Elton John

**Sir Elton Hercules John** Template:Postnominals (born **Reginald Kenneth Dwight**; 25 March 1947) is an English singer, songwriter, pianist, and composer. Collaborating with lyricist [./https://kutx.fandom.com/wiki/Bernie\_Taupin Bernie Taupin] since 1967 on more than 30 albums, John has sold more than 300Template:Nbspmillion records, making him one of the [./https://kutx.fandom.com/wiki/List\_of\_best-selling\_music\_artists best-selling music artists of all time]. He has more than fifty Top 40 hits in the [./https://kutx.fandom.com/wiki/UK\_Singles\_Chart UK Singles Chart] and US [./https://kutx.fandom.com/wiki/Billboard\_Hot\_100 *Billboard* Hot 100], including seven number ones in the UK and nine in the US, as well as seven consecutive number-one albums in the US. His tribute single "[./https://kutx.fandom.com/wiki/Candle\_in\_the\_Wind\_1997 Candle in the Wind 1997]", rewritten in dedication to [./https://kutx.fandom.com/wiki/Diana,\_Princess\_of\_Wales Diana, Princess of Wales], sold over 33Template:Nbspmillion copies worldwide and is the best-selling single in the history of the UK and US singles charts. He has also produced records and occasionally acted in films. John owned [./https://kutx.fandom.com/wiki/Watford\_F.C. Watford F.C.] from 1976 to 1987 and from 1997 to 2002. He is an honorary life president of the club.

   Raised in the [./https://kutx.fandom.com/wiki/Pinner Pinner] area of Greater London, John learned to play piano at an early age, and by 1962 had formed [./https://kutx.fandom.com/wiki/Bluesology Bluesology], an R&B band with whom he played until 1967. He met his longtime musical partner Taupin in 1967, after they both answered an advert for songwriters. For two years, they wrote songs for artists including [./https://kutx.fandom.com/wiki/Lulu\_(singer) Lulu], and John worked as a session musician for artists including [./https://kutx.fandom.com/wiki/The\_Hollies the Hollies] and [./https://kutx.fandom.com/wiki/The\_Scaffold the Scaffold]. In 1969, John's debut album, *[./https://kutx.fandom.com/wiki/Empty\_Sky Empty Sky]*, was released. In 1970, his first hit single, "[./https://kutx.fandom.com/wiki/Your\_Song Your Song]", from his second album, *[./https://kutx.fandom.com/wiki/Elton\_John\_(album) Elton John]*, became his first top ten in both the UK and the US. His most commercially successful period, 1970–1976, included *[./https://kutx.fandom.com/wiki/Honky\_Ch%C3%A2teau Honky Château]* (1972), *[./https://kutx.fandom.com/wiki/Don't\_Shoot\_Me\_I'm\_Only\_the\_Piano\_Player Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player]* (1973), *[./https://kutx.fandom.com/wiki/Goodbye\_Yellow\_Brick\_Road Goodbye Yellow Brick Road]* (1973) and his first *[./https://kutx.fandom.com/wiki/Greatest\_Hits\_(Elton\_John\_album) Greatest Hits]* compilation — the latter two listed among the [./https://kutx.fandom.com/wiki/List\_of\_best-selling\_albums best-selling albums worldwide]. John has also had success in musical films and theatre, composing for *[./https://kutx.fandom.com/wiki/The\_Lion\_King The Lion King]* and its [./https://kutx.fandom.com/wiki/The\_Lion\_King\_(musical) stage adaptation], *[./https://kutx.fandom.com/wiki/Aida\_(musical) Aida]* and *[./https://kutx.fandom.com/wiki/Billy\_Elliot\_the\_Musical Billy Elliot the Musical]*.

John has received five [./https://kutx.fandom.com/wiki/Grammy\_Award Grammy Awards], five [./https://kutx.fandom.com/wiki/Brit\_Awards Brit Awards]; including for [./https://kutx.fandom.com/wiki/Brit\_Award\_for\_Outstanding\_Contribution\_to\_Music Outstanding Contribution to Music]; two [./https://kutx.fandom.com/wiki/Academy\_Awards Academy Awards], two [./https://kutx.fandom.com/wiki/Golden\_Globe\_Award Golden Globes], a [./https://kutx.fandom.com/wiki/Tony\_Award Tony Award], a [./https://kutx.fandom.com/wiki/Disney\_Legends Disney Legends] Award, and the [./https://kutx.fandom.com/wiki/Kennedy\_Center\_Honors Kennedy Center Honor]. In 2004, *[./https://kutx.fandom.com/wiki/Rolling\_Stone Rolling Stone]* ranked him 49th on its list of 100 influential musicians of the rock and roll era. In 2013, *[./https://kutx.fandom.com/wiki/Billboard\_(magazine) Billboard]* ranked him the most successful male solo artist on the [./https://kutx.fandom.com/wiki/List\_of\_Billboard\_Hot\_100\_chart\_achievements\_and\_milestones#Top\_10\_artists\_of\_All-Time\_(1958%E2%80%932013) *Billboard* Hot 100 Top All-Time Artists], and third overall, behind [./https://kutx.fandom.com/wiki/The\_Beatles the Beatles] and [./https://kutx.fandom.com/wiki/Madonna Madonna]. He was inducted into the [./https://kutx.fandom.com/wiki/Rock\_and\_Roll\_Hall\_of\_Fame Rock and Roll Hall of Fame] in 1994 and the [./https://kutx.fandom.com/wiki/Songwriters\_Hall\_of\_Fame Songwriters Hall of Fame] in 1992, and is a fellow of the [./https://kutx.fandom.com/wiki/British\_Academy\_of\_Songwriters,\_Composers\_and\_Authors British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors]. He was [./https://kutx.fandom.com/wiki/Knight\_Bachelor knighted] by Queen [./https://kutx.fandom.com/wiki/Elizabeth\_II Elizabeth II] for "services to music and charitable services" in 1998.

1. ↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. Artist Biography [Elton John]. AllMusic. Retrieved on March 31, 2014.
2. ↑ Elton John.
3. ↑ Elton John (en).
4. ↑ Template:Cite news
5. ↑ Template:Cite news
6. ↑ Template:Cite news
7. ↑ RIAA News Room – The American Recording Industry Announces its Artists of the Century. *Recording Industry Association of America website*. RIAA (10 November 1999). Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved on February 8, 2010. “'Candle in the Wind 1997' soon surpassed Bing Crosby's 'White Christmas' to become the best-selling single of all time.”
8. ↑ Elton John: Biography – Rolling Stone Music. *Rolling Stone*. Retrieved on September 27, 2014.
9. ↑ Template:Cite book See also: Guinness World Records, 2009 Edition, pages 14, 15 & 169 [1] Template:Webarchive
10. ↑ The Immortals: The First Fifty. *Rolling Stone* (2 December 2010).
11. ↑ Template:Cite news
12. ↑ About: All About Elton: Bio. Elton John. Archived from the original on July 15, 2010. Retrieved on August 6, 2010.