“The most touching thing”: One band changed Elton John’s life forever
Though he might have made his name as a rocket man, burning bright and rarely staying on terra firma, Reginald Dwight didn’t become Elton John overnight.
The legendary glam rocker had his array of influences that would shine through his unique style: Elvis Presley, Little Richard, and Jerry Lee Lewis were some of the most obvious rock stars who informed John’s style, even as he was studying classical compositions at the Royal Academy of Music.
As he matured, John began to take in some more contemporary influences. One of the most impactful groups that hit the scene just as John was starting to make a name for himself was The Band, the Canadian-American roots rock group that had previously worked as Bob Dylan’s backing band. It was The Band’s first album, 1968’s Music from Big Pink, that made the biggest impression on John.
“John Peel played Music From Big Pink on his show. I was a religious follower of John Peel in those days because he played all the great new music,” John told the BBC Radio 2 show Tracks Of My Years back in 2019. “Bernie [Taupin] and I freaked out when we heard it, we never heard anything like this before. It was Americana done in a very soulful, funky, kind of laid-back way. The next day we went up to Music Land in London and bought the import. It changed my life again like Elvis Presley changed my life originally.”
“This music changed my life because of the way the songs were written, the lyrics, the musicianship,” John claimed. “It was a huge influence on things like Tumbleweed Connection, Madman Across The Water, and they were amazing. When I first played Philadelphia, the Electric Factory I was playing, on stage, we had a little grand piano with two legs by the keyboard but no leg at the other end, the other end was held by orange boxes.”
“Anyway, before I went on, The Band came into the dressing room without me knowing, and they were there. It was one of the most touching things,” John added. “I had so much to support when I started out. Neil Diamond introduced me at the Troubadour, The Band came to see me, Leon Russell took me on tour, George Harrison sent me a telegram.”
John concluded: “Those kinds of things for a young artist give you great ratification that what you are doing is OK. From those kinds of people who were just amazing, it gave you so much confidence and filled your heart with so much gratitude. So I will never forget The Band coming to see me. And, of course, this song is a classic”.
The Band delivered more than their fair share of incredible tracks. One of the forgotten members of the rock set that transformed the world of music, merging the past with the present and aiming for the future, Robertson and his band clearly didn’t just keep their revolutionary ways on the stage. They were keen to help anybody who came out, and it clearly left an impression on Elton John.
Check out the opening song from Music from Big Pink, ‘Tears of Rage’, down below.
