Via The Glenn Gould Foundation
We’re honoured to share a special guest posting on our Substack by Lee Hall, the award-winning playwright and screenwriter. Lee is a longtime creative collaborator with Elton John, who wrote the book and lyrics for the stage musical Billy Elliot with Elton’s music, and the screenplay for Elton’s film biography Rocketman.
Most recently, Hall has also written a screenplay, A State of Wonder, about the life of Glenn Gould, making him uniquely placed to reflect on the surprising and meaningful connections between Elton John and Gould.
At first glance, Elton John might seem like an unexpected choice as a laureate of the Glenn Gould Foundation, an institution so deeply rooted in the world of classical music and named for Glenn Gould himself.
But the more you sit with it, the more it makes sense.
Both were prodigies with an early, almost instinctive connection to the piano, both stepped away from convention to shape entirely their own artistic paths, and both found ways to reach far beyond their genres, connecting with audiences through something deeply human in their music.
What connects them most isn’t style, but a shared belief in the power of art to shape culture and contribute to something larger than themselves, something Elton John continues through advocacy, mentorship, and his work with the Elton John AIDS Foundation.
An unlikely pairing, until you realize they’ve been speaking the same language all along.
To read more of Lee Hall’s reflection, head to our Substack
Elton John Photo Credit: Carl Studna (C) WAB Global Limited