Elton John

Sir Elton John (born 1947) has sold more than 300 million records across a six-decade career — Rocket Man, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, The Lion King — making him one of the most decorated entertainers alive: EGOT winner, Kennedy Center honoree, and a fixture of British public life.

“Absolute losers”

John emerged as the bluntest critic of the UK government’s 2024–25 proposal to exempt AI training from copyright unless creators opt out. On BBC One’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg in May 2025 he said he felt “incredibly betrayed,” called technology secretary Peter Kyle “a bit of a moron,” said Prime Minister Keir Starmer needed to “wise up,” and accused ministers of committing thievery on a high scale against the country’s musicians. He vowed: “We’ll fight it all the way.”

The outburst was not a one-off. Days earlier he had joined Paul McCartney, Kate Bush, Dua Lipa and more than 400 artists in an open letter urging Starmer to back Baroness Kidron’s transparency amendment to the Data (Use and Access) Bill, and he has repeatedly framed the stakes as generational: established stars can absorb the hit, but emerging songwriters cannot police AI companies scraping their work.

The government maintained its consultation was aimed at balancing growth in AI with creators’ rights; ministers pointed out no final decision had been made. John said he was prepared to take them to court if the plans went ahead.