Elton John Timeline

Elton John 54

1947 Elton John born Reginald Kenneth Dwight Pinner, Middlesex, 25 March 1947 Reginald Kenneth Dwight was born on 25 March 1947 in Pinner, Middlesex, England. He taught himself piano by ear from the age of three or four, able to play tunes back after hearing them only once or twice.
1958 – 1962 Difficult relationship with father; parents divorce Had a strained relationship with his father, Stanley Dwight, a Royal Air Force officer who disapproved of his interest in pop music. His parents divorced when Reggie was a teenager — a painful family backdrop to his early years.
1958 Scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music Age 11 Won a scholarship to attend Saturday classes at the Royal Academy of Music in London at age eleven — a remarkable early recognition of his musical gift, though he found the formal classical training restrictive.
1962 – 1964 Plays piano in pubs as a teenager "Reg Dwight at the Northwood Hills Hotel" Played piano in a local pub, the Northwood Hills Hotel, as a teenager — earning pocket money and building stage experience years before any formal music career began.
1965 – 1967 Joins Bluesology Joined the band Bluesology as keyboardist, eventually touring as a backing band for visiting American soul and R&B singers including Patti LaBelle, Major Lance and Billy Stewart, and later for Long John Baldry.
1965 Leaves school for a music publishing job Two weeks before final exams Left school just two weeks before his final exams to take a job as a messenger and tea-runner at a London music publishing house — a decisive early bet on a career in music over formal qualifications.
1967 Adopts the name "Elton John" From Elton Dean & Long John Baldry Adopted the stage name "Elton John" — combining the first name of Bluesology saxophonist Elton Dean with the middle name of singer Long John Baldry. Reginald Kenneth Dwight later legally changed his name to Elton Hercules John.
1967 – 1968 Joins DJM Records as a songwriter With Bernie Taupin John and Taupin joined DJM Records as staff songwriters, writing songs for other artists including Lulu and Roger Cook while developing their own material.
1967 Meets Bernie Taupin Liberty Records advertisement Answered an advertisement placed by Liberty Records in the New Musical Express and was paired with lyricist Bernie Taupin — the beginning of a songwriting partnership that has now lasted well over fifty years.
1968 Unsuccessful auditions for King Crimson & Gentle Giant Auditioned unsuccessfully as lead singer for the progressive rock bands King Crimson and Gentle Giant — a reminder that even his early career involved plenty of rejection before success arrived.
1969 "Empty Sky" Debut album Released his debut album "Empty Sky" in 1969 — a modest start that gave little hint of the success that would follow within a year.
1970 – present Most successful solo artist in US Billboard chart history Over 300 million records sold With over 50 top-40 hits, nine US and UK #1 singles, seven consecutive US #1 albums and over 300 million records sold worldwide, Elton John is recognised as the most successful solo artist in the history of the US Billboard charts.
1970 Self-titled album & "Your Song" First hit Released his self-titled second album "Elton John", reaching #5 in the UK and #4 in the US. It featured "Your Song", which became his first hit single — one of the most enduring love songs of the era.
1970 Signs to Uni Records (MCA) As a solo act Signed with Uni, a division of MCA Records, as a solo act — establishing the recording relationship that would launch his international career.
1970 The Troubadour, Los Angeles US debut, August 1970 Played his first show in the United States, co-headlining with David Ackles at The Troubadour in West Hollywood. The show earned rave reviews and is widely regarded as the moment Elton John became a star — later dramatised in the film "Rocketman".
1970 – 1971 "Tumbleweed Connection" & "17-11-70" First live FM broadcast Released "Tumbleweed Connection" (1970), exploring Americana themes, followed by a stripped-down trio performance with Dee Murray (bass) and Nigel Olsson (drums) broadcast live on WABC-FM in New York on 17 November 1970 — the first live FM broadcast from a music studio, later released as the live album "17-11-70".
1971 "Madman Across the Water" "Tiny Dancer" & "Levon" Released "Madman Across the Water" — without major chart hits at the time, but containing "Tiny Dancer" and "Levon", which would go on to become some of his most enduring and beloved songs.
1972 "Honky Château" & "Rocket Man" First US #1 album Released "Honky Château", his first US #1 album, featuring "Rocket Man" — one of his signature songs and a top-10 hit on both sides of the Atlantic.
1972 Legally changes name to Elton Hercules John Legally changed his name from Reginald Kenneth Dwight to Elton Hercules John — the "Hercules" reportedly chosen as a tribute to a horse from the sitcom "Steptoe and Son".
1973 "Crocodile Rock" — first US #1 single Released "Crocodile Rock" from "Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player" — his first single to reach #1 on the US Billboard Hot 100, a joyous tribute to early rock and roll.
1973 "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" Double album masterpiece Released the double album "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" — widely regarded as his masterpiece, featuring "Bennie and the Jets", "Candle in the Wind" and the title track, and topping charts worldwide.
1974 John Lennon joins him on stage Madison Square Garden, Thanksgiving 1974 John Lennon made a surprise guest appearance at Elton's Madison Square Garden concert on Thanksgiving 1974, performing "Whatever Gets You thru the Night", "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" and "I Saw Her Standing There" — it would be Lennon's last full-concert performance.
1975 "Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy" Autobiographical album Released "Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy" — a largely autobiographical concept album about his and Bernie Taupin's early struggles, which entered the US album chart at #1, an unprecedented feat at the time.
1975 Dodger Stadium concerts Sequined LA Dodgers uniform Performed sold-out concerts at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles wearing a custom sequined LA Dodgers uniform — among the most iconic images of his 1970s stardom, later recreated in the film "Rocketman".
1975 Hollywood Walk of Fame star Received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, recognising his extraordinary impact on popular music in the United States.
1976 – 1990 Chairman of Watford F.C. Lifelong football passion Became chairman of Watford Football Club, the team he had supported since childhood — investing heavily and helping the club rise from the lower divisions to the top flight of English football during his tenure.
1976 Discusses his sexuality publicly Rolling Stone interview, 1976 Discussed his sexuality publicly in a 1976 Rolling Stone interview, describing himself as bisexual — a rare moment of candour for a major pop star at the time, which had a complex impact on his career and public image through the late 1970s.
1981 "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing" duet With Marcella Detroit Released a duet with Marcella Detroit, "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing", reaching #24 in the UK — part of a busier, more eclectic period of collaborations in the early 1980s.
1984 Marries Renate Blauel Valentine's Day, 1984 Married Renate Blauel, a German-born recording studio engineer he met while recording "Too Low for Zero", on Valentine's Day 1984 in Sydney, Australia. The marriage drew intense press scrutiny and ended in divorce after less than five years.
1990 – 1992 Founds Elton John AIDS Foundation Began donating all profits from his single sales to charity in 1990, and established the Elton John AIDS Foundation in 1992 — which has since raised hundreds of millions of dollars for HIV/AIDS prevention, education and care worldwide.
1990 Treatment for addiction & bulimia Received treatment in the early 1990s for alcoholism, cocaine addiction and bulimia — a significant turning point that he has since spoken about extensively as part of his recovery and the rebuilding of his life.
1992 – 1994 Songwriters Hall of Fame 1992 Inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1992, two years before his Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction — recognition of the songwriting partnership with Bernie Taupin spanning over two decades by that point.
1993 Meets David Furnish Dinner party, 1993 Met Canadian filmmaker David Furnish at a dinner party hosted by a mutual friend — the beginning of a relationship that would last for the rest of his life.
1994 "The Lion King" soundtrack "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" Wrote the score for Disney's "The Lion King" with lyricist Tim Rice, including "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" and "Circle of Life" — both major hits, with "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" winning the Academy Award for Best Original Song.
1994 Inducted into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994 — recognition of more than two decades at the forefront of popular music.
1997 "Candle in the Wind 1997" Princess Diana's funeral Performed a rewritten version of "Candle in the Wind" at the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales at Westminster Abbey on 6 September 1997 — despite reported reluctance from the royal family. The single sold over 33 million copies, becoming the best-selling single in chart history.
1998 Knighted by Queen Elizabeth II Was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for services to music and charitable services, becoming Sir Elton John.
2001 "Songs from the West Coast" "Return to 1970s sound" Released "Songs from the West Coast" in 2001, widely praised by critics as a return to the rootsy sound of his classic 1970s albums.
2001 "Aida" wins Grammy With Tim Rice His and Tim Rice's musical "Aida" won the Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album in February 2001; at the ceremony, John performed alongside rapper Eminem — a performance that drew criticism from some LGBT advocates given Eminem's lyrics.
2003 – 2009 "The Red Piano" Las Vegas residency Caesars Palace Held an open-ended residency, "Elton John and the Red Piano", at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas from 2003 to 2009 — a multimedia retrospective of his career with visuals by photographer David LaChapelle.
2005 Made Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) For charitable work Made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for his extensive charitable work, particularly through the Elton John AIDS Foundation.
2005 Civil partnership with David Furnish 21 December 2005, Windsor Guildhall On 21 December 2005 — the day the UK Civil Partnership Act came into force — Elton John and David Furnish were among the first couples in the country to register a civil partnership, at Windsor Guildhall.
2010 "The Union" with Leon Russell T-Bone Burnett produced Released "The Union", a collaborative album with one of his earliest heroes, Leon Russell, produced by T-Bone Burnett — a tribute to the influence Russell had on the young Elton John in the early 1970s.
2010 Son Zachary born via surrogacy December 2010 His and David Furnish's first son, Zachary Jackson Levon Furnish-John, was born via surrogacy in December 2010.
2011 – 2018 "The Million Dollar Piano" residency Caesars Palace Began a second Las Vegas residency, "The Million Dollar Piano", at Caesars Palace from 2011 to 2018 — featuring a custom Yamaha piano with a 4,000-LED video screen built into its surface.
2013 Son Elijah born via surrogacy January 2013 A second son, Elijah Joseph Daniel Furnish-John, was born in January 2013 via the same surrogate as his older brother Zachary.
2014 Marries David Furnish 21 December 2014 Elton John and David Furnish converted their civil partnership into a marriage on 21 December 2014 — exactly nine years after their civil partnership — once same-sex marriage became legal in England and Wales. The ceremony was held at their Windsor estate, attended by friends including Ed Sheeran and David and Victoria Beckham.
2018 "Farewell Yellow Brick Road" tour announced Final tour, three years Announced the "Farewell Yellow Brick Road" tour — billed as his final tour, scheduled to last three years (later extended due to the pandemic) and taking in over 300 shows across the world.
2019 "Rocketman" biopic released Taron Egerton stars The biopic "Rocketman", starring Taron Egerton and produced in part by Elton John and David Furnish, was released — dramatising his early life, rise to fame, and struggles with addiction and identity.
2023 Glastonbury Festival headline set Final UK show of farewell tour Headlined the Glastonbury Festival in 2023 with an emotional set featuring numerous special guests — widely seen as the climactic UK performance of his farewell tour and one of the most-watched Glastonbury sets ever.
2023 Launches Elton John Eyewear With David Furnish Launched "Elton John Eyewear" with David Furnish — a collection of 300 glasses designs across three collections ("Academy", "Rock 'n' Roll" and "Fame & Fortune") inspired by different periods of his life, with a pop-up shop in Soho, London.
2024 Achieves EGOT status Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony Became an EGOT winner in 2024 — joining the small group of artists who have won an Emmy, a Grammy, an Academy Award and a Tony Award, completing a remarkable sweep of the major American performing-arts honours.
2025 "Touched by Gold" documentary Plus "Captain Fantastic" 50th anniversary edition Released the documentary "Touched by Gold" and a 50th-anniversary edition of "Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy", marking half a century since the original album — alongside revealing he had suffered a severe eye infection affecting his vision.
2025 "Who Believes in Angels?" with Brandi Carlile Released "Who Believes in Angels?", a collaborative album with country and Americana artist Brandi Carlile — his first album release since retiring from touring.