--- title: See Photos From Elton John's 1975 Dodger Stadium Concerts description: A new book goes behind the scenes of Elton John's rocking 1975 shows at Dodger Stadium canonical: https://time.com/4053940/elton-john-dodger-stadium-1975/ author: Lily Rothman article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-10-22T13:00:04.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-05-11T05:01:26.829Z article:section: History og:title: See Photos From Elton John's 1975 Dodger Stadium Concerts og:description: A new book goes behind the scenes of his rocking 1975 shows at Dodger Stadium og:url: https://time.com/4053940/elton-john-dodger-stadium-1975/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2983eae22d18083d/698865eee20a877081a8d824/150929-elton-john-01.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: Elton John wearing Billie Jean King t-shirt og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: See Photos From Elton John's 1975 Dodger Stadium Concerts twitter:description: A new book goes behind the scenes of his rocking 1975 shows at Dodger Stadium twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2983eae22d18083d/698865eee20a877081a8d824/150929-elton-john-01.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # See Photos From Elton John's Legendary Dodger Stadium Concerts  by [Lily Rothman](https://time.com/author/lily-rothman/)  ## Lily Rothman Rothman is managing editor at TIME. Oct 22, 2015 1:00 PM UTC  Elton John wearing a Billie Jean King t-shirt. In 1974, Bobby Riggs, a former tennis champion, boasted that at age 55, he could beat any one of the best women players of the time. In a widely viewed television ‘battle of the sexes’ events, Billie Jean King easily beat her foe. Her score, as seen on Elton’s T-shirt, was 6-4, 6-3, 6-3. Elton John wearing a Billie Jean King t-shirt. In 1974, Bobby Riggs, a former tennis champion, boasted that at age 55, he could beat any one of the best women players of the time. In a widely viewed television ‘battle of the sexes’ events, Billie Jean King easily beat her foe. Her score, as seen on Elton’s T-shirt, was 6-4, 6-3, 6-3.Terry O'Neill—Iconic Images  by [Lily Rothman](https://time.com/author/lily-rothman/)  ## Lily Rothman Rothman is managing editor at TIME. Oct 22, 2015 1:00 PM UTC When Elton John took the stage for two back-to-back sold out shows at Dodger Stadium 40 years ago, on Oct. 25 and 26 of 1975, it wasn’t because he was a big baseball fan. He preferred the English game of rounders, he told TIME, because it was “not nearly as violent” and didn’t involve “sliding into bases and trying to get the guy with your cleats.” Rather, at the very height of his fame, the performer needed the stadium (twice over, in fact) to accommodate the 100,000+ fans desperate to see him play. So the baseball-phobe became the first artist to play Dodger Stadium since the Beatles nearly a decade earlier. And photographer Terry O’Neill was right there for all of it. The photos that resulted from O’Neill’s deep access are now being brought together in the book _Two Days That Rocked the World_, from which the images above are drawn. Elton John was obviously a major star before the concerts took place—hence the legions of fans, and his appearance on the cover of TIME shortly before—but those days would come to be considered by many fans to be peak Elton. How much did the spangled Dodger uniform, designed by Bob Mackie, cost? “Two thousand,” Elton was [quoted](http://time.com/vault/issue/1975-11-03/page/54/) by TIME as quipping. “But that’s just a ballpark figure.”  Terry O'Neill—ACC Art Books _Two Days That Rocked the World_ will be available Oct. 30 at bookstores and online. **_Read TIME’s cover story about Elton John from the summer of 1975, here in the TIME Vault:_** [Rock’s Captain Fantastic](http://time.com/vault/issue/1975-07-07/page/1/) ### Musicians on the Cover of TIME  The Dixie Chicks (May 29, 2006) JILL GREENBERG FOR TIME  Kanye West (Aug. 29, 2005) KWAKU ALSTON FOR TIME  Ricky Martin (May 24, 1999) TIME  Lauryn Hill (Feb. 8, 1999) TIME  Jewel (July 21, 1997) HERB RITTS  Pearl Jam (Oct. 25, 1993) NEAL PRESTON  Garth Brooks (March 30, 1992) JAMES SCHNEPF / GAMMA LIAISON  Madonna (May 27, 1985) FRANCESCO SCAVULLO  Michael Jackson (March 19, 1984) ANDY WARHOL  David Bowie (July 18, 1983) TIME  The Who (Dec. 17, 1979) TIME  Linda Ronstadt (Feb. 28, 1977) MILTON GREENE  Paul McCartney (May 31, 1976) RICHARD E. AARON  Elton John (July 7, 1975) DON WELLER  Cher (March 17, 1975) RICHARD AVEDON  Joni Mitchell (Dec. 16, 1974) BOB PEAK  James Taylor (March 1, 1971) J. H. BRESLOW  The Band (Jan. 12, 1970) BOB PEAK  Aretha Franklin (June 28, 1968) BORIS CHALIAPIN  The Beatles (Sept. 22, 1967) TIME  Joan Baez (Nov. 23, 1962) TIME  Frank Sinatra (Aug. 29, 1955) TIME  Rosemary Clooney (Feb. 23, 1953) BORIS CHALIAPIN  Louis Armstrong (Feb. 21, 1949) BORIS ARTZYBASHEFF  Bing Crosby (Apr. 7, 1941) ERNEST HAMLIN BAKER  Elton John wearing a Billie Jean King t-shirt. In 1974, Bobby Riggs, a former tennis champion, boasted that at age 55, he could beat any one of the best women players of the time. In a widely viewed television ‘battle of the sexes’ events, Billie Jean King easily beat her foe. Her score, as seen on Elton’s T-shirt, was 6-4, 6-3, 6-3. Terry O'Neill—Iconic Images  Both shows were an instant sell-out and 110,000 rock fans descended upon Dodger Stadium to witness music magic. Terry O'Neill—Iconic Images  The many celebrities who were backstage included actor Cary Grant.“The first night we were in our trailer getting changed and hanging out, doing all sorts of things – one of the wives, a real London girl – looked out of the curtain and said ‘Oi! Gary Cooper is out there!’ Not likely, I thought, as he was dead. But low and behold it was Cary Grant – looking like a knight in shining armor. I loved Cary Grant! We went out and talked to him and he had some really profound things to say. I was very humbled.” -Davey Johnstone, guitarist Terry O'Neill—Iconic Images  “When Elton was onstage, the whole stadium just vibrated.” – Kenny Passarelli, bassist Terry O'Neill—Iconic Images  Even at rehearsal, Elton John gave a performance. Terry O'Neill—Iconic Images  “I joined the backup vocalists – Jon Joyce, Cindy Bullens and Ken Gold – for several songs. We were all decked out in one-piece jumpsuits that looked like something a gas station attendant would wear. It was, after all, 1975 in all its glory!” –Billie Jean King Terry O'Neill—Iconic Images  “Every time I photographed him, I never knew what he was going to wear. He had the most bewildering selection of clothes. He just produced all these magic looks.” –Terry O’Neill Bob Mackie’s now-famous sequined white Dodgers uniform hangs in the background Terry O'Neill—Iconic Images  Billie Jean King stands in front of the 45-member James Cleveland Choir, who joined Elton onstage for several songs. Terry O'Neill—Iconic Images  “I had to climb to the top of the stadium to see what it looked like filled with that many people.” – Terry O’Neill Terry O'Neill—Iconic Images ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4053940/elton-john-dodger-stadium-1975/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4053940/elton-john-dodger-stadium-1975/"},"headline":"See Photos From Elton John's Legendary Dodger Stadium Concerts","datePublished":"2015-10-22T13:00:04.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-11T05:01:26.829Z","description":"A new book goes behind the scenes of his rocking 1975 shows at Dodger Stadium","url":"https://time.com/4053940/elton-john-dodger-stadium-1975/","keywords":["photography","Music"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2983eae22d18083d/698865eee20a877081a8d824/150929-elton-john-01.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Lily Rothman","jobTitle":"Rothman is managing editor at TIME.","url":"https://time.com/author/lily-rothman/"}],"articleSection":"History","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2983eae22d18083d/698865eee20a877081a8d824/150929-elton-john-01.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Elton John wearing Billie Jean King t-shirt","caption":"In 1974, Bobby Riggs, a former tennis champion who boasted at aged 55, he could easily beat any one of the best women players of the time, challenged Billie Jean King to a match. 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