Elton John is undoubtedly one of the most iconic figures in music, but his path to stardom was heavily influenced by two groundbreaking records. Among them was one of Elvis Presley’s hits, which John has often described as one of the songs that changed his life forever.
In a 1973 interview with Rolling Stone, John recalled the first records he heard as a child. Raised in a home filled with music, he was exposed to a variety of artists including Tennessee Ernie Ford, Kay Starr, and Guy Mitchell.
But it was the 1950s rock ‘n’ roll explosion that truly captured his heart. When he was just a young boy, his mother started buying records, and two in particular stood out: Elvis Presley’s ‘Hound Dog’ and Bill Haley’s ‘ABC Boogie’.
“I obviously took great interest in them, and then I went through the skiffle thing with Lonnie Donegan,” John said. “The first records my mom brought home that I was really knocked out by were ‘Hound Dog’ and Haley’s ‘ABC Boogie.’”
“They changed my life, I couldn’t believe it,” John recalled. “I heard Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis and that was it. I didn’t ever want to be anything else.”
Though John had studied classical music at the Royal Academy of Music, his heart was always with the electric sounds of rock ‘n’ roll. “I was never really interested in it,” he admitted. His time in the band Bluesology didn’t begin until he was 14, but by then, he already knew exactly what he wanted to do with his life – create music that would resonate with the rebellious energy he admired in artists like Presley.
He later performed a mashup of ‘Hound Dog’ with Jerry Lee Lewis’ ‘Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On’, a song by another artist that had a significant influence on him.
By 1976, Elton John’s career was in full swing, but he would soon come face-to-face with his idol: John had the chance to meet Elvis Presley before one of his concerts. However, the reality of the meeting was far removed from the image of Elvis that John had cherished for years.
When John arrived to meet Presley, he was confronted by a man who was, by that point, far from the picture of health. Elvis’ once-vibrant appearance had deteriorated due to years of battling addiction to painkillers. John later shared his experience with Oprah Winfrey in 1996, describing how he found it “so sad” to see Presley in such a state.
“He turned into this big man with no eyes,” John said. “They had sunk into the back of his head, and it was pathetic.”
This meeting served as a stark reminder of the destructive effects of fame and addiction. For John, it was a cautionary tale, one that would go on to shape his own choices in the years to come. Elvis’ tragic downfall became a turning point for John, as he realised the importance of taking care of himself and avoiding the path that Presley had followed.
In the years since, Elton John has continued to honor the legacy of Elvis Presley, both through his music and his public statements, crediting him as one of his all-time favourite artists and idols.