But the British pop icon has finally found a home in the desert, signing a three-year deal to take over the Caesars Palace Colosseum between Celine Dion engagements.
For his show, dubbed 'The Red Piano,' expect an eclectic mix of songs and costumes (and probably a red piano), with a generous helping of tunes from the singer's three Greatest Hits CDs.
From 'Your Song' to 'This Train Don't Stop Here Anymore,' the flamboyant singer born Reg Dwight has racked up more than 50 top-40 singles, and sold more than 200 million records worldwide. Though he's not accompanied by dozens of Cirque du Soleil dancers or flying oil paintings, 'The Red Piano' doesn't lack for production design, and takes full advantage of the enormous stage inside the $95 million, 4,100-seat Colosseum.
In terms of sales and lasting popularity, Elton John was the biggest pop superstar of the early '70s. Initially marketed as a singer/songwriter, John soon revealed he could craft Beatlesque pop and pound out rockers with equal aplomb.
He could dip into soul, disco and country, as well as classic pop balladry and even progressive rock. His versatility, combined with his effortless melodic skills, dynamic charisma and flamboyant stage shows made him the most popular recording artist of the '70s. Unlike many pop stars, John was able to sustain his popularity, charting a Top 40 single every single year from 1970 to 1996.
During that time, he had temporary slumps in creativity and sales, as he fell out of favor with critics, had fights with his lyricist Bernie Taupin, and battled various addictions and public scandals.
But through it all, John remained a remarkably popular artist and many of his songs -- including "Your Song," "Rocket Man," "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road," and "Don't Let the Sun Go Down On Me" -- became contemporary pop standards.
The son of a former Royal Air Force trumpeter, Elton John was born Reginald Kenneth Dwight in 1947.
