Elton John biography, net worth, spouse, kids, age, height 2025

Elton John Biography

Elton John is a legendary British pop-rock singer and composer, one of the UK's most successful musicians. Over his prolific and wildly successful career, he's sold more than 250 million records, with countless songs and albums topping charts worldwide. In 1980, 400,000 people packed New York's Central Park for his concert.

He's won numerous awards, including Grammys and an Oscar, and was knighted by the British Empire in 1998. In 1999, American listeners crowned Elton the greatest musician of all time.

Elton John captivated audiences not just with his incredible music, but with his extravagant and unmistakable stage presence—flamboyant costumes and, of course, those signature oversized glasses.

Childhood and Family

On March 25, 1947, flight officer Stanley and homemaker Sheila Dwight welcomed a baby boy, christened Reginald Kenneth. The Dwights lived in Middlesex County, which became part of northwest London in 1965.

His maternal grandparents lived next door and played a far bigger role in raising Reginald than his father ever did. An only child, Reggie was overweight, wore glasses, and feared his dad. As an adult, he'd call him "a cruel snob."

His mother, a decidedly liberal spirit, constantly brought home records that introduced the boy to music: the melodies of his childhood became jazz singer Kay Starr, composer-instrumentalist Billy May, and country singer Tennessee Ernie Ford. Later, his idol became rock and roll pioneer Buddy Holly.

Sheila Dwight with her son during his tour in the USSR (1979)

At 3 years old, inspired by his grandmother's piano playing, the boy showed interest in the instrument himself and learned a complex waltz by ear. Still unable to reach the pedals, he amazed his family with intricate melodies. His father bought him a used instrument for 68 pounds.

At 11, the brilliant self-taught prodigy was already enrolled at the Royal Academy of Music in London, becoming the youngest scholarship recipient in the institution's history. At his audition, he reproduced a Handel piece played by the instructor entirely by ear, without looking at the sheet music.

Meanwhile, his parents' relationship grew increasingly strained. His father was often away on business trips, but when he returned, he tried to impose new rules on his son: what and how much to eat, what to wear.

Once upon a time, my mom and dad were in love, but by the time I was born, there wasn't a trace of that feeling left. It seemed like they hated each other. My father was a strict, distant man with a terrible temper. My mother loved to argue and was prone to depression. When they were together, they either kept silent or fought. They mostly fought about me, about my upbringing.

More and more, Reginald got the feeling that Sheila and Stanley were only staying together because of him, and guilt gnawed at him. In those moments, he'd lock himself in his room, listen to records by his favorites Little Richard, Ray Charles, and Jerry Lee Lewis, and imagine himself in their place. Only, he understood, with his looks he'd probably never make it as a rock and roll star.

When the boy was 13, his parents divorced. Despite his complicated relationship with his father, the split took a heavy toll on his emotional well-being. Stanley started a new family, and Reginald gained four half-siblings who, according to the musician, his father bonded with more strongly than he ever did with him.

Stanley Dwight, Elton John's father, with his second wife Edna

His mother married artist Fred Fairbrother, with whom the teenager developed a warm relationship. His biological father criticized his son's choices even after divorcing Sheila. So when the grown-up Reginald got a job at a bank but soon quit, Stanley was beside himself with rage. He wrote his son an angry letter predicting he'd end up on the streets if he didn't return to the bank. Unlike his father, his stepfather supported the musical young man.

Elton John with stepfather Fred Fairbrother

Just two weeks before graduating from the conservatory, Reginald dropped out, deciding to dedicate himself entirely to a career in rock 'n' roll. He landed a job at a music publishing company and played piano in bars before joining a band called Bluesology.

He created his stage name by borrowing from his bandmates: saxophonist Elton Dean and singer John Baldry.

Music Career

In 1967, Elton John met poet Bernie Taupin. Both had responded to an ad from Liberty Records A&R, whose representatives were searching for new talent. Neither passed the audition, but this failure became the beginning of something bigger. At the label, Reginald admitted he struggled with writing lyrics and received from the talent scout a sealed envelope containing a stack of papers with song lyrics written by someone named Bernie Taupin.

Elton John and Bernie Taupin in their youth

The young men met and began working together, setting up shop at Elton's parents' house. Bernie crafted extraordinary lyrics that grabbed audiences, while Reginald composed equally memorable arrangements. Taupin became the constant songwriter throughout the singer's career—together they've created over thirty albums, with their very first collaboration being the song "Your Song."

They didn't release it right away—it came out as the second single from Elton John's second album "Elton John," which dropped in 1970. His first single "I've Been Loving You" (1968) and debut album "Empty Sky" (1969) both flopped commercially. But the second record introduced the talented performer not only to British but also to American audiences, and so successfully that the album earned a Grammy nomination for Album of the Year. The single "Your Song" became a hit that Elton John still performs at every concert. In May 1970, he performed it live on BBC.

Elton John – Your Song (1970, live on BBC)

In an interview with Rolling Stone magazine, John Lennon recalled:

I heard 'Your Song' in America and thought, 'Great, that's the first new thing that's happened since we [The Beatles] happened.' It was a step forward. There was something about his voice that took the whole British music scene up a notch.

In 1970, the emerging musician caught the attention of Steve Brown, who worked in EMI's publicity department. With his help, Elton John's compositions started getting radio play, and soon the performer was invited to tour the US. In September of that year, Elton brilliantly performed at the Troubadour club, met his idol, singer and composer Leon Russell, and after spending three weeks in the States, returned home intoxicated by the attention.

Photos from Elton's performance at the Troubadour

A month later, Elton launched a massive US tour, after which The Time called him a "musical superman" capable of surpassing all the iconic groups of the '60s.

In 1971, Reginald Kenneth Dwight officially changed his name to Elton Hercules John.

Even then, the singer's extravagant image began taking shape—one that's still recognizable today by his oversized glasses (a compromise between nearsightedness and style), of which he's owned over 4,000 throughout his career, and provocative stage costumes in the glam rock style popular at the start of his career. He deliberately pushed stage costumes to absurdity—take, for instance, the giant chicken costume.

One of Elton John's most striking costumes

Early in his career, critics predicted Elton John's star would quickly fade, believing "Eltonmania" was just a passing fad fueled by public fascination with the singer's flashy outfits and outrageous stage antics. How wrong they were.

Elton John's Glasses

The track from the album "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" (1973), "Candle in the Wind," dedicated to Marilyn Monroe, who had died 11 years earlier, turned Elton into a supernova in the music world. The song landed at number 347 on Rolling Stone's definitive list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

The album itself, which featured 16 other tracks, initially met with critical resistance, with reviewers calling the record "bloated." But over time, "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" came to be recognized as the finest album in Elton John's entire catalog.

A Small Part of Elton John's Stage Costumes

The singer cemented his superstar status with the successful follow-up albums "Caribou" (1974) and "Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy" (1975).

After John Lennon heard several covers of his songs performed by the singer, he invited Elton to join him for a performance at Madison Square Garden in 1974, where they played several The Beatles songs, including "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" and "I Saw Her Standing There." This performance by two British music legends went down in history as Lennon's last time on stage.

Elton John and John Lennon later became close friends

In 1976, Elton John released one of his saddest albums, "Blue Moves," featuring what became his signature single, "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word." That same year, he bought a mansion near Windsor Castle and became friends with the royal family.

Elton John – Sorry Seems to Be The Hardest Word

The '70s marked the peak of the singer's success. His career slowed down a bit after that, though he kept recording albums and touring. In 1979, the singer became one of the first major international stars to accept an invitation to perform in Israel—an event in itself. But for Soviet citizens, the landmark moment came in May of that year, when Elton John broke through the Iron Curtain and gave several massive concerts in Moscow and Leningrad. Representatives from the Ministry of Culture vetted his work and found nothing threatening to the socialist system or Soviet culture.

Unfortunately, regular music fans couldn't get tickets to the British star's concert. According to eyewitnesses, tickets were distributed through connections to government officials and their families. A lucky few managed to snag tickets at the last minute from scalpers.

Elton John arrived in the USSR with his mom and toured the main attractions of both capitals together, including a Dynamo vs. CSKA football match and the Peterhof palace and park complex. He was given a Chaika car with a personal driver and a translator. The singer spent seven days in the USSR. For him, the trip to the USSR was exotic, but it was nothing compared to the effect his visit had on Soviet citizens. Elton John became a breath of freedom.

Elton John in Soviet Russia (1979)

In 1980, the musician gave a free concert in New York's Central Park. A record-breaking 400,000 people showed up to see the flamboyant performer. Elton treated the crowd to his hits and rare songs like "White Lady White Powder," and also performed a cover of Lennon's "Imagine" as a tribute to his close friend and colleague. During the show, he changed costumes several times—the most memorable being a Donald Duck outfit.

The musician's free concert drew 400,000 people

The stage where Elton performed was visible from John Lennon's apartment window. Three months later, the ex-Beatle was shot dead at his doorstep. Elton wrote "Empty Garden" in memory of his friend, and two years later performed at a Lennon tribute concert at Madison Square Garden. Joining him on stage were the late star's wife Yoko Ono and their son Sean, whose godfather is Elton John.

Elton John, Yoko Ono and Sean Lennon at the John Lennon memorial concert

In the second half of the '80s, Elton started losing his voice. The singer later blamed his disastrous marriage to German sound engineer Renate Blauel. Elton numbed the stress with marijuana, which led to polyps in his throat, and his once quiet, pleasant voice became hoarse. He underwent surgery on his vocal cords, but from then on, his timbre was noticeably different from what fans knew.

Elton had a difficult relationship with alcohol and drugs

In 1990, Elton John, alongside Michael Jackson, cared for a young boy dying of AIDS. The child's death became a turning point in the singer's life—deeply affected by the tragedy, he committed to treatment for alcoholism, drug addiction, and bulimia, and publicly came out as gay. John threw himself into charity work and in 1992 founded the Elton John AIDS Foundation.

Elton John – Can You Feel The Love Tonight?

In 1994, Elton John wrote a stunning soundtrack for "The Lion King," with three songs earning Oscar nominations. The lyrical "Can You Feel The Love Tonight" ultimately won the award, also bringing the singer a Grammy.

In 1995, Elton John's contributions were recognized by the British government—he received a knighthood and became a Commander of the Order of the British Empire.

In 1997, John was devastated by the death of his friend Princess Diana in a car crash. At her funeral, he performed a new version of the famous "Candle in the Wind." The single sold over thirty million copies worldwide, though the singer never performed it at concerts again. He donated all the proceeds—more than $47 million—to the princess's foundation. The gesture caught the attention of the Queen herself, and in 1998 the singer was granted the title of Sir.

Elton John playing Candle in the Wind at Diana's funeral

With the dawn of the 21st century, John entered a phase of close collaboration with many artists, film appearances, and work on Broadway musicals. In 2001, he performed at the Grammy ceremony with Eminem, who's known for his homophobia. But with his respected colleague, Eminem was remarkably tolerant.

Elton John and Eminem – Stan Legendado

In 2002, Elton John recorded a song with the group Blue. Between 2007 and 2010, he toured with concerts in Kyiv, Baku, and Rostov-on-Don. In 2012, he returned to Kyiv with the revamped lineup of Queen.

In 2015, Elton John delighted fans with a surprise appearance at Ed Sheeran's concert, where they performed his iconic "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" and Sheeran's "Afire Love."

In 2016, the singer released his 32nd studio album, "Wonderful Crazy Night," which would ultimately be the last of his prolific career. In 2017, Elton made a cameo appearance in the hit spy action film "Kingsman: The Golden Circle," starring Colin Firth and Taron Egerton.

In 2018, Sir Elton John announced his farewell world tour and retirement from live performances. From then on, he intended to dedicate all his time to his family.

In 2019, "Rocketman" hit theaters, bringing Elton John's challenging rise to stardom to a wide audience. Young actor Taron Egerton played the legendary musician. Elton performs all the songs in the film; Taron managed to subtly mimic the musician's vocal timbre, but mastering the piano didn't work out, despite lessons with a tutor. Elton John warmly praised both the film and Egerton's performance. According to the musician, Taron treated the source material with great care (his diaries, which he let the actor study before filming).

That same year, Elton John landed at number five on Forbes magazine's list of highest-paid musicians. His earnings reportedly totaled $84 million.

In 2020, Elton John had a world tour planned, but in February, during a concert in Auckland, New Zealand, the artist fell ill. It was later revealed that the singer had developed pneumonia. Not wanting to disappoint fans, John announced he'd definitely continue the tour, but the coronavirus pandemic changed his plans—most of the tour's concerts were postponed to September 2020.

Elton John continues his concert activity

Also in 2020, fans learned about an act of generosity from Elton John—he financially supported a woman he'd dated over 50 years earlier. His ex-girlfriend from the past had become seriously ill, and when she needed money, she reached out to the artist's press service. John responded to the request and paid for her surgery.

His collaboration with Dua Lipa called "Cold Heart," released in 2021, became the musician's first number-one single in sixteen years. He found out about it while hospitalized after hip surgery, which he'd had to undergo following an accidental fall.

Elton John & Dua Lipa – Cold Heart

That same month, "The Lockdown Sessions" was released, a collection of collaborations recorded during the pandemic with various artists. A couple of months later, Elton John's duet with Ed Sheeran, "Merry Christmas," immediately hit number one on the British charts.

In November 2023, his three concerts at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles became the foundation for the documentary "Elton John: Never Too Late." In January 2024, Elton John received an Emmy for Outstanding Variety Special (Live).

This made him an EGOT winner—that rare combination of major awards (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony) that only a couple dozen people on the planet can claim.

Though Elton himself couldn't make it to the ceremony, having recently undergone knee surgery—which he blamed on his decades-long habit of jumping off pianos.

Elton John's Personal Life

By Elton John's own admission, he remained a virgin until age 23, and his first sexual experience was with a man—his producer John Reid.

After that, the singer was in intimate relationships with women. He had a serious relationship with secretary Linda Woodrow, whom he met at the very beginning of his career, during tours with Bluesology. They lived together and were even engaged, but Elton wasn't happy. He was tormented by thoughts of death, yet lacked the courage to end the relationship. He attempted suicide, but thanks to his friend, musician Long John Baldry, he found the strength to call off the wedding. This episode in his life inspired the song "Someone Saved My Life Tonight."

Linda Woodrow, Elton John's former fiancée

In 1976, Elton John admitted to the press that he was attracted to both women and men. The media attacks that followed his revelation triggered severe depression. Elton began abusing alcohol and drugs. Later, he managed to overcome this difficult period.

In 1976, the singer admitted he was interested in more than just women

In 1984, he married 28-year-old German Renate Blauel. The marriage wasn't happy. The musician's cocaine dependency may have played a role. Four years later, Elton filed for divorce.

Elton John and Renate Blauel's marriage lasted 4 years

After the divorce, in 1988, Elton John came out, admitting that he wasn't interested in women at all. He no longer hid his orientation, had numerous romances, and met the love of his life in 1993. Elton's chosen one was Canadian filmmaker David Furnish.

Elton John and his husband David Furnish

In 2005, a civil partnership ceremony took place at Windsor Castle, followed by a banquet attended by over 700 guests. Among them were Prime Minister Tony Blair, Ozzy Osbourne, Sting, Madonna, and Elizabeth Hurley, whose son John is godfather to. He's also godfather to two of Victoria and David Beckham's boys.

Elton John always dreamed of having children, and in 2009 he tried to adopt an HIV-positive orphan from Ukraine, but the country's authorities denied his request, citing "the adopter's marital status and age." In 2010, John and David became fathers to a boy named Zachary, born via surrogate, and in 2013 their second son, Elijah, was born.

Elton John and David Furnish with their children

In October 2024, Elton admitted that everything changed for the better with the arrival of his children:

Now it's all about them. Everything is for their well-being and future, not for me.

In 2014, shortly after same-sex marriage was legalized in the UK, the couple officially married on the 9th anniversary of their civil partnership and held a wedding ceremony.

In December 2017, Sheila Dwight, Elton John's mother, passed away. Before that, they hadn't spoken for 8 years: his mother made no secret of her dislike for her son's partner, though they reconciled 2 years before her death. Elton's father died back in 1991, and father and son never managed to grow close.

John has always been known for his passion for expensive cars, luxury homes, and unbridled shopping sprees. Early in his career, Elton already had his own Boeing for tour travel.

In summer 2024, the musician contracted an eye infection that cost him vision in his right eye. In December, at the premiere of the musical "The Devil Wears Prada," he admitted from the stage: "I've lost my eyesight. I can't see the performance, but I'll enjoy listening to it." In April 2025, he revealed he can't read, can't watch his sons play rugby and football – and it causes him pain. It also makes studio work difficult, since he can't see song lyrics.

Elton John Now

In February 2025, Elton John announced he's about to release a new album with Brandi Carlile. It was completely written and recorded in just twenty days back in October 2023, and the process nearly fell apart – Elton wanted to quit more than once, doubting it was the right time.

Elton John, Brandi Carlile - Who Believes In Angels?

But the album, titled "Who Believes In Angels?," dropped on April 4, 2025, and immediately topped the British charts, becoming his tenth number-one album (and Brandi Carlile's first).

Elton John: latest news and articles

Oscar Reyes

I watched the movie «Rocketman» about Elton, I really liked it!

2021-04-29 09:19:32
Beverly Edwards

Hard worker and talent Sir Elton John. I love his music madly and listen with pleasure.

2021-04-22 15:32:36
Clinton Vargas

A brilliant performer with endless talent and awesome charisma

2021-04-07 20:31:56
Thomas Christopher Hall

The best musician of all times and peoples, in my opinion, is Elton John :)

2021-03-11 22:19:22
Patricia Lewis

Elton John is a legend! The whole world knows and adores him!

2021-02-14 09:26:42

Elton John

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