Elton John – Essay by Billy Joel

The 100 best musicians of all time: Elton John – Essay by Billy Joel

“”Elton John sees himself as a rock star, and he really lives. Let’s say better: as a rock star like in ancient Rome. On our tours together, I saw young men in Togas with small fig leaves in Togas in the backstair area. In his wardrobe, Elton John has 1000 sunglasses, 100 pairs of shoes and around 50 Versace suits. The man is a damned king, and I think it’s great. My wardrobe looks more like the back room of a snack bar. With a sausage plate over which the seagulls circle. ” Billy Joel about Elton John.

“At the piano, Elton John is the hammer. He is just fantastic, like a mixture of Jerry Lee Lewis, Fats Domino and Little Richard. His spontaneity and improvisation ability are a real challenge for me. With his musical skills, he has enriched the rock music in front of him, there was only James-Tay-Singer-Songwriter stuff in the skirt in front of him Guitar. delivered, from debut to “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road”.

The 100 best musicians of all time: Elton John – Essay by Billy Joel

When we met for the first time, we were in Holland, in a hotel in Amsterdam. That was in the middle of the 1970s when he was on the summit. I just started as “Piano Man”. Confessed to him what a big fan I was of him and he said he knew my things too. I thought it was so cool: there were thousands of guitarists, but only two of our variety. The English piano player and the American piano player. And we both knew that Rock’n’roll was not only of guitars.

When Elton John played Bluesology in his first band, he didn’t think he could become a real rock star. Back then I felt the same way. I didn’t look like Mick JaggerPaul McCartney or Jim Morrison. We rather thought that as a piano player we would end in any bands, but suddenly Elton stood with huge, stupid glasses and in crazy costumes up there; I also made a lot of nonsense on stage – and both were rock stars.

“Rocked man”, “Tiny Dancer”, “The Bitch is Back”. People want to hear that

And he keeps going. I haven’t written a song since 1993, and he asks me: “Billy, why don’t you finally write new songs again?” And I say: “Elton, why don’t you finally write less new songs?” For $ 200 admission price, people cannot impose the whole new stuff on.

He wrote such great things. “Rocked man”, “Tiny Dancer”, “The Bitch is Back”. People want to hear that. Each songwriter is in the guilt of Elton John, the outstanding melodic. John Mayer, Alicia Keys … I don’t get anything anymore, I don’t know the new bands at all, but everyone who plays a keyboard and likes melodies has to thank Elton. “