“Electrifying”: The concert that launched Elton John’s career
It is difficult to imagine Elton John doing anything other than being a pop rock star, the ‘Rocket Man’ has always seemed to evolutionarily adapted to grandiose stage outfits and awe-inspiring live performances. It was, after all, John’s extensive tours and groundbreaking live performances which first transformed him into the global megastar that he continues to be to this day.
It was during the early 1960s that John (then going by his birthname, Reggie Dwight) began his performing career, performing as a pianist in local pubs and clubs around his hometown of Pinner. These early days, performing covers of pop standards and tracks by the likes of Ray Charles and Buddy Holly, were a far cry from the spectacular, big-budget arena shows John would eventually graduate to, but the young pianist’s musical quality and knack for crafting live performances were evident from the very beginning.
So, how did a local pianist from Middlesex become a global megastar? Well, after performing with various outfits throughout the 1960s, including the blues outfit Bluesology, John answered an ad in the New Musical Express which led him to strike up a songwriting partnership with Bernie Taupin. This was the beginning of the Elton John we all know and love today, marking the beginning of his solo career and leading onto early records like 1969’s Empty Sky, as well as John’s self-titled album in 1970.
It was that self-titled album which properly launched John into the musical mainstream, reaching number five in the UK charts and four in the US. Such a successful record demanded a tour, and John ended up embarking upon an extensive 54-date ‘world tour’ across Europe and the United States.
The US ended up becoming a mainstay for John, with New York’s Madison Square Gardens becoming a particular favourite for the performer. On that first tour, however, John was a relative unknown determined to prove his worth in the States. His very first US show occurred on August 25, 1970, at The Troubador nightclub in Los Angeles.
An infamous venue frequented by all the biggest names in music at that time, John took to the stage with his typical confidence and flamboyant charm, taking the American audience by storm. As venue owner Doug Weston later recalled, “Nobody had ever seen anybody playing a piano with their feet up in the air like that. In the whole eighteen years of Troubadour history, no artist had ever captured the town as completely and thoroughly.”
Performing with a backing band consisting of drummer Nigel Olsson and bassist Dee Murray, John became a rock star during that first night at The Troubador. Producer Russ Regan, who was present during that gig, affirmed, “Elton and Nigel and Dee just brought the house down. We knew within forty-five minutes that we had a superstar. It was electrifying. I mean, it was just an electric night.”
That show at The Troubador was one of six shows John would play at the venue during that tour, leading the likes of Bob Dylan and Leon Russell to attend the residency and see what all the fuss was about. John’s unparalleled reputation as a live performer arguably began on that first night in Los Angeles, setting the songwriter on a path to global stardom, where he continues to reside to this very day.
