Elton John

Elton John keeps it modest, hailing Brian Wilson with a Beach Boys elegy at Hall of Fame

At the 2025 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony, Elton John channels restrained reverence as he covers “God Only Knows” to commemorate Brian Wilson’s death. Before launching into the Beach Boys’ 1966 elegy to fragile devotion, John labels Wilson as his singular songwriting influence, recalling a nervous first meeting in Los Angeles and calling him “a true genius.”

Wilson, who died at 82 from respiratory arrest, receives tributes from music’s elder statesmen—McCartney, Dylan, Springsteen, and Sting—each reiterating his central creative role in pop’s evolution.

Elton John Turns Spare Kneecaps Into Gold—Literally, Not Figuratively

Elton John, never one to let body parts go quietly, transforms his post-surgical kneecaps into jewellery in a short documentary with the World Gold Council. With jeweller Theo Fennell, the calcified remnants are baked, sealed with acetate, and repurposed into a necklace bearing a Latin phrase: “I will no longer bow to any man.”

The film also meanders through John’s decades-long flirtation with gold—from gaudy lamé suits to HIV detection technology—spiraling around fame, personal artefacts, and a spirited disdain for bending at the knee.

Elton John dusts off the piano as Bernie Taupin hands over seven new lyrics

Elton John steps back into familiar territory as he prepares to record seven new tracks penned by longtime lyricist Bernie Taupin. Their last full collaboration dates back to 2016, marking this as a return to their durable creative axis.

Partnering with producer Andrew Watt, John expresses anticipation not for a chart conquest but for the act of songwriting itself—open-ended, exploratory, and without prescription. He signals no rush, only a quiet thrill in reconnecting with Taupin’s freshly minted lyrics.