Elton To Be Knighted By Queen

Next month Elton John will join the ranks of Paul McCartney, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Laurence Olivier and Alec Guinness, when he is knighted by Queen Elizabeth.

The entertainer's long career in pop and his tireless efforts to raise money for charity are cited as the deciding factors to bestow upon him Britain's highest honor .

The knighthood solidifies John's current image as a crusader for those in need -- especially working with people living with AIDS.

John is currently riding high on the charts due to his tribute to the late Princess Diana, "Candle in the Wind '97," which has grossed more than $32 million for the Princess of Wales Memorial Fund. In his career John has produced 30 smash hits including "Rocket Man," "Crocodile Rock," "The Bitch is Back" and "Bennie and the Jets."

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Song Stories

“1999”

Prince | 1982

“I don’t consider myself a great poet,” Prince told Rolling Stone. “I just know I’m here to say what’s on my mind.” In the case of the apocalyptic party anthem “1999,” he was worried about then-president Ronald Reagan’s foreign policies. The song’s melody is based on a riff borrowed from the Mamas and Papas’ “Monday, Monday,” and Prince originally envisioned the first verse with three-part harmony but later split the vocals between himself and members of the Revolution. Because Warner Bros., with whom Prince was locked in a contractual battle, owned the original’s masters, Prince rerecorded the song and appropriately released that version in 1999.

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