Elton John Biography

Elton John, full name Sir Elton Hercules John, was one of the most well-known entertainers of the late 20th century.

He was born Reginald Kenneth Dwight on March 25, 1947 in Pinner, Middlesex, England. In a concert and recording career that includes the selling of hundreds of millions of records, he combined as many genres of popular music and showmanship as Elvis Presley.

John, a piano prodigy who was 11 years old, received a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music. After finding rhythm and blues, he gravitated toward pop and, in the middle of the 1960s, joined Bluesology, who would eventually become John Baldry’s supporting group.

After responding to an advertisement in a trade journal, he and Bernie Taupin (b. May 22, 1950, Sleaford, Lincolnshire) began creating songs together. His 1968 single “Lady Samantha” became a hit in the United Kingdom. When his debut American album, Elton John, was released in 1970, he became an enormously popular figure around the world.