Yesterday, March 24, Elton John paid tribute to his late friend, Elizabeth Taylor, at his concert in Pittsburgh. Said John during the concert: "[It is] a sad day becuase I lost a friend and you lost a hero....[who] stood up when no one was prepared to stand up and be counted against AIDS. God bless you, Elizabeth. God knows how we're going to replace you. This is for you and your beautiful memory and for all of the people you helped saved."
Taylor appeared on Broadway in the revival of Lillian Hellman's The Little Foxes for which she was nominated for the 1981 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play. She was also nominated for the 1981 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Play for The Little Foxes and took home the 1981 Theatre World Special Award. Taylor graced Broadway again in 1983 as producer and star of Noel Coward's Private Lives opposite her former husband, Richard Burton. She also was the lead producer on The Corn is Green that same year.
The two-time Oscar-winning actress was an icon for glamour and beauty in Hollywood, but also brought life to stage classics such as Tennessee William's Cat on a Hot Tin Roof through film with her intelligent acting and emotional depth. Her career lasted more than 70 years, with over 50 films and several stage appearances. Among her many honors, in 1999 she was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire.
Born to American parents in London, Taylor began her training at a young age and eventually appeared in films after her family settled in Los Angeles before World War II began. In her later years, Taylor drew her focus to charitable works and her family. She is survived by four children, a brother and nine grandchildren.
Photos: John Heller/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette/ZUMAPress.com
