By: Michael Bird
Reginald Kenneth Dwight turned 70 years old this week.
kAm%96 "F66? @7 $@F=[ pC6E92 uC2?<=:?[ EFC?65 fd E96 D2>6 52J] #68 sH:89E H@F=5 AC@323=J 36 AC@F5 E@ 36 <?@H? 2D E96 "F66? @7 #@4<i sH:89E :D <?@H? E@ E96 H@C=5 2D t=E@? y@9?]k^Am
kAmu@C >J 86?6C2E:@?[ E96C6 92D 366? ?@ @E96C 2CE:DE H9@ >2E496D 9:D :?7=F6?46 @? A@AF=2C >FD:4 2?5 4F=EFC6] $FC6[ E96C6’D |:4926= y24<D@?[ !C:?46[ |25@??2[ qCF46 $AC:?8DE66? 2?5 @E96CD H9@D6 42C66CD =2DE65 564256D 2?5 H9@D6 :>A24E @? E96 q:==3@2C5 492CED ?6G6C 462D6 E@ 2>2K6] qFE t=E@? :D :? 2 4=2DD 3J 9:>D6=7 7@C >2?J C62D@?D]k^Am
kAmw6 H2D :? =@G6 H:E9 E96 8@DA6=\DEJ=65 A:2?@ 962C5 @? #U2>Ajq C64@C5D 3J #2J r92C=6D 2?5 @E96C p>6C:42? 2CE:DED :? E96 `hd_D] t=E@? 3642>6 2 C64@C5 4@==64E@C 62C=J @?] w6 23D@C365 2?J 2?5 6G6CJ A@AF=2C 2CE:DE 3J AFC492D:?8 2== E96:C C64@C5D] t=E@? :D <?@H? E@ 36 @?6 @7 E96 3:886DE C64@C5 4@==64E@CD :? E96 H@C=5j :E’D CF>@C65 E92E 9:D 42C67F==J 42E2=@8F65 4@==64E:@? 5@6D?’E :?4=F56 ;FDE E9@FD2?5D @7 C64@C5D[ 3FE A6C92AD >:==:@?D @7 E96>] p44@C5:?8 E@ @?6 2CE:4=6[ 96 k6>mA6CD@?2==Jk^6>m 2=A9236E:K6D 2?5 42E68@C:K6D E96>]k^Am
kAm(96? x H2D 2 <:5[ x E9C:==65 E@ t=E@? y@9?’D >FD:4 @? E96 C25:@] (6 925 E96 C62= 562=i E96 bb `^b #!| C64@C5D[ E96 cd #!| D:?8=6D 2?5 6G6? D@>6 DFA6C\C2C6 6:89E\EC24< E2A6D] W%96J 2C6 DFA6C\C2C6 3642FD6 >J A2C6?ED C64@C565 @?=J E96 ‘4=62?’ D@?8D 7C@> t=E@?’D 2=3F>D 7@C >6 E@ =:DE6? E@] $@>6E:>6D[ q6C?:6 %2FA:?’D =JC:4D H6C6 2 3:E C:DBFé :? E96:C DF3;64E >2EE6C]Xk^Am
kAmx FD65 E@ =@G6 E@ 86E 8:2?E DF?8=2DD6D 2?5 762E96C 3@2D 2?5 AC6E6?5 E@ 36 2D 7=2>3@J2?E 2D t=E@?] x’5 5C6DD FA :? 2? t=E@?\DEJ=65 4@DEF>6 2?5 >:>6 2=@?8 E@ 9:D C64@C5D] |J >@E96C H@F=5 E2<6 >6 E@ (@@=4@ @? E96 t2DE $@FE9 q@F=6G2C5 :? |@?E8@>6CJ 2?5 =6E >6 A:4< @FE 5C6DD\FA :E6>Dj 2D AC:DDJ 2D E92E >2J D@F?5 E@52J[ D96 H2D ;FDE 96=A:?8 >6 :?5F=86 >J :5@= H@CD9:A 2D 2 49:=5[ D@ 5@?’E C625 >@C6 :?E@ E92E E92? ?646DD2CJPk^Am
kAmt=E@? y@9? 2AA62C65 @? E96 D46?6 2E 2 E:>6 H96? E96 C@4< H@C=5 H2D C66=:?8] %96 q62E=6D 925 3C@<6? FAj y:>: w6?5C:I[ y2?:D y@A=:?[ 2?5 y:> |@CC:D@? H6C6 5625] %96C6 H2D 2 D62 492?86 :? A@AF=2C 4F=EFC6[ @? E6=6G:D:@?[ :? >@E:@? A:4EFC6D 2?5 @? E96 C25:@] #@4< 2?5 C@== H2D :? 36EH66? :ED D64@?5 2?5 E9:C5 86?6C2E:@? 2?5 H2D =@@<:?8 7@C 2 96C@]k^Am
kAmt=E@? 7:==65 E92E 82A] w6 4@F=5 5@ 4@F?ECJ W=:DE6? E@ E96 H9@=6 @7 E96 “%F>3=6H665 r@??64E:@?” 2=3F> 2?5 AFE :E 282:?DE 2?JE9:?8 C6D6>3=:?8 4@F?ECJ E@52JX] w6 4@F=5 25@AE E96 4@?76DD:@?2= E@?6 @7 9:D 4@?E6>A@C2C:6D W9:D D6=7\E:E=65 2=3F>X] w6 4@F=5 8@ @G6C E96 E@A H:E9 32C6=J\4@?EC@==65 3@>32DE W“qFC? s@H? E96 |:DD:@?[” “$2EFC52J }:89E’D p=C:89E u@C u:89E:?8”X[ >2<6 D6C:@FD AC@8\C@4< DE2E6>6?ED W“uF?6C2= 7@C 2 uC:6?5^{@G6 {:6D q=665:?8”X @C 6G6? D:?8 23@FE 9:D @H? DF:4:56 2EE6>AE W“$@>6@?6 $2G65 |J {:76 %@?:89E”X] w6 4@F=5 5@ ?@ HC@?8] p?5 c_ J62CD 27E6C E96 724E[ H6 DE:== 962C “s2?:6=” 2?5 “rC@4@5:=6 #@4<” 2?5 “#@4<6E |2?” 2?5 “s@?’E v@ qC62<:?8 |J w62CE” @? E96 C25:@ 6G6CJ 52J]k^Am
kAm{2E6C[ t=E@? y@9? 4C@DD65 @G6C :?E@ 492CE\3FDE:?8 E6CC:E@CJ :? 2?@E96C H2J[ 2D E96 4@>A@D6C @7 E96 7:=> D4@C6 2?5 D@F?5EC24< E@ “%96 {:@? z:?8[” @?6 @7 E96 E96 >@DE DF446DD7F= s:D?6J AC@;64ED :? 9:DE@CJ] w6 2=D@ 362E 2 C64@C5 96=5 3J q:?8 rC@D3J 7@C f_ J62CD[ H96? “r2?5=6 :? E96 (:?5” @G6CE@@< “(9:E6 r9C:DE>2D” E@ 364@>6 E96 3:886DE\D6==:?8 D:?8=6 @7 2== E:>6]k^Am
kAmw6’D H@C? D@ >2?J 8F:D6D 2?5 5:D8F:D6D @G6C E96 J62CD[ :E’D 92C5 E@ A:? 5@H? E96 C62= t=E@? y@9?] w6’D C6>2C<23=J 8@@5 2E HC:E:?8 >FD:4 7@C q6C?:6 %2FA:?’D =JC:4D 2?5 :?E6CAC6E:?8 E96 H@C<D @7 @E96CD :? 9:D @H? DEJ=6] w6’D <?@H? 2D E96 3:886DE 5:G2 :? E96 >FD:4 3FD:?6DD[ H9@D6 F=EC2\6IEC2G282?E =:76DEJ=6 :D AC@323=J E96 C62D@? 96’D ?6G6C 8@:?8 E@ BF:E E@FC:?8 2?5 C64@C5:?8]k^Am
kAmqFE ?@ >2EE6C] t=E@? y@9? C6D92A65 E96 4F=EFC6 2C@F?5 A@A 2?5 C@4<[ 2?5 2D 96 46=63C2E6D 9:D f_E9 3:CE952J[ :E :D 5:77:4F=E E@ :>28:?6 2 >FD:4 H@C=5 H:E9@FE 9:>] xE’D 6G6? >@C6 492==6?8:?8 E@ E9:?< @7 2?@E96C 2CE:DE H9@ 92D >2:?E2:?65 9:D 4C65:3:=:EJ[ 6?E9FD:2D> 2?5 C6=6G2?46 @G6C E9:D ?F>36C @7 J62CD]k^Am
kAmk6>m|:4926= q:C5 :D 2DD:DE2?E 32?5 5:C64E@C 7@C %2==2DD66 r:EJ $k^6>mk^Am