I heard Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis, and that was it. I didn't ever want to be anything else. I just started banging away and semi-studied classical music at the Royal Academy of Music but sort of half-heartedly.
Interpretation
The quote expresses the profound influence that iconic musicians had on Elton John's career aspirations.
In this quote, Elton John reflects on the pivotal moment when he encountered the music of Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis, which sparked his passion for music and solidified his desire to pursue a career as a musician. Despite his brief studies in classical music, it was the energetic and impactful styles of these rock and roll legends that inspired him to follow his dreams and dedicate himself to the art of music.
In practice
During a speech at a music awards ceremony, one could quote this to emphasize the impact of early musical influences.
I don't want to be married. I'm very happy with a civil partnership. If gay people want to get married, or get together, they should have a civil partnership. The word 'marriage,' I think, puts a lot of people off. You get the same equal rights that we do when we have a civil partnership. Heterosexual people get married. We can have civil partnerships.
I just wish more of my fellow queers would come out sometimes. It's nice out here, you know?
At heart I've always been a music fan. That part of me has never changed since I was a little kid, sitting in a room watching a record go round, looking at the colour of the labels.
I hate to say this, but I always listen to the music and the instrumentation first, and then grab on to the lyrics later.
So excuse me forgetting, but these things I do_x000D_ _x000D_ You see I've forgotten, if they're green or they're blue_x000D_ _x000D_ Anyway, the thing is, what I really mean_x000D_ _x000D_ Yours are the sweetest eyes, I've ever seen.
Don't be afraid to let her into your heart and when your down, don't try to carry the whole world on your shoulders.
This banjo surrounds hate and forces it to surrender.
There were musicians that influenced me, but they weren't all women. Teena Marie was a big influence because she wrote and produced her own music, which let me know that women could write and produce their own music, which was an empowering moment for me.
Link Wray... He was the beginning of Grunge, way before anybody you know.
I say to string players in small chamber orchestras, 'it's always easy to become a passenger on the journey in sound, just adding volume to the whole. But if you play in an individual way, it makes the difference between good and great sound in an orchestra.'
I come to sing for the people, not for the government. God made the sunshine for everyone and made the moon for everyone. We have to follow his example so we have to play music for everyone too. We have a message, and in order for our message to reach the people, we have to play.
There are two golden rules for an orchestra: start together and finish together. The public doesn't give a damn what goes on in between.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.