Rocket Man at 79: Celebrating Elton John Through the Lens of James Fortune
This week, we raise a glass to one of the greatest entertainers who ever lived. On March 25th, Sir Elton John turns 79 and what better way to mark the occasion than with a look back at some extraordinary photographs that capture the man behind the music at the height of his powers.
Born Reginald Kenneth Dwight in Pinner, Middlesex, the boy who would become Elton John won a junior scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music at just eleven years old. He took his stage name as a tribute to two members of his early band Bluesology, saxophonist Elton Dean and singer Long John Baldry. With over 300 million records sold, his accolades include five Grammy Awards, two Academy Awards, a Tony Award, and induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 2024, he completed the EGOT, joining the tiny group of artists to have won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony.
We're proud to offer four rare prints by acclaimed rock photographer James Fortune, whose work is part of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's permanent collection. Fortune had remarkable access to rock royalty in the 1970s, and his images of Elton John are among the most intimate and vivid of that era.
Portrait of Elton John, 1976
This striking promotional portrait was taken at the Rocket Record Company studios in Los Angeles in 1976, shot for Moog Synthesizers. It captures Elton at the peak of his creative confidence — a period when he was releasing era-defining albums and building a music empire of his own. There's a stillness to this image that contrasts beautifully with his larger-than-life stage persona.
Elton John at The Forum, 1974
By 1974, Elton John was the biggest rock star on the planet, and this concert photograph from the Los Angeles Forum captures exactly why. Fortune's lens finds him in full flight on stage — the energy, the spectacle, the sheer magnetism of a performer at his absolute peak. This is rock and roll history, frozen in a single frame.
Elton John and Barry White, 1975
This is one of those photographs that reminds you just how rich the music world of the 1970s was. Captured at the National Association of Recording Merchandisers (NARM) convention in Los Angeles in 1975, it shows Elton alongside the legendary Barry White — two titans of their respective genres, caught in an unguarded moment together. A genuine piece of music history.
Elton John at LAX, 1974
There's something wonderfully candid about this photograph, taken at Los Angeles International Airport in 1974. Elton is in transit, between shows, between cities — yet Fortune's eye finds the icon even in the everyday. It's a glimpse behind the curtain, a reminder that the Rocket Man had to come back to earth eventually.
Elton John and Diana Ross in Santa Monica, 1974
Elton John and Diana Ross co-hosted the first of the short lived Rock Music Awards, at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, 1975. Elton went home with 3 awards on this night, winning Best Pop Male Vocalist in a Rock Movie (Tommy), Best Rock Single (Philadelphia Freedom) and Rock Personality of the Year.
About the Photographer
James Fortune spent over a decade documenting some of the most defining moments in rock and roll history — not just the concerts, but the quiet, personal, behind-the-scenes moments that most photographers never saw. Over 150 of his photographs are held in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's permanent collection, and his work has appeared in countless documentaries and books. His Elton John series is a testament to what happens when a gifted photographer gets close to a one-of-a-kind artist during the most electrifying decade of his career.
All prints are available in open and limited editions, printed to order using an archival pigment process. Limited edition prints are hand-signed and numbered by James Fortune, and accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity.