Will these collaborators pay Sir Elton John a Happy Birthday this weekend, as he celebrates his 76th birthday?

For one brief moment, fans of Sir Elton John will stop singing “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” and instead, we hope, break into a chorus of Happy Birthday. Sir Elton turns 76 today and despite being on his farewell tour, is not showing any signs of slowing down until he’s completed said goodbyes on said yellow brick road. 

Looking at his tour schedule though, perhaps fans at the M&S Arena in Liverpool managed to pay their birthday salutations a day early; there is a gap in his touring schedule on March 25 2023, which just so happens to be the day he turns 76. Or, maybe he might catch some belated birthday wishes when the tour picks up again on March 26 2023 at the Resorts World Arena in Birmingham?

Or, maybe everyone might save their birthday wishes for his headline appearance at this year’s Glastonbury Festival? We all know someone who rather than celebrate their birthday on the actual day instead will look at celebrating it at a later date. For work reasons or not enough people might be able to attend; though the latter we can clearly state is not the case given the packed crowds Sir Elton has attained during his tour.

Speaking about his inclusion as a Glastonbury headliner, Sir Elton John wrote on his website: “I couldn’t be more excited to be headlining the Pyramid Stage. As the end of my Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour comes into view, there is no more fitting way to say goodbye to my British fans. They have been beyond brilliant, and have supported me through all the highs and lows of my career.” 

“Every week I speak to new artists on my radio show and Glastonbury is often cited as a pivotal moment in launching their careers - the festival’s genuine, enthusiastic support for the best emerging talent is something I’ve long admired. I’ve been talking to Emily Eavis about it over the last few weeks and I can’t wait to embrace the spirit of the greatest festival in the world. It’s going to be incredibly emotional.”

So who’s social media should we be keeping an eye on over the weekend that might pay tribute to Sir Elton John? There are a myriad of celebrities that can attest to being Sir Elton John fans, but there also nearly as many who have collaborated with the Rocketman over the course of his career.

Eminem 

At the height of Slim Shady mania, many critics were unhappy with the homophobic lyrics of Eminem’s celebrated second album, The Marshall Mathers LP. In true Eminem fashion, the rapper raised his middle fingers to those who cried foul of his lyrics and invited Sir Elton John to perform a live version of “Stan” at the 2001 Grammy Awards.

"Of course, I heard of Elton John," Eminem told MTV News in 2004. "I didn't know he was gay. I didn't know anything about his personal life. I didn't really care. But being that he was gay and he had my back, I think it made a statement in itself saying that he understood where I was coming from."

Sir Rod Stewart

It’s been a rocky relationship between “frenemies” Sir Rod Stewart and Sir Elton John; one that has spanned across twenty years with the pair frequently trading barbs at one another. It would seem all in good fun, however, with the pair referring to each other at times as “Phyllis” and “Sharon” due to their bitchy nature towards one another.

Wanting to set a good example for his eight children, Sir Rod Stewart looked to bury the hatchet in 2021, with the Scottish rocker saying "I say to my kids, ‘A man apologises, go and apologise to your mother. We’ve just made up as friends again, me and Elton. We’ve always been fierce enemies, as you know, through the years, but it’s always been at a playful level."

"But we had the worst row, like a married couple. It went on forever" Stewart confessed.

Lady Gaga

Much like Eminem before her, Lady Gaga collaborated with Sir Elton John at a Grammy Award ceremony; after her backup dancer threw her down into a pit of fire, the ash-covered pop star reemerged from the bottom while sitting by a creepy piano with none other than the English musician on the other side of the keys. The two performed her glam rock song “Speechless” before interweaving his song “Your Song.”

The pair would eventually collaborate years later, contributing the track “Hello, Hello” for the Gnomeo and Juliet soundtrack. Such has been the strength of the friendship between Lady Gaga, Sir Elton John and his partner David Furnish that they asked her to be godmother to their son Zacahry in 2011.

Axl Rose

Guns ‘n’ Roses frontman Axl Rose has collaborated with Sir Elton John on a number of occasions, but the first time was during a memorial concert for Freddie Mercury in 1992. Axl Rose took to the stage to perform “Bohemian Rhapsody” alongside Sir Elton and the surviving members of Queen.

MTV junkies will often remember the rendition of Guns ‘n’ Roses classic “November Rain” performed at the MTV Video Music Awards in 1992. Both performances have become watershed moments for Axl Rose, despite the infighting Guns ‘n’ Roses went through during that period of time. With both Sir Elton John and Guns ‘n’ Roses performing at Glastonbury this year, could there be another collaboration?

Taron Egerton

He portrayed Sir Elton John in the 2019 biopic Rocketman, which earned British actor Taron Egerton a Golden Globe in 2020. But Egerton also has collaborated with Sir Elton John away from the movie set - providing vocals for "(I'm Gonna) Love Me Again," which also won a Golden Globe the very same year.

During a Q&A after a screening of Rocketman in 2019, Sir Elton John remarked “When I saw Taron, I was not looking at him — I was looking at me. And when I was hearing the voice, I was hearing me, but it wasn’t me,” he said. “Everything about it was extraordinary.”