Elton John Biography

Born as Reginald Kenneth Dwight, he started to play the piano at the early age of four. At the age of 11 he won a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music. His first band was called Bluesology. He later auditioned (unsuccessfully) as lead singer for the progressive rock bands King Crimson and Gentle Giant.

In the early 1970s he recorded the concept album "Tumbleweed Connection". He became the most successful pop artist of the 1970s and he has survived many different pop fads including punk, the New Romantics and Britpop to remain one of Britain's most internationally acclaimed musicians.

Elton John announced he was a bisexual in 1976 and in 1984 he married Renate Blauel. The marriage lasted four years. He is well known as a campaigner for AIDS research and he keeps his finger on the pulse of modern music. He was knighted in 1997.