Elton John - Biography

In a nutshell

Born to an RAF trumpeter, Elton John shocked the world when he revealed that his real name is Reginald Kenneth Dwight!! Not really, but that is the guy's real name, and nobody can blame him for changing it to something a little more showbiz.

Elton started learning the piano when he was just four and, being particularly good at it, picked up a scholarship at the Royal Academy of Music. He didn't see it through to the end although they don't mind too much ? they awarded him with a honorary doctorate in 2003.

Fast-forward through to the 1960s when Elton answered an advert in the NME by an A&R manager. He gave Elton a load of lyrics written by Bernie Taupin who'd also answered the same ad. A partnership was formed when Elton started writing music for the lyrics, mailing them to Bernie and so on. The partnership has continued ever since, aaaahh.

Elton's had over 23 massive singles , from Your Song to Rocket Man, Daniel to Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. One of their songs, Candle in the Wind, was re-worked for the funeral of Princess Diana and has become the biggest selling single of all time. Can you guess what the second-biggest seller is? Find out later...

In 1976 Elton declared (in Rolling Stone magazine) that he was bi-sexual. He married a German recording engineer called Renate Blauel in 1984 but they divorced four years later. It was then that Elton changed his mind ? he wasn't bisexual after all! He was gay.

Elton's partner is David Furnish, now a film maker, who he met in 1993.

Elton was knighted in 1998 and the second biggest-selling single of all time is Bing Crosby's White Christmas. See how we sneaked that one in there?

Did you know?