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.
My driving philosophy about making music is that you can reduce it all down to one note if that note is played with the right kind of sincerity.
I think the most important thing for a listener is to realize that he, too, should not listen to music in a passive way; that if you sit in a concert hall and expect to be moved or taken off your seat by the music, it will not happen.
The sound of the '90s, to me, is a combination of soul and street - it's a feeling.
A lot of people don't realise I came out of the Smoky Mountains with a load of songs.
I know what I've done for music, but don't call me a legend. Just call me Miles Davis.
To jazz, or not to jazz, there is no question!
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