He began writing songs for
10854-462: The end of the Elton John Band, as an unhappy and overworked John dismissed Olsson and Murray. According to Circus , a spokesman for John's manager John Reid said the decision was reached mutually via phone while John was in Australia promoting Tommy . Davey Johnstone and Ray Cooper were retained, Quaye and Roger Pope returned, and the new bassist was Kenny Passarelli; this rhythm section provided
10988-442: The event, stating that "there are two sides to that story because even after the bull is half dead, the bullfighter still has to be really brave." The documentary "Bull Fighting" (59 minutes) offers a raw and brutally honest chronicle of bullfighting. It features neo-classical and Spanish-themed gypsy music. The second documentary, "Santo Spirito" (55 minutes), adopts the appearance of a Russian 1930s black and white film. It follows
11122-583: The family moved to a nearby semi-detached house. He was educated at Pinner Wood Junior School, Reddiford School and Pinner County Grammar School , until he was 17, when he left just before his A-Level examinations to pursue a career in music. When John began to consider a career in music seriously, his father, who served in the Royal Air Force , tried to steer him toward a more conventional career, such as banking. John has said that his wild stage costumes and performances were his way of letting go after
11256-550: The fight against AIDS. And also his bravery in exposing all the triumphs and tragedies of his personal life." — Axl Rose speech inducting Elton John into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Along with Tim Rice , John wrote the songs for the 1994 Disney animated film The Lion King . At the 67th Academy Awards , three of the five nominees for the Academy Award for Best Original Song were from The Lion King soundtrack . John won
11390-519: The following year. 2005 saw the release of Blue Guitars , a box set of 11 CDs containing 137 blues-inspired tracks with Rea's paintings as album covers, which is a once in a lifetime ambitious project about the history of blues music. Rea said, "I was never a rock star or pop star and all the illness has been my chance to do what I'd always wanted to do with music [...] the best change for my music has been concentrating on stuff which really interests me". In February 2008, Rea released The Return of
11524-459: The guitar player he is. For several years, Magnet marketed him based on this misconception. Rea says that it "is still the only song I've ever not played guitar on, but it just so happened to be my first single". Rea has "always had a difficult relationship with fame, even before my first illness. None of my heroes were rock stars. I arrived in Hollywood for the Grammy Awards once and thought I
11658-463: The hit song " The One ". It was his first album recorded entirely sober. As John recalled in 2020, "I was used to making records under the haze of alcohol or drugs, and here I was, 100% sober, so it was tough. But I managed to come up with a good song, which was the title of the record." He also released " Runaway Train ", a duet he recorded with his longtime friend Eric Clapton , with whom he played on Clapton's World Tour . John and Taupin then signed
11792-448: The hits " Crocodile Rock ", his first US Billboard Hot 100 number one, and " Daniel ", which reached number two in the US and number four in the UK. The album and "Crocodile Rock" were respectively the first album and single on the consolidated MCA Records label in the US, replacing MCA's other labels, including Uni. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road , a double-album released in October 1973, gained instant critical acclaim and topped
11926-519: The instrument after seeing a Ry Cooder concert at the City Hall in Newcastle. The guitar once was submerged in water for three months and was more mellow in sound compared to the classic hard Stratocaster sound. Since 2002 Dancing Down the Stony Road , his main guitar was an Italia Maranello he named "Bluey". One of his childhood dreams was to become a film writer and film music composer. Rea wrote
12060-486: The lyrics if he could not come up with anything quickly. For two years they wrote easy-listening tunes for James to peddle to singers. Their early output included a contender for the UK entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 1969 , for Lulu, called "I Can't Go On (Living Without You)". It came sixth of six songs. In 1969, John provided piano for Roger Hodgson on his first released single, "Mr. Boyd" by Argosy,
12194-400: The marriage lasted three years. In 1984, he released Breaking Hearts , which featured the song " Sad Songs (Say So Much) ", a number five hit in the US and number seven in the UK. In 1985, John was one of the many performers at Live Aid , held at Wembley Stadium . He played "Bennie and the Jets" and "Rocket Man"; then "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" with Kiki Dee for the first time since
12328-581: The music from the DVDs and the third being a stripped back version of the related studio album. Shortly after this release, in October and November, Rea underwent two surgical procedures. On 3 February 2012 the Santo Spirito Tour started at Congress Center Hamburg in Hamburg, Germany, with additional visits to Poland, Russia, Ukraine, Hungary, Switzerland, Netherlands, Belgium and France. The United Kingdom part of
12462-625: The musical after seeing the 2000 British coming-of-age film Billy Elliot , saying of the titular character, "he's like me". Opening to strong reviews, the show won four Laurence Olivier Awards , including Best New Musical . The 12th-longest-running musical in West End history , the London production, which featured Tom Holland as Billy for two years, ran through April 2016, with 4,566 performances. As of December 2015, Billy Elliot has been seen by over 5.25 million people in London and nearly 11 million people worldwide (on Broadway where it won
12596-480: The name of a horse in British sitcom Steptoe and Son , of which John was a big fan. The team of John and Taupin joined Dick James 's DJM Records as staff songwriters in 1968, and over the next two years wrote material for various artists, among them Roger Cook and Lulu . Taupin would write a batch of lyrics in under an hour and give it to John, who would write music for each of them in half an hour, disposing of
12730-518: The opportunity to get involved in Formula One on a few occasions, including as a pit lane mechanic for the Jordan team during the 1995 Monaco Grand Prix . He recorded a song, "Saudade", in tribute to three-time Formula One world champion Ayrton Senna . It featured prominently in the BBC documentary movie. In a 2017 interview, amid the 2017 general election , Rea supported Jeremy Corbyn and even wrote
12864-601: The original studio album of Randy Newman 's musical Faust . A duet with Luciano Pavarotti , " Live Like Horses ", reached number nine in the UK in December 1996. A compilation album, Love Songs , was released in 1996. Early in 1997, John held a 50th birthday party, costumed as Louis XIV of France , with 500 friends. He performed with the surviving members of Queen in Paris at the opening night (17 January 1997) of Le Presbytère N'a Rien Perdu De Son Charme Ni Le Jardin De Son Éclat ,
12998-546: The other "men in suits" who he felt "smoothed out" the blues-influenced elements of his music. Rea "always thought that [producers] knew best. I never thought for a minute that they might have another agenda", but "all of a sudden I was the goose that laid the golden egg, and it was hell for me". He ruefully acknowledges, "I can't blame anyone but myself. I gave them what they wanted rather than what I wanted". From 1983, Rea's music began to better reflect his wishes and capabilities, despite pressure from his record company due to
13132-416: The pair performed these two number-one hits, along with the Beatles' " I Saw Her Standing There ", at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Lennon made the rare stage appearance with John and his band to keep the promise he had made that he would appear on stage with him if "Whatever Gets You Thru The Night" became a US number-one single. Caribou was released in 1974, becoming John's third number one in
13266-442: The place to be if you wanted to do movie scores". Due to his late introduction to music and guitar playing, Rea commented that when compared to Mark Knopfler and Eric Clapton , "I definitely missed the boat, I think". He was self-taught, and soon tried to join a friend's group, The Elastic Band, as the first choice for guitar or bass. Heeding his father's advice he did not join as his potential earnings would not be enough to cover
13400-456: The prospect of never singing, touring or performing in public again, he characteristically embarked on a radical career shift and went into movies." 1996 saw the release of the soundtrack album for La Passione , which Rea also wrote and produced. Two years later in 1998 The Blue Cafe , his fourteenth studio album, followed. It reached the UK Top Ten and received extremely positive reviews and
13534-494: The record previously held by Andrew Lloyd Webber 's 1986 musical The Phantom of the Opera . In addition to The Lion King , John composed music for Disney's musical production Aida in 1999 with lyricist Tim Rice , for which they received the Tony Award for Best Original Score at the 54th Tony Awards , and the Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album at the 43rd Annual Grammy Awards . The musical had its world premiere at
13668-578: The removal of the head of the pancreas and part of the duodenum, bile duct, and gall bladder. Since having this surgery Rea has had problems with diabetes and a weaker immune system, necessitating the need to take thirty-four pills and seven injections a day. He has undergone several subsequent operations. Nevertheless, he found greater appreciation for life, his family, and the things he loves. In an interview, he said, "it's not until you become seriously ill and you nearly die and you're at home for six months, that you suddenly stop, to realize that this isn't
13802-477: The same ad. John wrote music for the lyrics and then sent it to Taupin, which began their decades-long partnership that still continues . When the two first met in 1967, they recorded the first John/Taupin song, "Scarecrow". Six months later, John began going by the name Elton John in homage to two members of Bluesology: saxophonist Elton Dean and vocalist Long John Baldry . He legally changed his name to Elton Hercules John on 7 January 1972. "Hercules" came from
13936-419: The single " The Road to Hell (Part 2) ". Over the course of his long career, Rea's work has at times been informed by his struggles with serious health issues. His many hit songs include " I Can Hear Your Heartbeat ", " Stainsby Girls ", " Josephine ", " On the Beach ", " Let's Dance ", " Driving Home for Christmas ", " Working on It ", " Tell Me There's a Heaven ", " Auberge ", and " Julia ". He also recorded
14070-458: The single reaching number two in the US in 1988. His albums continued to sell, but of those released in the latter half of the 1980s, only Reg Strikes Back (number 16, 1988) placed in the top 20 in the US. In 1990, John achieved his first solo UK number one hit single, with " Sacrifice " (coupled with " Healing Hands ") from the previous year's album Sleeping with the Past ; it stayed at
14204-526: The songs "Steel River" which refers to a nickname for the River Tees , and "Windy Town, reflect Rea's feelings about the industrial decline of Middlesbrough and the re-development of the town centre while he was out of the country touring through the years: I went back to see my father after my mother had died and [they] had knocked the whole place down. I'd been gone three years, hard touring in Europe. I literally went to drive somewhere that wasn't there. It
14338-570: The songs that launched his career as a rock star; he lived there until he had four albums simultaneously in the American Top 40. At age 15, with his mother's and stepfather's help, John was hired as a pianist at a nearby pub, the Northwood Hills Hotel, playing Thursday to Sunday nights. Known simply as "Reggie", he played a range of popular standards, including songs by Jim Reeves and Ray Charles , as well as his own songs. A stint with
14472-525: The soundtracks of these documentaries. Chris Rea drew inspiration for the album from the Santo Spirito church in Florence during a visit to his daughter. Regarding the first documentary, his interest was piqued by the theme of bullfighting and matadors, including figures like Julián López Escobar . However, during a trip to Seville , when he attended a bullfight, he was horrified by the harsh reality. He left
14606-471: The time he realized that "I could be as big as I liked, if I was prepared to do the touring". Rea's next album was his first compilation - albeit an unconventional one, as most songs were new versions of older releases. New Light Through Old Windows (1988) was another million seller, climbing to No. 5 in the UK. The album included re-workings of some of his charting singles, as well as a reworking of his recent single " Driving Home for Christmas ". Some of
14740-490: The top 20 there, with the latter reaching the top 5. In 1979, accompanied by Ray Cooper , John became one of the first Western artists to tour the Soviet Union and Israel. John returned to the US top ten with " Mama Can't Buy You Love " (number 9), a song MCA rejected in 1977, recorded with Philadelphia soul producer Thom Bell . John said Bell was the first person to give him voice lessons and encouraged him to sing in
14874-642: The top of the Billboard 200 , and began a streak of seven consecutive US number-one albums. The album reached number two in the UK, and spawned the hit singles " Rocket Man " and " Honky Cat ". In 1972 John performed at the Royal Variety Performance , where he was upstaged by the dancing of Larry Smith , the drummer with the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band . Smith was invited to join John's second US tour; Smith later said: "I suggested adding in various other bizarre elements like me doing " Singin' in
15008-491: The top spot for five weeks. The following year, "Basque" won the Grammy for Best Instrumental , and a guest concert appearance at Wembley Arena John made on George Michael 's cover of " Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me " was released as a single and topped the charts in both the UK and the US. At the 1991 Brit Awards in London, John won Best British Male. In 1992, John released the US number 8 album The One , featuring
15142-712: The tour commenced in the middle of March and finished on 5 April at Hammersmith Apollo in London. November 2014 saw Rea embark on a European tour called The Last Open Road Tour, with the UK part of the tour commencing on 1 December in Manchester and ending on 20 December in London. He also performed at the 2014 Montreux Jazz Festival . Rea suffered a stroke in 2016 which left him with slurred speech and reduced movement in his arms and fingers. Soon afterwards he quit smoking to deter further strokes and recovered enough to record and tour. In September 2017, he released his twenty-fourth album, Road Songs for Lovers , and embarked on
15276-402: The tour was recorded and released as a live DVD and his first live album, The Road to Hell & Back , to positive reviews. Rea released the compilation Still So Far to Go in October 2009 which contained some of his best known (and lesser known) hits over the last thirty years as well as songs from his "blues" period. Two new songs were included, "Come So Far, Yet Still So Far to Go" and
15410-568: The tracks were successful in the US, including Working On It , which reached No. 73 on Billboard Hot 100 and topped the Mainstream Rock chart. The re-recorded version of On the Beach reached the Top 10 on the US Adult Contemporary chart, and No. 12 in the UK. The album's release and success was followed by an international tour with over 45 dates. Rea's tenth studio album was his major breakthrough. The Road to Hell (1989) enjoyed massive success and became his first No. 1 album in
15544-486: The way I intended it to be in the beginning. Everything that you've done falls away and you start wondering why you went through all that rock business stuff." A record company offered him millions of dollars to do a duets album with notable artists. Having promised himself that if he recovered he would return to his blues roots, he started the record label Jazzee Blue to free himself from his then current company's expectations. The first album under this label, Dancing Down
15678-608: The year at the first annual Rock Music Awards in Santa Monica, California. In May 1976, the live album Here and There was released, followed in October by the album Blue Moves , which contained the single " Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word ". His biggest success in 1976 was " Don't Go Breaking My Heart ", a duet with Kiki Dee that topped a number of charts, including the UK, the US, Australia, France and Canada. Besides being John's most commercially successful period, 1970–1976
15812-404: The years. On 18 October 2019, Rhino released 2CD deluxe editions of five of Chris Rea's most commercially successful albums, Shamrock Diaries , On The Beach , Dancing With Strangers , The Road To Hell , and Auberge . Each contains a remastered version of the original album on the first disc, and remixes, rare and previously unreleased live tracks, single edits, and extended versions on
15946-566: The £320,000 debt he owed to the record company, and started to make significant earnings. He signed with Warners, who also bought Magnet Recordings. That year, the Dancing with Strangers world tour sold out stadium-sized venues, including two shows at Wembley Arena , and included Rea's first concerts in Australia and Japan. Rea's American label, Tamla Motown , had told him that he should go to America and tour there for three years. Out of deference to his family, he did not do so. He commented that at
16080-539: Was a Höfner V3 or 173 which he bought in a second-hand shop because, at the time, there were not that many shops in Middlesbrough where one could purchase a guitar. He played the V3 until 1979, although, by Rea's reckoning, it was a "dreadful guitar with an appalling action, but playing slide it didn't matter". During his career the guitar most associated with him was a 1962 Fender Stratocaster which he called "Pinky". Rea bought
16214-465: Was also listening to Delta blues musicians like Sonny Boy Williamson II and Muddy Waters , gospel blues , and opera to light orchestral classics to develop his style. He recalls that "for many people from working-class backgrounds, rock wasn't a chosen thing, it was the only thing, the only avenue of creativity available for them", and that "when I was young I wanted most of all to be a writer of films and film music. But Middlesbrough in 1968 wasn't
16348-631: Was appointed a member of the Order of the Companions of Honour in 2020. Elton John was born Reginald Kenneth Dwight on 25 March 1947 in Pinner , Middlesex (now part of the London Borough of Harrow ), the eldest child of Stanley Dwight (1925–1991) and only child of Sheila Eileen (née Harris; 1925–2017). He was raised in a council house in Pinner by his maternal grandparents. His parents married in 1945, when
16482-800: Was backing touring American soul and R&B musicians such as the Isley Brothers , Major Lance and Patti LaBelle and the Bluebelles . In 1966, the band became Long John Baldry 's supporting band and played 16 times at the Marquee Club . In 1967, John answered an advertisement in the British music paper New Musical Express , placed by Ray Williams , then the A&;R manager for Liberty Records . At their first meeting, Williams gave John an unopened envelope of lyrics written by Bernie Taupin , who had answered
16616-530: Was determined by a postcard lottery, with each winner allowed two tickets. Everyone who attended the performances received a hardbound "yearbook" of the band's history. That year, he also played piano on Kevin Ayers 's Sweet Deceiver and was among the first and few white artists to appear on the African-American television series Soul Train . On 9 August 1975, John was named the outstanding rock personality of
16750-558: Was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and underwent a life-saving operation to remove his pancreas, gallbladder, and a portion of his liver. As a result, he has type 1 diabetes . Rea is married to Joan Lesley, with whom he has been in a relationship since they met as teenagers on 6 April 1968 in their native Middlesbrough . They have two daughters, Josephine, born 16 September 1983, and Julia Christina, born 18 March 1989. Josephine lectures on Renaissance art in Florence and Julia studied at
16884-448: Was going to bump into people who mattered, like Ry Cooder or Randy Newman . But I was surrounded by pop stars". Throughout his career Rea has emphatically rejected the label of "rock star". Dudgeon also produced Rea's second album Deltics (1979). Rea recorded his self-produced third album, Tennis (1980), with musicians from Middlesbrough, and it received positive reviews. As both albums had failed commercially, Magnet rejected
17018-505: Was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame by Guns N' Roses ' frontman Axl Rose . In 1995, he released the album Made in England (number 3). The title track is an autobiographical recounting of parts of his life. The album also featured the single " Believe ". John performed "Believe" at the 1995 Brit Awards and won the Outstanding Contribution to Music prize. In September 1995, he appeared as Angel Rick on
17152-426: Was like a sci-fi movie. The Middlesbrough I knew, it's as if there was a war there 10 years ago. I miss the bits of Middlesbrough that aren't there any more. It's very hard to accept that Ayresome Park no longer exists. I know I sound very old when I say things like that. Those terraced streets are no longer there. But I miss the old character of the place, the guys with the fruit barrows and all that. In 1994, Rea
17286-440: Was no "image-led market", but only "by music and by word of mouth". It was not until 1985's million-selling Shamrock Diaries , with its hit singles Stainsby Girls and Josephine , written for his wife and daughter respectively, that UK audiences began to take notice of him. His international fame grew with the million-selling studio albums On The Beach (1986), and Dancing with Strangers (1987) which reached No. 2 on
17420-535: Was partly promoted by Rea's taking part in the non-Championship "TOCA Shootout" round of the 1993 British Touring Car Championship , although he was eliminated in the first round. In 1994 another compilation album, The Best of Chris Rea , was released which peaked at No. 3 in UK. That July, Rea performed with Peter Gabriel and others at Sonoria festival in Milan. In 1994 Rea had developed stomach ulcers The following year, he "got peritonitis and nearly died. Facing
17554-526: Was raised primarily by his mother and maternal grandmother. When his father was home, the Dwights had vehement arguments that greatly distressed John. When he was 14, they divorced. His mother then married a local painter, Fred Farebrother, a caring and supportive stepfather whom John affectionately called "Derf" ("Fred" backward). They moved into flat No. 3A in an eight-unit apartment building called Frome Court, not far from both previous homes. There John wrote
17688-462: 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 . The second, " Your Song ", reached number seven in the UK Singles Chart and number eight in the US, becoming John's first hit single as
17822-450: Was released in October 1970 and reached number two in the UK and number five in the US. The live album 17-11-70 (titled 11–17–70 in the US) was recorded at a live show aired from A&R Studios on WABC-FM in New York City. Sales of the live album took a blow in the US when an east-coast bootlegger released the performance several weeks before the official album, including all 60 minutes of
17956-710: Was released, which was the soundtrack to the British animated television series of the same name. "Up The Revolution" was John's track, alongside contributions from George Harrison , the Bee Gees and Eric Clapton. The album was issued briefly, and only in the UK. "For myself as well as for many others no one has been there more for inspiration than Elton John. When we talk of great rock duos like Jimmy Page and Robert Plant , John (Lennon) and Paul (McCartney) , Mick (Jagger) and Keith (Richards) , I like to think of Elton John and Bernie Taupin. Also tonight I think that Elton should be honoured for his great work and contribution in
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