Rocketman Elton John will be touching down in Hong Kong for a December 4 concert at the Convention and Exhibition Centre. Born Reginald Dwight, John cherry-picked his stage name from members of his original band, although his middle name, “Hercules”, was pilfered from that of the horse in the 1960s British sitcom Steptoe and Son. While battling drug addiction, John once tried to end it all. “I tried to commit suicide one day,” he said. “I turned on the gas and left all the windows open. It was … very Woody Allen” …
The New York neurotic, who in 1995 was chosen by Empire magazine as one of the 100 sexiest stars in film history, suffers from neuroses such as entomophobia (insects), heliophobia (sunshine), demophobia (crowds) and thanatophobia (death), and is terrified of hotel bathrooms. Although he disdains Oscar ceremonies, the Academy has been kind to his work, with last year’s Midnight in Paris earning four nominations and one statuette, and providing the film debut of France’s then first lady, Carla Bruni …