On This Day, March 25, 1947…
Reginald Kenneth Dwight was born in Pinner, Middlesex, England. In 1967, he began using the name Elton John (he legally changed it to Elton Hercules John in 1972) and would go on to become one of the most beloved and successful recording artists in the world.
Elton’s long and successful partnership with songwriter Bernie Taupin, which started in 1967, has produced more than fifty top 40 hits, including nine #1 singles in both the U.S. and U.K. He’s also had seven Billboard #1 albums in the U.S., his first being 1972’s Honky Château.
Known for being a dynamic live performer, Elton wrapped his touring career in July, playing the final date of his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour in Sweden. The tour, which launched in 2018, grossed over $939.1 million and is the second highest grossing tour of all time.
Elton has won numerous awards throughout his career, including five Grammys, two Academy Awards and a Tony Award. In 2024, he won his first Emmy Award, making him one of only 19 entertainers to win the EGOT.
He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1992, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1994 and received the Kennedy Center Honors in 2004. In March, he and Taupin received the Library of Congress’ Gershwin Prize for Popular Song.
Elton is also well known for his philanthropic work, having raised over $375 million for the fight against HIV/AIDs through his Elton John AIDS Foundation, which he started in 1992.
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