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'The Devil Wears Prada' opens in London -

On December 1, 2024, the West End production of 'The Devil Wears Prada' opened in London with a charity gala performance in support of the Elton John Aids Foundation.  

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Glittering celebrity event -

Staged at Dominion Theatre, the glittering event attracted a host of international celebrity guests, including Donatella Versace, Anna Wintour, Pete Townshend, and Lulu.

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Elton John announces loss of sight -

But the evening was also notable for Elton John revealing that he is unable to watch his own musical after losing his eyesight. 

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Previous issues with vision -

The singer, who wrote the music to 'The Devil Wears Prada' musical, had been suffering health issues with his vision since contracting a severe eye infection in July while in France.   

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Almost completely blind -

He spoke further of his condition in September, divulging the fact that he'd been left blind in his right eye and with "only limited vision" in his left.  

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Delay finishing next album -

Speaking on stage in London after the event, John thanked his husband David Furnish, "who has been my rock," before adding that while he was unable to see the show, "it sounded good." 

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Elton John and Bernie Taupin -

John also admitted that his eyesight was delaying his next album with his long-time collaborator Bernie Taupin. Taupin is known for his songwriting partnership with Elton John, one of the longest and most successful in music history.

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'Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy' -

In 1975, John released his ninth studio album, 'Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy.' The only single taken from the album was a track called 'Someone Saved My Life Tonight.' 

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'Someone Saved My Life Tonight' -

Like the rest of the album, 'Someone Saved My Life Tonight' is autobiographical and addresses an attempt by the singer to take his own life. The someone in question was blues singer Long John Baldry.  

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Long John Baldry's influence -

John William "Long John" Baldry was an English musician known as Long John because of his statuesque 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) frame. 

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British blues pioneer -

He was one of the first British vocalists to perform the blues in clubs across the United Kingdom, but particularly so in London. 

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Mixing with esteemed company -

Baldry's influence was such that he rubbed shoulders with the Beatles, playing at the Cavern Club in Liverpool in the early 1960s, and toured with the Rolling Stones. 

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Hoochie Coochie Men -

In 1965 he formed a group called Long John Baldry and his Hoochie Coochie Men. The lead vocalist was a young singer called Rod Stewart. 

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The making of Rod Stewart -

In 1965, the Hoochie Coochie Men became Steampacket with Baldry and Stewart as male vocalists, and Julie Driscoll providing a female voice. 

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Bluesology and Reg Dwight -

Steampacket proved a short-lived outfit and in 1966, Baldry formed Bluesology. The lineup included Elton Dean on guitar and one Reg Dwight on keyboards. 

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Reg Dwight becomes Elton John -

Dwight, after he left the band and began to record as a solo artist, adopted the name Elton John, taking his first name from Elton Dean and his surname from John Baldry. 

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Origins of the life-saving event -

Before that, however, plain old Reg Dwight was sharing an apartment in London's East End district with his fiancé, Linda Woodrow, and a guy called Bernie Taupin.

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Engaged to be married -

Reg and Linda had met at a Christmas party at a London club in 1967 and by 1969 were engaged to be married. 

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Desperate times -

Reg, however, did not love Linda and felt trapped in the relationship. More pertinently, he was secretly gay and was still trying desperately to come to terms with the fact. 

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Near to ending it -

Unable to think of a plausible way out of the situation, Dwight fell into a deep depression and began to seriously contemplate taking his own life. 

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Baldry intervenes -

That's when Baldry stepped in, taking his friend to one side and telling him that such a drastic measure simply wasn't the answer.  

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With a little help from his friends -

Backed by Taupin, the pair managed to persuade Reg to face up to his sexuality, call off the marriage, and maintain his musical career. This he did, though Elton John only came out publicly as gay in 1992 in a Rolling Stone interview.  

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A superstar in the making -

In 1970, Elton John enjoyed his first hit single as a singer with 'Your Song,' reaching number seven in the UK Singles Chart and number eight in the US. 

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Baldry's career hits a high note -

Baldry, too, was riding high. Elton John and Rod Stewart coproduced Baldry's 1971 album, 'It Ain't Easy,' with John and Ronnie Wood also drafted in to play on several tracks. 

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Sharing the stage together -

In May 1971, Long John Baldry made a rare appearance on stage with Elton John, performing with his old Bluesology bandmate on an edition of the British television music show 'Top of the Pops.' 

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Making music -

As the 1970s progressed, Baldry continued to record and tour, but never achieved the same success as his contemporaries. 

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The lyrics tell the story -

When 'Someone Saved My Life Tonight' was released, many who knew about the episode in 1969 recognized it as such through Bernie Taupin's lyrics. The opening line, "When I think of those East End lights" is a reference to the London flat the trio shared. Jilted Linda Woodrow, the muse for the song, is the "Princess perched in her electric chair," and the "Sugar Bear" who "saved my life tonight" is Long John Baldry. 

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The album is sung live -

To promote the album and honor Baldry, Elton John performed the whole of his album 'Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy' during his set at the 'Midsummer Music' one-day festival at Wembley Stadium in London on June 21, 1975. 

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Baldry's decline -

By the end of the 1970s, Long John Baldry's best years were behind him. He had become a cult hero to many blues fans, but shrinking record sales and declining health saw his career falter. 

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Final album -

Fittingly perhaps, Baldry's final album completed in his lifetime was 2001's 'Remembering Leadbelly.' The album serves as a tribute to Baldry's musical hero Lead Belly with songs he either wrote or is known for.

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Death of Long John Baldry -

Long John Baldry, the man who saved Elton John's life, passed away on July 21, 2005, in Vancouver, Canada. He was 64 years old. 

Sources: (On This Day) (The Guardian) (Rova) 

See also: The most influential music acts of the 1970s

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