Antony Cotton – Actor, Coronation Street

b. 5 August 1975

English actor and singer best known for his roles in Coronation Street and the original UK version of Queer as Folk. 

Cotton played Alexander in the original UK version of Queer as Folk. He has also appeared in episodes of Absolutely Fabulous as the character Damon. Cotton currently plays barman and factory worker Sean Tully in Coronation Street. Cotton asked for a part on the show, and created the character with some of the show's writers. 

Antony is a passionate supporter of the Terrence Higgins Trust. He is a patron of the LGF charity in Manchester, The Albert Kennedy Trust and also the Queer Up North festival. On 13 January 2007, Cotton won the second series of ITV's Soapstar Superstar. He donated his winning money, £200,000, to the Elton John Aids Foundation.

He was named at number 33 on the DS list of the "50 Most Influential Gays", 2011:

From Queer as Folk to the Corrie cobbles, soap fans fell in love with Antony’s character Sean Tully when he joined the soap in 2003. The public voted him as the winner of the second series of Soapstar Superstar and he donated his £200,00 prize to the Elton John Aids Foundation.  “When I auditioned for Coronation Street, I thought I couldn’t do what I’d been doing before, which was going into auditions and pretending to be straight,” Antony recalls. “Alexander in Queer As Folk was the first gay part I ever played. If I was going be in Coronation Street, it had to be as a gay character.”

David Furnish (1962 – ) Canadian, Film director and partner to Elton John

b. October 25th, 1962

Canadian/British filmmaker, former advertising executive, and now a film director and producer most known for his documentary "Elton John: Tantrums & Tiaras". He is the civil partner of British entertainer Elton John.

Born inOntario, Canada, Furnish Honours Business Administration undergraduate degree from the Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario in 1985. He was recruited by the advertising agency Ogilvy & Mather, eventually transferred to the London, England, office and was appointed to their Board.

A mutual friend of Furnish and Elton John left a message for Furnish inviting him to a dinner party at John's house on October 30, 1993. Initially fearing that the dinner would be unpleasant, or that John would be boring, he instead found John to be interesting and engaging. Both were attracted to each other; John asked for his phone number and the two had a private dinner the following night. 

Furnish resigned from his position in 1994 after finding it increasingly difficult to balance the position's demands with the demands of his new life with John.

With a keen interest in film, Furnish enrolled in courses at the British Film Institute. He is currently co-chief of Rocket Pictures along with John.

Furnish is a contributing editor for Tatler magazine and also is a regular columnist for Interview and GQ. He currently serves on the board of the Elton John AIDS Foundation, attending fundraisers and other events in support of that cause.

When Furnish and John entered into a civil partnership in Windsor, Berkshire  on the first day that civil partnerships could be performed in England, 21 December 2005, it was widely reported in the press as the first high-profile, society "gay wedding".  The couple's relationship has continued to make news with the birth of a son, Zachary (born on 25 December 2010 in California via a surrogate mother) which has made them the best known British gay fathers, as well as the most-recognizable gay couple.

Elton John

b. March 25, 1947

Elton John has sold more than 250 million records in a career that spans more than three decades. He has been honored with a knighthood for his work on behalf of AIDS research and education.

"The great thing about rock and roll is that someone like me can be a star."

Elton John was born Reginald Kenneth Dwight. The son of a former Royal Air Force trumpeter, he was a musical prodigy, playing the piano at age 3. He studied at the Royal Academy of Music for six years before leaving school for the music business.

A turning point came when he connected with lyricist Bernie Taupin through a music magazine advertisement both men had answered. Their first collaboration, "Scarecrow," was recorded in 1967, beginning a songwriting partnership that continues to the present. About the same time Reginald Dwight legally changed his name to Elton John, in tribute to musicians Elton Dean and Long John Baldry.

In the 1970's John became known for his energetic performances and his flamboyant stage wardrobe, including a large collection of outrageous spectacles. Many considered the Elton John Band to be the greatest act in the rock world. John had a string of seven consecutive Number One records, 23 Top 40 singles, 16 Top 10 singles, and six Number One hits. He has the distinction of having had a top 40 single every year from 1970 to 1996.

In the 1990's John turned his talents to film and musical theater. In 1994, his collaboration with lyricist Tim Rice on the Disney animated film The Lion Kingresulted in a soundtrack that won both an Academy Award and a Grammy and remained at the top of the Billboard chart for nine weeks. He later worked with Rice on the film El Dorado and the musical Aida, which won both a Tony award and a Grammy.

John was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994. He was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1995.

John's friendship with Ryan White and Freddy Mercury inspired him to establish the Elton John AIDS Foundation in 1992. He announced his intention to donate all future royalties from sales of his singles in the U.S. and U.K. to AIDS research.

Bibliography:

• Norman, Philip. Sir Elton: The Definitive Biography. Carroll and Graf Publishers, 2001.
  
• sing365.com bio