Elton John has been performing and producing since the 60's and sounds just as good in his late career as he did at the beginning. He has revealed who it was that inspired him to push to keep on improving as his voice aged.
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Inevitably, as a singer ages, their sound will change too. Vocal cords change and it's the mark of a good musician to adapt to it. Many of the all-time greats have incorporated the changes into their music. Elton John is one of these, and he is still able to belt out his golden oldies with as much passion as when they first graced our ears.
In an interview with Billboard, he addressed his changing tone. "I get live reviews now that say, 'He's lost his falsetto.' To a certain degree, I have because it changed the timbre of my voice and made it deeper... I still sing certain songs in the same key, I haven't taken them down, but I just have more resonance in my voice and I'm much happier with that."
Elton Inspired To Embrace His Aging Voice
For an artist, realizing they may not have the same vocal range as when they wrote some of their hits must be daunting. However, it was one particular performance for Elton John, that inspired him to embrace it.
"I saw Tony Bennett last year, and he was singing at 72 better than I've ever seen him sing. It's that kind of thing, you're still trying to learn as an artist, trying to play better, sing better." Age hadn't slowed Bennet in any way. In many ways, it had matured his sound. It was enough for Elton John to continue with his career as a singer.
It's a good thing too. Elton John is still playing now, regaling us with his man classics. His voice, of course, is not the same as it was 50 years ago, but it still fills arenas, and hopefully will for years to come. Elton is now able to be the inspiration that Bennet was for him, paving the way for many artists as they age, and their sound adapts.
