Elton was born Reginald Kenneth Dwight (named for his mother's brother) on March 25 1947 in Pinner, Middlesex, England to Stanley and Sheila Dwight. His parents divorced when he was 14, and his mother married Fred Farebrother ten years later.

Elton was an excellent piano player at a young age, he won a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music when he was 11, he attended until he was 15. His parents used to have him perform at their dinner parties late into the night, he would then sleep most of the next day.

Elton's father, a squadron leader in the Royal Air Force forbid Elton to play or listen to the new American music, he wanted his son to be a Royal Air Force pilot or a bank teller. Behind his back, Elton and his mother listened to records by artists such as Elvis and Buddy Holly. Since Elton's father was away most of the time he was raised primarily by his mother, grandmother and aunt.

When Elton was 13, he wanted to be just like Buddy Holly, so much in fact that he even copied his look, by wearing glasses even though his vision was perfect. Elton became more and more nearsighted, and after a year or two he had ruined his vision and then actually needed glasses.

In 1960, Elton and his friends formed a band called the Corvettes, it eventually evolved into Bluesology, a much more serious group that performed back up vocals in the '60s for many singers including: Major Lance, Billy Stewart, Long John Baldry, the Inkspots, the original Drifters, Doris Troy, Patti LaBelle and the Blue Belles. Elton played keyboard and organ with the band and wrote two songs (Come Back Baby and Mr. Frantic) which he performed lead vocals on. After her divorce, Sheila and Fred Farebrother moved into an apartment in Northwood Hills, England. Later on, Elton and Bernie shared a room and bunk beds in the apartment.

In 1967 Elton quit Bluesology and teamed up with lyricist Bernie Taupin, they met after both being turned down for a job at Liberty Records. Elton named himself Elton Hercules John after his friend Elton Dean and Long John Baldry.

Elton and Bernie's first album came out in 1970 named Empty Sky, their first hit, Your Song came out on the second album Elton John.

Elton made his American concert debut at the Troubadour in West Hollywood, on August 25 1970. The set list consisted of: Your Song, Sixty Years On, I Need You To Turn, Border Song, Country Comfort, Take Me To The Pilot, Burn Down The Mission, Honky Tonk Women and Bad Side Of The Moon.

Elton received his Hollywood Star on the Walk Of Fame, near the front of Mann's Chinese Theater, on November 21 1975.

In the late '70s, Elton admitted that he was "bisexual" in a Rolling Stone interview by Cliff Jahr. He later stated that it was a compromise at the time, and that he is gay.

Elton met Renate Blauel (a German sound engineer) in 1982 while recording Two Low For Zero, he proposed to her on February 9 1984, and they were married five days later on Valentines' Day in Sydney, Australia at St. Mark's Anglican Church. They divorced in November of 1988.

In 1990 Elton checked himself into a drug and alcohol rehab center in Chicago, where he got off cocaine and alcohol.

Elton formed the Elton John Aids Foundation in 1992, after his friend, Ryan White died of the disease. All singles' profits are donated to the foundation.

In 1994 Elton was inducted into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall Of Fame by Axl Rose, he gave the award to Bernie.

Elton met his partner, film producer David Furnish in 1993 at a party. The thirty-six year old Canadian runs Elton's film company Rocket Pictures.

Elton currently owns four homes: Woodside, an estate in Windsor, England, a 6,000 square foot suite in a condominium high rise in Atlanta, Georgia which he purchased in 1990, a high-rise in London and a new house on the Mont Boron in Nice, France.

In 1997 Elton sang Candle In The Wind 1997 at Princess Diana's funeral, a song he and Bernie had rewritten for her. A b-side to the hit Something About The Way You Look Tonight is now the all-time selling single in history.

Elton enjoys playing tennis, every year an EJAF benefit tennis tournament is held. He and Billie Jean King enjoy creating "teams" of players and competing against each other, in '98 Billie Jean King's team won for the first time.

In 1998 Elton was given the honorary title of Knight Bachelor (making him "Sir Elton John, CBE") by the Queen of England: "For services to music and for charitable services." "My joy at now receiving this great new honor is immeasurable." Elton said. The official ceremony was performed at  Buckingham Palace. In 1995 he was named Commander Of The British Empire.

1999 was the year Elton and Tim Rice released the soundtrack to the Disney  stage musical Aida. The songs were performed by various artists including  Elton, Tina Turner, LeAnn Rimes, Sting, Janet Jackson, Spice Girls, and Boyz II Men. The Elton/LeAnn duet Written In The Stars was an adult contemporary  hit, but the CD failed to do as well in sales as expected.

Elton had an operation to install a pacemaker in July of 1999 after an irregular  heartbeat was discovered. He recovered at his home in Nice, France and plans  to tour lightly for the next year. Elton said the only long term effect: "is that I have  to carry a card explaining why I set off the alarms when I walk through airport  security."

Elton Facts

Favorite Stores: Tiffany's, Neiman Marcus, and Cartier.

Favorite Restaurants: Buckhead Diner in Atlanta, and Mister Chow in London. Pets: Elton currently owns twenty-one dogs, Border Terriers, an Irish Wolfhound, a Lab, German Shepherds, and Spaniels. In 1990, Elton adopted a mutt named Thomas, from the Battersea Dogs Home in London, he took the dog, who passed away three years ago, for walks in Holland Park while recovering from substance abuse. He owned a pet bird in the '70s. Elton's partner David owns a Thoroughbred, Dynasty, and deer and a donkey also live at Woodside.

Favorite Sports: Besides tennis, Elton is a big fan of English football (soccer), his cousin Roy Dwight was a national star. In 1971 Elton became vice president of the Watford Hornets. He owned them from 1976-90, and recently bought back a share of the team and has been named chairperson. He is also a big Atlanta Braves fan.

Favorite Male Tennis Players: 1. Jimmy Connors, 2. John McEnroe, 3. Rod Laver, 4. Boris Becker, 5. Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi.

Favorite Female Tennis Players: 1. Billie Jean King, 2. Martina Navratilova, 3. Steffi Graf, 4. Monica Seles, 5. Chris Evert.

Favorite Flowers: White lilies, hyacinth, freesia, jasmine and rose.

Instruments: Piano, organ, keyboard, harmonium, and guitar (well, he tried).

Influences: Leon Russell, the Beach Boys, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Band, Aretha Franklin, Joni Mitchell, Dusty Springfield, Little Feat, Motown acts, Randy Newman, Laura Nyro, Redbone, Jackson Browne, Sting, James Taylor, Procul Harum, Leonard Cohen, and Creedence Clearwater Revival.

Piano Influences: Winifred Atwell, Ray Charles, Fats Domino, Garth Hudson, Keith Jarret, Jerry Lee Lewis, Ramsey Lewis, Little Richard, Leon Russell, and George Shearing.

Favorite Classical Composers: Chopin, Bach, Brahms, Handel, Albinoni, Mahler, Prokofiev, Sibelius and Tchaikovsky.

Favorite Artists: Oasis, Dodgy, Blur, Spiritualized, Collective Soul, Smashing Pumpkins, R.E.M., Jewel, Sting, Pet Shop Boys, Len, Moby, Groove Armada, George Michael, Beth Nielsen-Chapman, and Eminem.

Celebrity Elton Fans: Rosie O'Donnell, Sting, George Michael, Jerry Bailey, David Hyde-Pierce, Jay Leno, Andre Agassi, Billie Jean King, Kevin Richardson, Michael Jackson, etc.

Money: Elton's wealth is estimated at around $250 million. He earned $46.2 million in concerts in 1998, more than any other performer in the US.

Grammy Awards: He has won 5 Grammy's, including: 1986 for singing That's What Friends Are For, 1992 for his role in Prince's Trust recording, 1992 for writing the instrumental Basque, 1995 for Best Male Pop Performance of Can You Feel The Love Tonight, and 1997 for Best Male Pop Performance of Candle In The Wind 1997.

Personality: Elton likes shopping and giving expensive gifts. He has also been known to have "tantrums", screaming at people, kicking over keyboards, and often storming off. He is known as impulsive, kind, stubborn, competitive, impatient, emotional, flamboyant, funny, and a perfectionist.

Birth Sign: Aries, a fire sign.

Height: Elton is 5'8".

The Record: In 1992 Elton broke Elvis Presley's record of 23 consecutive years of at least one Top 40 hit with Simple Life. He has now extended the record to 30 years and counting.

Rocket Records: Rocket Records was launched in May 1973 by Elton, his ex-manager John Reid, Bernie, Gus Dudgeon and associate Steve Brown.

Cars: Elton turned Woodside's stables into a 36 car garage, he keeps: Rare Bentleys, Jaguars, Porches, Rolls Royces, and Ferraris. Elton enjoys giving very expensive cars as gifts.