“It opened so many doors for me”: the project that transformed Elton John’s entire career
Elton John has never been bored. Well, he probably has, but from a career and opportunistic point of view, the musician has quite possibly done it all. Following his huge rise to fame as a quintessential 1970s pop virtuoso, John became a hallmark of industry greatness not just in his own writing but in the magic he imprinted on other projects across both music and theatre.
Although it’s a given that John knows more than enough about what’s needed to create a great record, we can only make this observation in conjunction with recognising the monumental amount of work he has put in to get to where he is today. It takes someone with musical adeptness and personal resilience to become one of the most coveted stars on the planet, and John has the receipts to prove it.
Things took a significant turn when John found a kindred musical partner in Bernie Taupin. Taupin gifted John with the magic of poetic lyricism, which John, in turn, transformed into some of the greatest songs of all time, including ‘Tiny Dancer’ and ‘Your Song’. Soon, the pair captivated audiences on a global scale, including fellow musical tastemakers like John Lennon.
Even two decades into his career, John was proving his talents to be high above many others, a fact highlighted in the songs he wrote alongside Tim Rice for 1994’s Disney animation The Lion King. Inspired by The Jungle Book, John wanted to help compose songs that both kids and adults would enjoy while maintaining a subtle dose of humour to match the level of entertainment in the 1967 animation.
While we know that he delivered on his intentions to do so, it’s even more outstanding when you consider the fact that the soundtrack to The Lion King became the fourth best-selling album of that year, the top-selling soundtrack, and the only soundtrack to be certified Diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America. The idea that it opened a multitude of opportunities is not lost on John.
During an interview with Q magazine in 2004, John opened up about how the movie altered his career, explaining that it switched things up in an entirely positive way. “The Lion King opened so many doors for me in the 1990s,” he recalled. “Up to that point, I was just making albums and touring and promoting them, which was OK, but The Lion King obviously enabled me to write for animation.”
Following the success of The Lion King, John went on to write for more musicals, including Aida, which went on to win four Tony Awards and an eruption of positive critical praise. Given the fact that John decided to make it a Broadway project rather than a movie animation, which Disney originally planned, it’s clear that The Lion King remains akin to lightning in a bottle for the singer and an experience that he deems perfect enough to never to attempt to replicate ever again.
