Throughout a career that has spanned well over half a century, Elton John has cemented his place in history as one of the greatest musicians and composers of the 21st Century.
Elton John Bio (Age)
Born on the 25th of March 1947 to Stanley Dwight and Sheila Eileen, the colossus that is today known as Sir Elton John was born with the birth name Reginald Kenneth Dwight.
Elton’s earliest memories of his father are that of a strict flight lieutenant in the Royal Air Force who never really thought music was the right path for him. Though both parents were musically conscious, with awareness and appreciation for good music, his father had tried to convince him to choose a more formal vocation.
Elton showed a huge appetite and appreciation for music at a very tender age. At four years of age, he had already taught himself to play the piano. For a child, he had an astonishing ability to play complex pieces after hearing it once.
He was awarded a scholarship to study music at the Royal Academy of Music at 11. Elton attended Pinner Wood Junior School, Reddiford School, and Pinner County Grammar School but quit all forms of education at some point to focus on pursuing a professional career in music.
After responding to an advertisement in a trade magazine he met Bernie Taupin, a songwriter he would go on to collaborate with for a long time. His first British recording success was with “Lady Samantha” in 1968. His first American album, Elton John, was released in 1970 and immediately established him as a major international star.
Elton has released a staggering 30 Solo studio albums including the following; Tumbleweed Connection (1970), Madman Across the Water (1971), Honky Château (1972), Don’t Shoot Me I’m Only the Piano Player (1973), Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (1973), Caribou (1974), Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy (1975), Rock of the Westies (1975), Blue Moves (1976), A Single Man (1978), Victim of Love (1979), 21 at 33 (1980), The Fox (1981), Jump Up! (1982), Too Low for Zero (1983), Breaking Hearts (1984), Ice on Fire (1985), Leather Jackets (1986), Reg Strikes Back (1988), Sleeping with the Past (1989),
His other albums include; The One (1992), Made in England (1995), The Big Picture (1997), Songs from the West Coast (2001), Peachtree Road (2004), The Captain & the Kid (2006), The Diving Board (2013), Wonderful Crazy Night (2016).
Elton John has been nominated for the Grammy’s Award 11 times, winning on five occasions. He received the Grammy Legend Award in 2001. The new version of his 1973 song “Candle in the Wind,” which was a tribute to the late Princess of Wales, became the most successful pop single in history. It sold more than 30 million copies.
In 1994, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and in 1998 he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II. Sir John is also a big philanthropic contributor to the fight against AIDS.
Net Worth
It is not in doubt that Sir Elton John is one of the richest musicians of his time. The icon has sold over 300 million records and has had more than 50 top 40 hits.
In I974, one of the foremost lucrative contracts he landed was with MCA, which earned him $8 million. He has amassed over $20 million from sold-out shows at New York’s Madison alone. Elton is also an avid car collector. He made almost $3.5 million from the sale of his Rolls Royce, his 1993 Jaguar XJ220, his Bentleys, and Ferraris.
He also made $1.3 million from real estate earning accruing to him from the sale of his home in London’s Holland Park. According to Forbes, Elton John raked in $60 million in 2017 alone. In a bid to further consolidate his wealth and expand his financial reach, Elton In 2011 formed a new music company called the Rocket Music Entertainment Group. Following that, he launched Rocket Sports Management in 2012.
The latest humongous project on his hands is composing the score for “The Devil Wears Prada” on Broadway. In 2013, he held 102 live shows and made $204 million in gate receipts and endorsements. His total net worth stands at $450 million.
Is Elton John Gay?
Elton John was once married to Renate Blauel, a German recording engineer. The wedding was held on 14 February 1984, in Darling Point, Sydney. The marriage did not last long as Elton soon came out publicly to disclose that he was bisexual in a 1976 interview with Rolling Stone. In 1988, Elton came out openly, disclosing to the world that he was gay.
Husband, Kids
In 1993, Sir Elton John began dating Canadian David Furnish, a former advertising executive, and now filmmaker. After Parliament passed the Civil Partnership Act on the 21st of December 2005, Elton John and David Furnish formed a civil partnership at the Windsor Guildhall.
After gay marriage finally became legal in England in March 2014, the couple got married in Windsor, Berkshire, on 21 December 2014, exactly nine years after their civil partnership. The couple has two sons Zachary Jackson Levon Furnish-John, (born to a surrogate mother on 25 December 2010) and Elijah Joseph Daniel Furnish-John, five, who was born on 11 January 2013.
Height
Elton John is 5 ft 8 inches (1.72 m) tall.
