Quote Of The Day By Elton John: 'I Wasn't A Heartthrob ...'

Time has been kind to Elton John. In a career that's spanned seven different decades, he has amassed more than 50 Top 40 hits in America, and a shelf full of awards (including the prestigious EGOT status). He remains revered as a singer and composer of piano-driven pop songs that resonate with multiple generations — often with the help of John's longtime lyricist Bernie Taupin.

But in John's heyday in the '70s, during which he became the first artist to debut atop the Billboard album charts in history — a feat he repeated — he was known equally well not for what he sang, but how he looked when he sang it. Did it change the way his music sold, or the way people thought about those still-enduring songs? Today's quote of the day digs a little bit into those possibilities, reminding audiences who may have forgotten about all those feathers and rhinestones more than 50 years ago.

"I wasn't a heartthrob David Bowie or Mick Jagger or Rod Stewart in those days. I was, you know, I was Elton at the piano."

Speaking to Terry Gross for NPR's "Fresh Air" in a wide-ranging interview in 2013, Elton John discussed how he was perceived by audiences during the beginning of his career. The topic came up after Gross asked him about a Rolling Stone profile in 1973, in which John floated the idea of taking more cues from Liberace, the flamboyant pianist who entertained millions on record and television.

At the time, John looked like most singer-songwriters, seated comfortably at the piano in average clothes and glasses. With hits like "Your Song," "Rocket Man," and "Crocodile Rock" — and even fan favorites like "Tiny Dancer," many of which had true stories behind them — he certainly wasn't hurting for success. But he'd soon dramatically overhaul his image in ways that got people talking ... even if he came to regret how they were talking about it.

Elton John knew what countless rock 'n' rollers before him came to realize: A good set of songs only gets you halfway down the path to success. The rest of the journey comes through giving people something that no one else could offer.

For John, that meant an over-the-top stage presence that made his hits seem even bigger. Not long after that fateful Rolling Stone interview in 1973, the singer/songwriter was playing his biggest venues yet in extravagant costumes. Feathers, sequins, and rhinestones were part of his onstage fashion, and some of his looks became instantly iconic, from a spangled baseball uniform at Dodger Stadium to full Donald Duck dress.

But such presentation is not without its risks, a fact John learned firsthand. "Of course, with those kind of things — as is my wont in everything I do — I took it too far," he said of his costumes in his NPR interview. "In the end it became tired and it became too much, and it became less fun." Yet even John made that switch work for him: In 1988, he made millions of dollars selling off his old costumes, and continues to sell old outfits for charity. Perhaps presentation matters in the short term for a rock star, but in the end, it's your songs that never go out of style.

"I don't want the big star bit. I can't bear that bit. What I want is to do just a few gigs a week and really get away from everything and just write; and have people say, 'Oh, Elton John? He writes good music.' That's all."

"Every artistic person I know has a monster inside them, and that monster always rises up on some occasion."

"Until I got sober in 1990, I really hadn't grown up at all. So when I did get sober at that point, I had a lot of catching up to do with the personality onstage with the real person offstage. And to attain the balance in my life — I had to learn to walk again, basically."

"Having children changed everything about my life. I've learned that the simplest things in life — like having a minute with them — are worth more than any painting, any photograph, any house or any hit record."

"I really hate the cult of celebrity. I used to go to the opening of an envelope and I loved it, because I was young. What I want to do now is completely different ... The thought of going to a club fills me with complete horror, although I love dance music. I want to be at home, I want to be with my friends. I genuinely feel uncomfortable in the limelight."