He is best known for his long-term partnership with Elton John, writing the lyrics for most of his songs. Actually Elton John has Olivia Newton John's name. ", Playstation 5 back IN STOCK at Argos, Game, Currys, Smyths & Very, Matt Hancock cries in GMB vaccine interview & says 'I'm proud to be British', The 4 areas at risk of going into Tier 3 lockdown next week despite vaccine joy, Mall Santa makes a boy cry by saying he WON'T get him a Nerf gun for Christmas, Sky News host Kay Burley dropped from show today after breaking Covid rules, ©News Group Newspapers Limited in England No. Elton John; How Did Elton John Meet His Husband? In a 1991 interview with Rowan Atkinson, John said of choosing "Elton," "I used to be in a band, and I wanted to become a singer in my own right, and I wanted to choose a name. He named himself after Blues legends Elton Dean and Long John Baldry. Of his decision to marry Blauel, John told the New Yorker, “When you take a lot of drugs, and you’re out to lunch half the time. He was born … This service is provided on News Group Newspapers' Limited's Standard Terms and Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy. Nonetheless, this musical legend was heavily rooted in the fight against AIDS primarily in the LGBT communities and has been dedicated to his charity for over 15 years. To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. His birth name was Reginald Kenneth Dwight. This was a homage to two members of Bluesology: saxophonist Elton Dean and singer Long John Baldry. Sections Homepage Trivia Quizzes Free Trivia Questions Player Quiz Lists Ask FunTrivia - Get Answers to Questions Daily and Hourly Trivia Games Crossword Puzzles FunTrivia Discussions Forums Trivia Chat Trivia Questions Archive. But before the star, who is on TV tonight in Elton John: Uncensored, hit the big time he was once called Reg Dwight - here's why he changed his name... Elton was born Reginald Kenneth Dwight on March 25, 1947, in Middlesex. He registered his civil partnership with long-term partner David Furnish at Windsor Town Hall on December 21, 2005, the first day that civil unions between homosexuals were legal in England and Wales. So, it wasn't a photo of John Lennon that gave him the inspiration, like the film suggests. Apparently this was not after the hero of mythology, but after a horse named Hercules on British sitcom Steptoe and Son. In 1990, he checked in to a Chicago hospital. For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/, Comments are subject to our community guidelines, which can be viewed, Elton John changed his name from Reg Dwight in 1972, The singer said he preferred the name Elton due to his dislike for the name Reg, Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). Reginald Kenneth Dwight legally changed his name to Elton Hercules John in 1972, explains Smooth Radio. Elton John is almost everywhere you look at the moment. According to Grazia, the couple used a surrogate to conceive their children. John took his stage name from two of his … And John says, "Yeah, I know." It could be that including Lennon as the name inspiration was a way to recognize the relationship that Lennon and John did have, without making Lennon a character in the movie. John took his new surname from singer Long John Baldry, for whom Bluesology became the backing band. So, did John really take his name from a friend and a Beatle? So, where did the name Elton John come from? Early Life & Career in England Singer, songwriter, composer and icon Elton John was born Reginald Kenneth Dwight on March 25, 1947, in Pinner, Middlesex, England. Everyone knows Elton was born Reginald Kenneth Dwight, but did you know his middle name is Hercules? Collaborating with lyricist Bernie Taupin since 1967 on more than 30 albums, John has sold more than 300 million records, making him one of the best-selling music artists of all time. The story in the movie is half true. Eventually, John was more consumed by his passion for composition than his studies, and he opted to drop out at the age of 17 to pursue a career. His friends would find him on the floor and would take him to bed, but he’d be up mere hours later, doing another line of cocaine. It was like a new personality.". Elton John has two sons with his partner David Furnish: Elijah Joseph, 7, and Zachary Jackson, 9. Picture: Getty Bernie Taupin is an English lyricist, poet, and singer. According to Smooth Radio, John took that name from a horse on the TV show Steptoe and Son. SUPERSTAR singer Elton John is a huge hit in the music industry. View our online Press Pack. There isn't any publicly known evidence of a falling out between John and Baldry, who is not even featured as a character in the film. Are his little ones a It was just a horrible name. In a 1991 interview with Rowan Atkinson, John said of choosing "Elton," "I used to be in a band, and I wanted to become a singer in my own right, and I wanted to choose a name. News Corp is a network of leading companies in the worlds of diversified media, news, education, and information services. The movie tells a story about where the singer got his inspiration, but unless John's been keeping something very secret from his fans, it's not totally accurate. Elton is retiring from performing to spend more time with his kids. June 5, 2019 by Amanda Prahl. Elton John has discussed the drastic measures he took to try to salvage his thinning hair before he bought a wig. Where did the name Elton John come from? "I didn't particularly like being Reg Dwight. And the saxophone player in the band was called Elton, so I chose that name." "When I became Elton John, it was like a new lease on life," John said in a 1987 interview. He came up with the name Elton John from Soft Machine saxophone player Elton Dean and Long John Baldry. In addition, he’d drink—hard stuff—and take other drugs. Elton John And Bernie Taupin in 1985. Elton John has been out and proud for many years, despite a great deal of speculation on the subject in his early career. How did Elton John get his name? The John came from John Baldry, the singer in the band. In case you didn't know, Elton John's real name is not Elton John. It had too many unhappy memories. On this day, April 24 th, in 1998, the musically inclined Elton John was knighted by the Queen and renamed Sir Elton John. And the saxophone player in the band was called Elton, so I chose that name." His mother Sheila, on the other hand, brought home records that introduced him to rock music. (In the trailer, for some reason, it's cut down so he just says "Elton" instead of "Elton Dean".). "I didn't particularly like being Reg Dwight. As for why Rocketman throws in the joke about Lennon rather than telling the truth about Baldry, it's unclear — and also confusing, as John is an executive producer on the film. He came to believe that he would die if he did not get sober. . It was just a horrible name. This was due to his "dislike" for the name Reg and the "unhappy memories" it brought with it. As the new biopic Rocketman makes very clear, the artist's given name is Reginald Dwight. The Wrap May 31, 2019 Elton John is one of the biggest names in music, but of course, Elton John’s name wasn’t always Elton John. "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. "As soon as I was Elton, it was just great. He is underaking one final tour, which is scheduled to come to an end in London in 2020. Aside from the "Eltons" and "Johns" of it all, there's also the musician's chosen middle name: Hercules. Then, a little bit later in the movie, the singer shows up to a meeting at a record label, and when he's asked his name, he says "Elton" and then adds "John" after seeing a photo of John Lennon on the wall. It was like a new personality. … This is Elton Dean, whose 2006 obituary in The Guardian even opens with an anecdote about it. He legally changed his name to Elton John on May 7, 1972. Elton John was born Reginald Kenneth Dwight and changed it to Elton John. For other inquiries, Contact Us. By 1967, Reg was going by the name 'Elton John'. Some John fans on Twitter talked about the change in a long thread, and one claimed to have heard that Lennon was included because he's more recognizable. All rights reserved. An only child who was overweight and wore glasses, he was afraid of his father, a squadron leader (a ranking officer) with the Royal Air Force, whom he described as "very snobbish and sort of stiff." On January 11, 1972, The London Gazette published a quick little blurb about Elton John's name change, because that’s how they did it back in the day before Twitter. His film biopic, Rocketman, has been a critical and box office success and he is currently performing his last ever tour, Farewell Yellow Brick Road, which will end in December 2020. "I hated the word 'Reg', anyway. 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. Sir Elton Hercules John CH CBE (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is an English singer, songwriter, pianist, and composer. Shortly before the release of his 1972 album Honky Chateau, Elton legally changed his name to Elton Hercules John. So, did John really take his name from a friend and a Beatle? 2020 Bustle Digital Group. Elton Hercules John is his actual real name, since he legally changed it in 1972 by deed poll. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. According to the obituary, John's song, "Someone Changed My Life Tonight" is about Baldry. 3. … He is the first openly gay musician to receive such an honor. After he started to make a name for himself in the music industry he wanted to change his name. They had a saxophone player named Elton Dean - so he took his first name. This Is the Great Love Story That Rocketman Doesn't Tell You About. It had too many unhappy memories. What did Elton John legally change his name to - trivia question /questions answer / answers. As we mentioned earlier, the name change was mainly down to his dislike for the name. Elton John and husband David Furnish are raising two boys, Zachary and Elijah, who were born to an anonymous surogate in the US. FunTrivia.com. The story in the movie is half true. In Rocketman, John (Taron Egerton) tells one of the guys in the band he's in, Bluesology, that he's thinking of changing his name to Elton Dean. As soon as I was Elton, it was just great. To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. Elton didn’t take his last name from John Lennon As the movie shows, the man born Reginald Kenneth Dwight took the first part of his stage name from from his Bluesology bandmate Elton Dean. According to Smooth Radio, John took that name from a horse on the TV show Steptoe and Son. When Elton John Seeked Rehab. When Elton was just starting out he was in a band called Bluesology. Another Guardian obituary explains where "John" came from. His name was legally changed to Elton Hercules John on January 7, 1972. . They had a saxophone player named Elton Dean - so he took his first name… He reportedly chose "Hercules" as his middle name because it was the name … Who is Bernie Taupin and how did he meet Elton John? He has more than fifty Top 40 hits in the UK Singles Chart and US Billboard Hot 100, including seven number ones in the UK and nine in the US, as well as seven consecutive number-one albums in th… When Elton was just starting out he was in a band called Bluesology. In response, the bandmate says, "But that's my name." Elton John was born Reginald Kenneth Dwight on March 25, 1947, in the town of Pinner in Middlesex, England. 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