Elton John
Sir Elton John (b. March 25, 1947, originally Reginald Kenneth Dwight) is a British musician.
John became a major star in 1970 with the international release of the album Elton John. His first hit in the United States of America was "Your Song" (1970), but he got his breakthrough in the United Kingdom two years earlier with "Lady Samantha."
Elton John was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1998. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994.
Among his most famous songs are "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road", "Rocket Man", "Crocodile Rock", and "Candle in the Wind".
On 21 December 2005, Elton John married his long time partner David Furnish.
'Jesus was gay' controversy
In February 2010, John sparked controversy by suggesting Jesus was a gay man, in an interview conducted with US magazine Parade.[1] The comments angered church leaders and biblical scholars, and was compared by the media with the Beatles's infamous 'We're more popular than Jesus now' quote in the 1960s.[2] The Christian Anti-Defamation Commission called on John for an apology,[3] and there were calls for him to be stripped of his knighthood by Queen Elizabeth II.[4] On 10 March 2010, Christian activist Neal Horsley from Georgia, was arrested by police for making threats, after posting a YouTube[5] video claiming John had 'desecrated the image of the Lord Jesus Christ' and 'blasphemed', while at the same time Horsley was holding an 'Elton John Must Die' placard.[6]
Notes
- ↑ Rader, Dotson (17 February 2010). "Elton John: 'There's a Lot of Hate in the World'". Parade. Retrieved on 12 March 2010.
- ↑ Outrage at Elt's gay Jesus, News Group Newspapers, 20 February 2010. Retrieved on 12 March 2010. (in English)
- ↑ Elton John must apologize for calling Jesus gay, says CADC, Messenger Communications, 21 February 2010. Retrieved on 12 March 2010. (in English)
- ↑ Elton John no sir, says bishop, H KAΘHMEPINH, 3 March 2010. Retrieved on 12 March 2010. (in English)
- ↑ Horsley, Neal (10 March 2010). Elton John's Die - Must Die www.eltonjohnscorporation.com (.flv). YouTube. Retrieved on 12 March 2010.
- ↑ Carpenter, Ellen (12 March 2010). "Georgia Man Arrested for Threatening Elton John's Life". Rolling Stone. ISSN 0035-791X. Retrieved on 12 March 2010.