♫ 14 Flamboyant Facts about Elton John ♫

Elton John – real name Reginald Dwight – has had a dazzling career, having helped to produce some of the best-loved songs in pop history.  The story of his life, in semi-musical form, reached cinemas in 2019, as part of the Oscar-winning movie Rocketman.  But did Rocketman really delve deep enough into the life of this flamboyant, idiosyncratic rock star?  Maybe not – as here are a few interesting facts about Elton John that might be completely new to you.

1. Elton John’s stage name is an amalgamation of the names of two of his musical contemporaries – Elton Dean, who played the saxophone, and Long John Baldry, the legendary blues musician.
2. His middle name, Hercules, comes from the name of the horse in classic British sitcom Steptoe and Son, not from Greek legend.
3. Elton John has had a long songwriting relationship with his muse, Bernie Taupin, though the two never work together in the same room. Taupin writes the lyrics for the songs, while John composes the tunes.
4. Elton never actually needed glasses when he started wearing them on-stage. However, they have since become an iconic part of his ensemble.
5. In fact, he is said to own thousands of pairs of frames, with the star even denying claims that he needs separate hotel rooms on tour to store them all in.
6. Elton is reportedly adept at writing music extremely quickly. It’s been noted that he can turn around a complete tune, with Taupin’s lyrics, in less than 20 minutes.

7. He holds the record for the biggest-selling single in UK chart history, even including streaming. This record belongs to ‘Candle in The Wind 1997’, which was a rewritten version of his original song paid in tribute to his late friend, Diana, the Princess of Wales.
8. The star has been touring almost constantly for going onto six decades. At the time of writing, Elton John is in the middle of a farewell tour, which is slated to last three years around the globe.
9. You can book Elton John to perform at a wedding. However, it’ll likely cost you in excess of £1,000,000.
10. Elton has a charity set up to help research treatment for HIV and AIDS. Any money he makes from these extravagant wedding receptions go towards his charity.
11. The singer and pianist is a famous godfather to at least two of David and Victoria Beckham’s children, as well as Sean Lennon.
12. The 2019 movie Rocketman was stuck in development hell for many years. John and his husband David Furnish spent considerable time trying to put together a deal to bring his biopic to the big screen.
13. Tom Hardy, star of Mad Max Fury Road, was originally on board to star as the singer, but this fell through, leading to Kingsman star Taron Egerton taking the lead role instead.
14. Egerton, a known singer, performed versions of Elton’s hits, and is actually the main narrator of the star’s autobiography audiobook.

Do you know any interesting facts about Elton John that we’ve not mentioned?  Share them here in the comments section below!

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This page was last modified on July 27, 2021. Suggest an edit