Elton was born Reginald Kenneth Dwight (named for his mother's brother) on March 25 1947 in Pinner, Middlesex, England to Stanley and Sheila Dwight. His parents divorced when he was 14, and his mother married Fred Farebrother ten years later. Elton was an excellant piano player at a young age, he won a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music when he was 11, he attended until he was 15. His parents used to have him perform at their dinner parties late into the night, he would then sleep most of the next day. Elton's father, a squadron leader in the Royal Air Force forbid Elton to play or listen to the new American music, he wanted his son to be a Royal Air Force pilot or a bank teller. Behind his back, Elton and his mother listened to records by artists such as Elvis and Buddy Holly. Since Elton's father was away most of the time he was raised primarily by his mother, grandmother and aunt. When Elton was 13, he wanted to be just like Buddy Holly, so much in fact that he even copied his look, by wearing glasses even though his vision was perfect. Elton became more and more nearsighted, and after a year or two he had ruined his vision and then actually needed glasses. In 1960, Elton and his friends formed a band called the Corvettes, it eventually evolved into Bluesology, a much more serious group that performed back up vocals in the '60s for many singers including: Major Lance, Billy Stewart, Long John Baldry, the Inkspots, the original Drifters, Doris Troy, Patti LaBelle and the Blue Belles. Elton played keyboard and organ with the band and wrote two songs (Come Back Baby and Mr. Frantic) which he performed lead vocals on. After her divorce, Sheila and Fred Farebrother moved into an apartment in Northwood Hills, England. Later on, Elton and Bernie shared a room and bunk beds in the apartment. In 1967 Elton quit Bluesology and teamed up with lyricist Bernie Taupin, they met after both being turned down for a job at Liberty Records. Elton named himself Elton Hercules John after his friend Elton Dean and Long John Baldry. Elton and Bernie's first album came out in 1970 named Empty Sky, their first hit, Your Song came out on the second album Elton John. Elton made his American concert debut at the Troubadour in West Hollywood, on August 25 1970. The set list consisted of: Your Song, Sixty Years On, I Need You To Turn, Border Song, Country Comfort, Take Me To The Pilot, Burn Down The Mission, Honky Tonk Women and Bad Side Of The Moon. Elton recieved his Hollywood Star on the Walk Of Fame, near the front of Mann's Chinese Theater, on November 21 1975. Elton met Renate Blauel (a German sound engineer) in 1982 while recording Two Low For Zero, he proposed to her on February 9 1984, and they were married five days later on Valentines' Day in Sydney, Australia at St. Mark's Anglican Church. They divorced in November of 1988. In 1990 Elton checked himself into a drug and alcohol rehab center in Chicago, where he got off cocaine and alcohol. Elton formed the Aids Foundation in 1992, after his friend, Ryan White died of the disease. All singles' profits are donated to the foundation. In 1994 Elton was inducted into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall Of Fame by Axl Rose, he gave the award to Bernie. Elton met his partner, film producer David Furnish in 1994 at a party. The thirty-six year old Canadian runs Elton's film company Rocket Pictures. Elton currently owns four homes: Woodside, an estate in Windsor, England, a 6,000 square foot suite in a condominum high rise in Atlanta, Georgia which he purchased in 1990, a highrise in London and a new house on the Mont Boron in Nice, France. In 1997 Elton sang Candle In The Wind 1997 at Princess Diana's funeral, a song he and Bernie had rewritten for her. A b-side to the hit Something About The Way You Look Tonight is now the all-time selling single in history. Elton enjoys playing tennis, every year an EJAF benefit tennis tournament is held. Last year Billie Jean King's team won for the first time. In 1998 Elton was given the honorary title of Knight Bachelor (making him "Sir Elton John, CBE") by the Queen of England "For services to music and for charitable services." "My joy at now receiving this great new honor is immeasurable." Elton said. The official ceremony was performed at Buckingham Palace. In 1995 he was named Commander Of The British Empire.