The song that transformed Elton John’s life: “It changed the face of music”
For many, it is difficult to imagine a time in which Elton John was not an established elder statesman of the music industry. From his early days as a pub pianist, John rose through the ranks to become one of the most recognisable faces in rock and pop music. Firmly within the ‘legends’ category, the composer has made countless contributions to the cultural fabric of the UK, and yet it may have never happened if were it not for the inspiring quality of a rock ‘n’ roll pioneer.
It should come as no real surprise that Elton owes a lot to the early rock ‘n’ roll stars, after all, there is no single musician within the rock genre that doesn’t owe something to stars like Buddy Holly, Little Richard and Chuck Berry. For John, growing up during the 1950s, at a time of radical change within the world of pop music, it was almost inevitable that these influences would have a profound effect on the young pianist.
John had first developed a penchant for the keys at a young age, messing around on his grandmother’s piano during his childhood. Pretty soon, though, he found himself with the innate ability to pick out notes by ear – a key skill afforded only to those with an inherently musical mind. Although the world of music clearly had its sights set on John from the get-go, it was not until the advent of rock ‘n’ roll that he realised his true potential.
When Elvis came along, everything changed. The King exposed the vibrancy of rock ‘n’ roll to a worldwide audience, spawning countless future musicians, including John. Speaking to BBC Radio 2 back in 2019, the ‘Rocket Man’ singer revealed the spiritual experience of hearing Presley’s ‘Heartbreak Hotel’ for the first time. “This record changed my life, and it changed the face of music,” he explained.
In addition to Elvis, it seems we have a lot of thanks to give to John’s mother, Sheila Dwight, as it was she who first introduced John to the wondrous world of Elvis. “My mum bought a record every week, and she said: ‘I heard this record in the store and I’ve never heard anything like it, so I had to buy it’,” he shared, “She put it on and it changed my life and propelled me into my love of rock and roll. It was like ‘Wow, what’s this?’ Like something from Mars… It changed the world, socially and musically.”
That story likely applies to a wealth of young people hearing Elvis for the first time during the 1950s. Never before had anybody heard such radical and infectious sounds, especially not coming from somebody as young and unlikely as Elvis. However, few people would use Elvis’ inspiration to achieve the same heights that Elton John did. Just as Elvis had encouraged him, John himself has inspired a countless array of young artists to follow in his path.
Elsewhere in the Radio Two programme, John shared his love for such works as Little Richard’s ‘Lucille’ and ‘Great Balls of Fire’ by Jerry Lee Lewis. Although he leaned further into the glamorous world of pop as his career progressed, there is no debate about the fact that John’s incredible career is firmly rooted in the rebellious sounds of rock and roll.
