Elton John Shines Bright

As Reginald Dwight, he was an introverted piano man from England. As Elton John, the quiet composer’s flamboyant inner persona flourished. In his nearly 50-year career, Sir Elton has collected 19 Billboard Top 10 albums and a wardrobe closet just as vast — a collection highlighted by diamond-studded oversized glasses, platform shoes and one infamous Donald Duck costume. As the performer’s epic, three-year Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour visits Quicken Loans Arena Nov. 3, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame pays homage to his iconic olive green, pink-lettered “Hercules” jacket and pants outfit in the museum’s Shine a Light exhibit. “I love it because it’s from that sparkly period of the 1970s,” says Karen Herman, the Rock Hall’s vice president of collections and curatorial affairs. “This really speaks to who he was at the time.”