Bonded for Life: The Friendship and Activism of Billie Jean King and Elton John
The tennis legend and the music star used their fame and friendship to bring attention to fights for social justice, gender parity, HIV and AIDS, and LGBTQ+ rights.
The tennis legend and the music star used their fame and friendship to bring attention to fights for social justice, gender parity, HIV and AIDS, and LGBTQ+ rights.
4th floor, Billie Jean King Case
When they first met at a dinner party in Los Angeles in 1973, Billie Jean King and Elton John were both too starstruck to speak to each other. At the time, each of them was at the height of their careers. King was ranked the number one women’s tennis player five times over seven years and achieved the 1973 Wimbledon “Triple Crown” by winning singles, women’s doubles, and mixed doubles. John had two best-selling albums in 1973 alone. The following year, King and John met again, this time in private. They connected instantly and, according to King, “bonded for life.” As two of the greatest stars of their generation, they both recognized how sports and music could be leveraged to make a positive impact on the world. Together, and separately, they used their fame and friendship to bring attention to fights for social justice, gender parity, HIV and AIDS, and LGBTQ+ rights.
With garments, ephemera, and photographs, the Jean Margo Reid Center for Women's History installation Bonded for Life, celebrates Billie Jean King and Elton John’s decades-long friendship and their enduring commitment to social change. Curated by Dr. Keren Ben-Horin, associate curator of public history, and Dr. Isabelle Held, Mellon Foundation Gender and LGBTQ+ History Postdoctoral Fellow, Jean Margo Reid Center for Women's History.
Exhibitions at The New York Historical are made possible by the Saunders Trust for American History, the Evelyn & Seymour Neuman Fund, the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, and the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. WNET is the media sponsor.
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