Sir Charlie Chaplin (1889-1977) was an award-winning star of silent films in his trademark character, ‘the tramp’. He drew on his own childhood experiences of destitution in London, which included being sent to a workhouse at age seven. His acting talent sent him from rags to riches, which he used to buy his own film studio and take complete control of his films ~ writing, acting, directing, producing, editing and composing the music. Three of his songs became chart hits, including the beautiful and poignant ‘Smile’, sung by Nat King Cole.

It was whilst working in Los Angeles during WW1 that he learnt all aspects of the film-making business. His films were being churned out weekly and the public loved them. After the War, he went to a different studio and began to make films with more pathos in the story-line, as he realised that quality rather than quantity was important.

He became extremely rich and was able to found United Artists with three other film stars. However, he left the USA in 1952 as they were intolerant of his political views and he went to live in Switzerland. He was married four times and had eleven children.

(Image: Insomnia Cured Here at Flickr.com / CC BY-SA 2.0)

Sir Elton John, CBE, was born in 1947 in Middlesex and is an award-winning, record-breaking musical phenomenon. Not only was he playing the piano from age 3, but he has been touring since the age of 17. His tribute song ‘Candle in the Wind 1997’ which he played at Princess Diana’s funeral and never again, was the fastest and biggest-selling single since Bing Crosby’s ‘White Christmas’. All the profits went to charity.

He met his lyricist, Bernie Taupin, in 1967. From 1970 to 1976 they had hit after hit, with chart-toppers such as ‘Your Song’, ‘Crocodile Rock’, ‘Rocket Man’, and ‘Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting’. There was already a ‘Greatest Hits’ album by 1974! Elton was an immediate success in the USA and developed a flambuoyant, showman-style act.

Since then, his keenness to collaborate with other musicians ~ John Lennon, George Michael, Stevie Wonder, The Who, Billy Joel and Nik Kershaw, to name but a few ~ has been part of his continuing success. With Tim Rice he wrote the music for Disney’s Lion King animation, for which he received an Oscar in 1994. His three-year farewell tour round the world, ending in 2020, is a measure perhaps of how difficult stepping away will be.

(Top image [cropped]: Cindy Andrie at Flickr.com / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)