Elton John wishes longtime collaborator Bernie Taupin on 70th birthday, fans call lyricist's songs 'timeless'
Singer Elton John wished his longtime songwriting partner Bernie Taupin on his 70th birthday with a heartfelt tribute on social media on May 22. Bernie and Elton John have been close friends and collaborators for over 50 years now. Together, the successful duo has become one of the greatest songwriting partnerships since Paul McCartney and John Lennon, writing numerous immortal classics over the years.
Elton posted. "Dear Bernie, without you, I would never have had the life I have had. What an eternal gift God gave us. I love you more than ever my angel. Happy Birthday to my dearest friend and collaborator." The singer also included a photo of the pair holding their Oscars at the 92nd Annual Academy Awards earlier this year when they both won the Best Original Song award.
Over their half-a-century of fruitful collaboration, Bernie Taupin has helped pen the lyrics to most of Elton's popular songs, starting with 1970's 'Your Song', all the way to their 2019 Oscar-winning hit from the Elton John biopic 'Rocketman' called '(I'm Gonna) Love Me Again'. Some of their biggest collaborative efforts include fan-favorites like 'Tiny Dancer', 'Rocket Man', 'Crocodile Rock', 'Bennie and the Jets', 'I'm Still Standing', 'I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues', 'Candle in the Wind' and numerous others.
Bernie celebrated his birthday with his own post on Instagram. The 70-year-old posted a photo of his childhood home, and wrote, "Hard to believe that it was 70 years ago today that I made my grand entrance into the world in that room behind the top right-hand window. What a ride!"
Bernie also said, "I’ve been blessed with an extraordinary life full of all the things real life should be. Happiness, heartache, deep lows, and breathtaking highs. I have been lucky (putting it mildly) to be able to do what I love with the people I love even more both musically and artistically."
Taupin added, "I don’t feel 70, I don’t want to be 70 because I feel so much younger, and like everyone I want to get out of this crap time and belly up to the bar again. To all our fans, your presence throughout our career is never taken for granted. When someone who says 'You guys wrote the soundtrack of my life' gets old, so will I."
The duo's fans also paid tribute to their stellar abilities. One fan wrote, "I’m forever grateful to both of you. Bernie, thank you for all your amazing lyrics and for telling us everything we need to hear through the songs. Thank you for being the best friend and brother that our beloved Elton deserves, you’re legendary. Happy Birthday!"
Another admirer chimed in, saying "One of the best songwriters in the world... Thank you for the lyrics Bernie and thank you Elton for making his words heard all over the world for many years." Another supporter wrote, "Happy Birthday, Bernie! Your songwriting talent is completely timeless! And Elton, you are brilliant!"