Elton John

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3 Feb 2024

Elton John

Sir Elton Hercules John CH CBE, born Reginald Kenneth Dwight on 25 March 1947, is a renowned British singer, pianist, and composer. Celebrated by both critics and fellow musicians, particularly for his influential contributions during the 1970s, Sir Elton John has left an indelible mark on the music industry through his exceptional talent and captivating showmanship.

Raised in Pinner, Sir Elton learned to play the piano at a young age and earned a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music, where he honed his skills over five years. In 1962, he formed the blues band Bluesology but departed in 1967 to pursue a solo career. It was during this time that he crossed paths with lyricist Bernie Taupin, marking the beginning of one of the most successful songwriting partnerships in history.

After two years of collaborating on songs for other artists, Sir Elton released his debut album, "Empty Sky," in 1969, followed by the formation of the Elton John Band and the release of his breakthrough hit single, "Your Song," in 1970. Throughout the 1970s, Sir Elton achieved critical and commercial success with a series of chart-topping albums, including "Honky Château" (1972) and "Rock of the Westies" (1975).

His success continued into the 1980s and 1990s, marked by numerous hit singles and albums, and he has remained active in creating new music to the present day. Beyond his achievements in the music industry, Sir Elton has also made significant contributions to musical films and theater, composing music for productions like "The Lion King," "Aida," and "Billy Elliot the Musical."

In addition to his musical endeavors, Sir Elton is a dedicated HIV/AIDS charity fundraiser and established the Elton John AIDS Foundation in 1992, which has raised millions of pounds to support AIDS-related initiatives. He is also known for his involvement in philanthropic events, including his annual AIDS Foundation Academy Awards Party.

Despite facing personal challenges, including struggles with addiction in the late 1970s and 1980s, Sir Elton has remained resilient and has been clean and sober since 1990. In 2005, he entered a civil partnership with his longtime partner, Canadian filmmaker David Furnish, and the couple married in 2014.

Sir Elton's musical legacy includes over fifty top-40 hits on both the UK Singles Chart and the US Billboard Hot 100, with nine number-one singles in each country. He has sold over 300 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling music artists of all time.

Among his numerous accolades, Sir Elton is one of the few entertainers to achieve EGOT status, having won an Emmy Award, five Grammy Awards, two Academy Awards, and a Tony Award. He has also received honors such as induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, as well as knighthood by Queen Elizabeth II for his contributions to music and charity. In 2020, he was appointed a member of the Order of the Companions of Honour for his ongoing philanthropic efforts and contributions to music, further solidifying his status as a cultural icon and musical legend.

Elton John, originally named Reginald Kenneth Dwight, was born on March 25, 1947, in Pinner, Middlesex, which is now part of the London Borough of Harrow. He was the eldest child of Stanley Dwight (1925–1991) and the only child of Sheila Eileen (née Harris; 1925–2017). Elton was raised in a council house in Pinner by his maternal grandparents, and his parents married in 1945, moving to a nearby semi-detached house shortly afterward.

Elton's early education included attending Pinner Wood Junior School, Reddiford School, and Pinner County Grammar School. However, at the age of 17, just before his A-Level examinations, he decided to pursue a career in music, leaving formal education behind.
Despite his passion for music, Elton's father, who had served in the Royal Air Force, initially tried to guide him toward a more conventional career, such as banking. Elton has expressed that his flamboyant stage costumes and performances were a way for him to break free from the constraints of his childhood.

Both of Elton's parents had musical inclinations, with his father being a trumpet player in the Bob Millar Band, a semi-professional big band that performed at military dances. The Dwight household was filled with music, exposing Elton to popular singers and musicians of the time from an early age.

Elton's musical journey began when he started playing his grandmother's piano as a young boy. He quickly showed remarkable talent, learning to play Waldteufel's "The Skater's Waltz" by ear within a year. Formal piano lessons began at age seven, and he demonstrated musical aptitude at school, even composing melodies and gaining attention for his performances, sometimes emulating Jerry Lee Lewis.

At age 11, Elton won a junior scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music, where his musical abilities continued to shine. One of his instructors recalled that Elton could play back a four-page piece by George Frideric Handel after hearing it for the first time, akin to a "gramophone record."

These early experiences laid the foundation for Elton John's remarkable musical career, showcasing his prodigious talent and passion for music from a young age.

During the next five years, Elton John attended Saturday classes at the Royal Academy of Music in central London. He recalled enjoying playing pieces by Frédéric Chopin and Johann Sebastian Bach and participating in the choir during these Saturday sessions. However, he admitted that he wasn't particularly diligent as a classical student, expressing some resentment towards attending the Academy. Despite his lack of enthusiasm for classical studies, he managed to scrape through the grades without much practice, often skipping classes to ride around on the London Underground.

Although Elton John wasn't always dedicated to his classical studies, several instructors noted that he was a model student. Towards the end of his time at the Academy, he also took private lessons from a tutor alongside his regular classes. Ultimately, he left the Academy before taking the final exams.

Elton's mother, Sheila, played a significant role in his upbringing. While she was strict, she was also more outgoing and spirited than his father. With Stanley Dwight often absent and uninvolved, Elton was primarily raised by his mother and maternal grandmother. The household experienced frequent and distressing arguments when his father was present. When Elton was 14, his parents divorced, and his mother remarried a local painter named Fred Farebrother, whom Elton affectionately called "Derf" ("Fred" spelled backward).

The family moved into flat No. 3A in an apartment building called Frome Court, not far from their previous residences. It was in this home that Elton wrote the songs that would launch his career as a rock star. He remained there until he achieved the remarkable feat of having four albums simultaneously in the American Top 40 charts.