Airdate: Discovering: Elton John

Next week BIO airs a UK doco Discovering: Elton John, looking back on Elton’s career, with the help of leading industry figures.

Born Reginald Dwight on 25 March 1947, he was something of a child prodigy and would go on to become a prolific songwriter and one of Britain’s most accomplished and acclaimed musicians, selling out tours the world over. His humanitarianism has been suitably honoured, particularly in the ever-important fight against AIDS. Through all of this, he has continued to contribute extensively to the music industry, with songs that reach across the age spectrum and settle into the collective memory such as Your Song, Tiny Dancer, Rocket Man, Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me, Candle in the Wind, Circle of Life and many more. Elton hasn’t just limited himself to albums and concerts. He wrote the songs for the 1994 animated film The Lion King, for which he won the Oscar for Best Song with Can You Feel the Love Tonight. Four years later he adapted The Lion King for Broadway and in 2005 he composed music for a West End stage production of Billy Elliot.

Tuesday August 12 at 7.30pm on BIO.