Elton John: five things you may not know about the singer

The concert hall had been stocked with Communist Party functionaries to dissuade concertgoers from embracing Western decadence, but before long “Leningrad’s uniformed policemen and other Soviet officials were helpless before the screaming, clapping crowd”, the Associated Press reported.

He is passionate about Watford FC

A football fanatic, John is a lifelong supporter of his childhood local side, Watford. He has previously served stints as the club’s president and chairman, and was later named Honorary Club President for Life. He also has a stand named after him in the club’s Vicarage Road ground.

In 2016, he formed yet another connection with the Hertfordshire side when his son Zachary was signed to Watford’s youth academy at the age of seven. In 2019, Zachary and his younger brother Elijah led Watford players onto the pitch for their FA Cup final against Manchester City.

He has an enormous sunglasses collection

Elton’s wacky sunglasses have been his trademark since the 1970s, so it’s not surprising that he has accrued quite a few over the decades – but the sheer number might surprise you.

The exact size of the collection is a subject of debate, but in 2010 the man himself put the number at 250,000.

“In 2013 he was forced to deny claims he had hired a separate hotel room in which to store his spectacles,” noted the Daily Mail.

He doesn’t own a phone

He might have been a trailblazer on stage, but when it comes to technology the “Rocket Man” is a self-confessed Luddite.

In 2016, he told US chat show host Jimmy Kimmel that he doesn’t use a smartphone. “I just don’t want a phone,” he said.

In Christmas 2018, when asked to share his hopes for the following year, he told the Associated Press: “I hope people can spend less time on their phones.”

The singer added: “I love the benefits that technology has given us, but… nothing beats a lively conversation and huge laughs.”

Social media is a no-go, too. “The office staff run Twitter for me,” he told Kimmel. “I Instagram things but [husband] David does that for me. I am a Luddite.”

Article source: https://www.theweek.co.uk/five-things/101438/five-things-you-didn-t-know-about-elton-john