What to say about Elton ? Well...... my Mum loves him, and my Dad is able to tolerate his excesses ( but only, I suspect, because they're both Watford F.C. nuts ). I, on the other hand, have to confess a certain amount of indifference to both the man and his music, with the exception of Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me, a song which has the monumental architecture to lift well beyond the realm of the standard pop ballad.
Elton always had all the ingredients to become what he now is - pop icon and family favourite combined ...... talent, of course ( he gained a scholarship to the Royal School of Music way back in 1958, at the age of 11 !! ), a great voice, a personality which combines flamboyant extrovert with vulnerable artist ( note the descent into drugs and alcohol in the 1980's ), cuddly physique and a winning gap-toothed smile.
But I just wonder what would have become of Elton if he hadn't been shown lyrics sent to Liberty Records by an aspiring Lincolnshire lyricist back in 1967. Would Elton have made it so big without Bernie ? Nobody will ever know. The fact is that he hasn't produced anything of note with any other lyricist, although it must be said that he hasn't really needed to.
Some people may think that Bernie rode to fortune and ( comparative ) fame on the back of a pop genius. But the fact is that in this partnership Bernie's lyrics start the creative process rolling and the music comes later, and any budding song Elton puts to Bernie that he doesn't approve of is scrapped. So, although Elton is the star, this is a genuine partnership of equals. On my site, therefore, Bernie gets equal billing.