list_text=          Superstar Elton John roared in 1994, providing his unique songwriting talent to Disney's animated feature "The Lion King". Together with lyricist and fellow Disney Legend Sir Tim Rice, he penned five memorable songs, including "Can You Feel the Love Tonight," which won the Oscar for Best Original Song.
          At the time, Elton told "Interview" magazine that winning his first Oscar was not only a great honor, but "it's also the best-looking award" of the many he's accumulated over his nearly four decades of music making.
		  The Oscar was inevitable as "Rolling Stone" magazine pointed out, "John seized the chance to pen the big budget musical ("The Lion King") that has always threatened to emerge from his songs anyway."
		  Born Reginald Kenneth Dwight on March 25, 1947, in Pinner, Middlesex, England, at age 11 the musical prodigy won a scholarship to study at the Royal Academy of Music.
		  While there, he performed with a succession of small-time rock bands, including the successful Bluesology. In 1967, Elton met lyricist Bernard Taupin and the duo mingled their talents as a songwriting team.
		  Donning a new identity, Elton John performed songs written with Taupin, including his first Top 10 single "Your Song," which led to a tour of the United States in 1970. A succession of pop classics followed, including "Rocket Man," "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting," "Bennie and the Jets," "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road," and more.
		  His live concerts were notoriously flamboyant and outrageous at the time, with the entertainer typically appearing on stage wearing flashy sunglasses, platform shoes, and multi-colored hair. Among his more daring costumes was that of Disney character Donald Duck.
		  By the early 1970s, when Elton appeared on the cover of "Time" magazine, dueted with former Beatle John Lennon in New York, and appeared in the movie "Tommy," he was considered a pop megastar. His 1979 world tour included Russia, making Elton the first Western artist to tour the then Communist U.S.S.R.
		  During the 1980s, he continued releasing gold records and memorable hits, including "I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues," "Sad Songs (Say So Much)," "I Don't Wanna Go On With You Like That," and more. In 1992, his album "The One" went double platinum and in 1994, the same year as his "Lion King" fame, Elton was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
		  In 1997, the winning musical collaboration between Elton and Sir Tim took to the stage with the Tony-award winning version of "The Lion King," which featured original songs "Circle of Life," "Hakuna Matata," "I Just Can't Wait to be King," and "Be Prepared," as well as three new songs, including "The Morning Report," "Chow Down," and "The Madness of King Scar". The Broadway production received critical acclaim and a Grammy Award for Best Show Album.
		  Their stage collaboration continued in 2000, with the Disney pop opera "Aida," which won a Tony in the category of Best Original Musical Score.
		  Elton John continues to shape his enduring musical legacy. As Executive Producer of "The Lion King" Don Hahn so aptly notes, "Elton's gift is writing memorable, unforgettable melodies that move you. He puts his emotions into his music, which is beautiful and stunning."&