Over the last two and a half-decade, David Furnish has gone from being relatively unknown to being one of the most influential people in the world. The Canadian former advertising executive has established himself as a writer, film producer, director, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. He became a known and respected public figure as a result of his relationship with Elton John, one of the biggest pop stars the world has ever seen. The rock star has sold over 300 million records in the span of his career and has achieved all kinds of feats that most people are content to simply dream of.
What Exactly Does David Furnish Do?
Furnish is known for his immaculate and dapper personal style, as well as his mild-mannered and levelheaded nature which helped to balance out Elton’s flamboyant, temperamental, and outspoken nature. The filmmaker has been involved in several independent and major projects such as the hit comedy film It’s a Boy Girl Thing, Billy Elliot The Musical, Gnomeo and Juliet, Sherlock Gnomes, Tantrums and Tiaras, Rocketman, Fame and Fashion, Women Talking Dirty, Pride and Predator, and Desert Flower.
Furnish was born on the 25th of October 1962, in Toronto, Ontario. He is the second of three children born to his parents Jack and Gladys Furnish. His father worked as a director at a pharmaceutical company called Bristol-Myers, and his mother was a homemaker. His older brother is named John, while the younger is named Peter.
After graduating from Sir John A. Macdonald Collegiate Institute in 1981, he enrolled at the University of Western Ontario where he bagged a degree in business administration from the Richard Ivey School of Business. Furnish began working with the reputable advertising corporation Ogilvy & Mather and later convinced them to send him to work with the UK branch of the company. He was transferred and he worked his way up to a position on the company’s board.
In 1994, David Furnish quit his job at the advertising firm because it was getting increasingly difficult to balance his work life with the demands of his high-profile relationship with , whom he had been dating for a few months. He decided to explore other career paths so he enrolled at the British Film Institute. After completing several courses, he started his own production company, Rocket Pictures.
The first project he undertook was the 1997 documentary, Elton John: Tantrums and Tiaras, an in-depth exploration of the life of his partner. He then went on to produce a couple more documentaries and feature films, including the acclaimed comedy It’s A Boy Girl Thing. Next up, Furnish executive produced Billy Elliot The Musical which was also a huge success. In addition, he also serves as a regular columnist for GQ and Interview, as well as a contributing editor for Tattler.
In 2015, David Furnish added CEO to his professional titles as he founded Rocket Entertainment, an umbrella company that oversees other companies owned by Elton John. This includes Rocket sports, a management company for athletes, and Rocket Music, which does the same for people in entertainment.
Since he took over handling the affairs of Elton John’s vast conglomerate, he has put in place certain measures which have completely turned the businesses around. Furnish has also come up with ideas for new ventures to keep the superstar’s music legacy alive even for younger generations. So far, he seems to be doing a marvelous job. Away from the entertainment scene, David Furnish is also involved in charity work. and sits on the board of the AIDS foundation founded by John.
Is He Still Married to Elton John?
David Furnish began dating Elton John in 1993 after they met at a dinner party hosted at John’s mansion. Their relationship progressed pretty quickly from that night on. The lovebirds got engaged in May 2005 and entered into a civil partnership on December 21, the very first day that civil partnerships became legal in the UK.
They followed this up by getting married on the ninth anniversary of their civil partnership in 2014, the year that same-sex marriage was legalized in the country. David Furnish is still married to Elton John and happily so. They have one of the longest celebrity relationships and they have no intention of splitting anytime soon.
