Rocket Man Elton John jets into JMA ... Tiny Dancer,” with famous staccato chords that still hit the heartstrings. Davey Johnstone played the slide notes on a double-necked guitar.

Essential Elton John: Counting down the Rocket Man's 30 ... there are no traces of T. Rex’s slithering guitar, no crunching chords. ... as a host of contemporary easy listening and jazz ...

Elton John has performed "Rocket Man" hundreds — if not thousands — of times over the past 50 years. Yet he had no idea what inspired it.