Elton John

Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight on 25 March 1947) is a British singer, composer, and pianist. Known for his flamboyant fashion, showmanship, and songwriting partnership with lyricist Bernie Taupin, he is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, with more than 300 million records sold worldwide. He is an EGOT winner whose honors include five Grammy Awards, two Academy Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, a Tony Award, two Golden Globe Awards, a Laurence Olivier Award, and the Kennedy Center Honors.

Born in Pinner, Middlesex, John was raised primarily by his mother and maternal grandmother. He began playing his grandmother's piano as a young boy, taking formal lessons starting at age seven. At age 11, he won a junior scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music, attending Saturday classes for five years before leaving at age 17 to pursue a music career.

At age 15, John began working as a pub pianist, and in 1962 he formed the band Bluesology. In 1967, he answered an advertisement placed by Liberty Records, where he was introduced to Bernie Taupin's lyrics, initiating their long-standing creative partnership. Soon after, he adopted the name Elton John, legally changing his name to Elton Hercules John in 1972. John and Taupin joined DJM Records as staff songwriters in 1968, composing music for various artists.

John released his debut studio album, Empty Sky, in 1969. His self-titled 1970 album featured "Your Song," which became his first hit single. During the 1970s, he achieved major commercial success with albums such as Honky Château, Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player, and the double album Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. He also launched his own record label, The Rocket Record Company, and signed a major deal with MCA Records.

Over his career, John has released 32 studio albums, alongside compositions for musical films and theatre, including The Lion King, Aida, and Billy Elliot the Musical. His final concert tour, Farewell Yellow Brick Road (2018–2023), became the highest-grossing tour ever at the time. His life and career were dramatised in the 2019 biographical film Rocketman.

Beyond music, John has been active in HIV/AIDS charity work since the late 1980s, establishing the Elton John AIDS Foundation in 1992, which has raised over £300 million. He served as chairman and director of Watford Football Club across two terms and remains an honorary life president. Personal milestones include entering a civil partnership with David Furnish in 2005 and marrying him in 2014.

John holds numerous chart records, including nine number-one singles on the UK and US Billboard Hot 100 charts and seven consecutive US number-one albums. His 1997 tribute single, "Candle in the Wind 1997," is the best-selling chart single of all time. He has been inducted into both the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, was knighted in 1998, and was appointed a member of the Order of the Companions of Honour in 2020.