Elton John

Elton John, born Reginald Dwight on 25 March 1947 in Pinner (England), is a British singer-songwriter, pianist, keyboardist, and actor who has been naturalised as an American citizen.

In addition to the piano, he plays the Hammond organ, harpsichord, harmonium, mellotron, and synthesizer.

A global pop icon, with over fifty years in his career, Elton John, having sold more than 300 million records, is one of the best-selling artists of all time. In 1993, he broke Elvis Presley's record in the United States by charting a new single in the US Top 40 for the 24th consecutive year. In 1997, his song Candle in the Wind 1997, a re-recording of his 1973 song, became the best-selling single since the creation of the charts, with 33 million copies. Among his other most famous titles are Your Song (1970), Levon (1971), Tiny Dancer (1972), Rocket Man (1972), Don't Go Breaking My Heart (1976), I'm Still Standing (1983), and Sacrifice (1989). Bernie Taupin is the lyricist for the majority of his songs, while Elton composes the music.

In 2008, he was ranked as the most successful male solo artist in Billboard magazine's "Hot 100 Top All-Time Artists" chart with fifty-six singles in the Top 40, twenty-seven in the Top 10, four at No. 2, and nine at No. 1. During his career, he has performed over 4,600 concerts in more than 80 countries. Knighted in 1998 by Queen Elizabeth II for services to music and charitable works, he was appointed to the Order of the Companions of Honour in 2019. Occasionally, he also acts and produces films. As an actor, he has appeared in cinema (Tommy (1975), Spice World, the movie (1997), and Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017)) and on television (Ally McBeal). He also produced Rocketman (2019), a biopic dedicated to him.

In 2021, Elton John became the first solo artist to feature in the UK Top 10 singles across six different decades, and in January 2023, the Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour became the highest-grossing tour in music history, with Elton John also being the highest-grossing solo artist for concert ticket sales.

In 2024, he became the 19th person in the world to achieve EGOT status, meaning he has received at least one Emmy Award, a Grammy Award, an Oscar, and a Tony Award.