Pop music's most flamboyant superstar during the early 1970s, Elton John has become the music industry's most consistently successful artist, fielding a Top 40 single every year since 1970. John's penchant for outrageous costumes and zany eyeglasses made him one of rock 'n' roll's most recognizable icons during the 1970s. He is also a tremendously gifted songwriter, whose versatility and ability to churn out memorable melodies has guaranteed him longevity in a field where so many of his fellow performers quickly faded into obscurity.

Born Reginald Kenneth Dwight on March 25, 1947 in a London suburb, he showed prodigious talent as a pianist at a young age and, at eleven, won a scholarship to the prestigious Royal Academy of Music, where he attended classes for gifted children. Although classically trained, Reginald loved rock 'n' roll, particularly performers such as Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry, and Ray Charles. He joined...