He Had A Secret
Most of us know Elton John as the flamboyantly spectacled man behind the piano. His level of talent and his influence on pop music are legendary. While he’s led much of his life in the public eye, he has tried to keep his relationship with his husband under wraps. When an eyebrow-raising scandal rocked his marriage, John found that he would do almost anything to keep this secret hidden.
1. He Grew Up Poor
Elton John was born Reginald Kenneth Dwight on March 25, 1947, in Pinner, Middlesex, England. The family lived in public housing until John was six, and then moved to a semi-detached house. Luckily, grandma had a piano, and young Elton John could tinkle the keys whenever he wanted.
But John was doing much more than just playing "Chopsticks".
2. He Was Astonishing
After playing with the piano for a year, John’s mother noticed something astonishing. John could already play “The Skater’s Waltz” by Waldteufel. But that wasn't the wildest part. You see, John didn’t have the sheet music in front of him. Quite impressively, he had taught himself to play it by ear.
It was time to see what John could do with formal lessons.
3. There Was Something Special About Him
Elton John won a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music when he was 11. When his instructor played him a piece by George Frederic Handel that was four pages long, John gave his teacher a shock of a lifetime. He played it back perfectly after hearing it only once.
Clearly, John was no ordinary child.
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4. He Decided On Glasses
When he was just 15, Elton John got a job at his neighborhood pub. He called himself Reggie and played cover songs, and also some of his own original material. Even at this early stage in his career, John was thinking about his look on stage. At this time, his eyesight was perfectly normal, but he started wearing horn-rimmed glasses like his hero Buddy Holly did.
But there was one thing missing in John's life.
Ronald Martinez , Getty Images
5. He Answered An Ad
John was playing with a band called Bluesology when he decided to answer an ad for a musician in New Musical Express. He flunked the audition, but before the dejected John left the studio, they handed him an envelope. John didn’t know it, but his entire future would change when he opened it up.
Uni/Universal City Records, Wikimedia Commons
6. He Met His Partner
As it turned out, the envelope contained lyrics written by another man who had contacted NME. Elton John began to write music for the lyrics and eventually sent it to the writer. The lyricist was Bernie Taupin, and when the two met, no one could have predicted the effect they would have on pop music history.
Shawn Miller/Library of Congress, Wikimedia Commons
7. He Changed His Name
Taupin was the lyricist that John needed to take his career forward. After recording their first track, called “Scarecrow”, John must have known success was coming his way. He wanted a name that he could imagine seeing up in lights. He chose Elton John, but dominating the pop music scene would take time.
John and Taupin had their dues to pay first.
CBS Television Uploaded by We hope at en.wikipedia, Wikimedia Commons
8. They Were A Writing Factory
In 1968, John and Taupin got jobs at DJM Records as part of the songwriting staff. But these guys were not ordinary songwriters. Taupin would write a slew of lyrics in less than an hour, and John would then spend about 30 minutes writing music. Dick James at DJM would then sell these easy listening songs to his singers.
But John was not going to achieve any fame doing this. He had to try harder.
David Shankbone, Wikimedia Commons
9. They Went Deeper
Sure, writing songs for a record label was probably decent money, but Elton John wanted more. A music publisher told him it was time for the writing duo to go deeper. They had to write songs with more meaning, and the idea was to have John record them. By 1969, they had an album: Empty Sky.
But there was something weird about the way John and Taupin worked together.
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10. They Weren’t Together
If you have romantic visions of John and Taupin sitting around together making glorious pop songs, put them out of your mind. The truth is, the two never actually worked in the same place. Taupin would come up with the lyrics by himself, give them to John, who would go off on his own and write the music.
Don’t worry, John did have someone else he was close to.
CBS Television, Wikimedia Commons
11. He Proposed
While John was busy with Taupin, he still had time for romance. Sometime near the end of the 1960s John proposed to secretary Linda Woodrow. At this time, she was helping out financially with John’s career. But not everything was okay with John. One day, Woodrow found her fiancé with his head in the oven and the gas turned on.
There was something deeply harrowing that John was grappling with.
![Collectie / Archief : Fotocollectie Anefo
Reportage / Serie : [ onbekend ]
Beschrijving : Popzanger Elton John in Nederland; Elton John , kop
Datum : 17 februari 1971
Trefwoorden : popzangers
Persoonsnaam : Elton John
Fotograaf : Verhoeff, Bert / Anefo
Auteursrechthebbende : Nationaal Archief
Materiaalsoort : Negatief (zwart/wit)
Nummer archiefinventaris : bekijk toegang 2.24.01.05
Bestanddeelnummer : 924-2765](https://www.factinate.com/storage/app/media/factinate/2026/3/18/1773824064304f5465a313f53b917b5d17a177fd3b11f6e5fd.jpg)
Bert Verhoeff for Anefo, Wikimedia Commons
12. He Wanted To End It
John was indeed thinking of ending his life. He was internally conflicted by the fact that he was secretly gay and engaged to a woman. But this wasn't the end of the road. Luckily, John went to his friend, musician Long John Baldry, to talk about it. Baldry had advice for his friend: He told him to end his engagement and just work on his music. Years later, John would tribute Baldry in his song, “Someone Saved My Life Tonight”.
Of course, this advice was bad news for Woodrow.
Warner Bros Records / American Talent International LTD., Wikimedia Commons
13. He Got Cold Feet
John’s wedding to Woodrow was getting closer, and he was experiencing a severe case of cold feet. He ended up listening to his friend’s advice. Two weeks before the big day, John canceled the wedding. Apparently, he was quite boozed up when he told her it was off.
He took Baldry's advice and threw himself back into his career.
14. He Hired Help
It was just a year later that John released his second album: Elton John. Taupin was still the lyricist, but the difference was the work of producer Gus Dudgeon and musical arranger Paul Buckmaster. The standout song on this album was “Your Song”, which hit number 7 on the UK Singles Chart.
Elton John was ready to take his career to the next level.
15. He Had Two Firsts
Around this time, Americans were starting to show interest in John’s music. It was a good time for his first live performance in the US. The venue was the iconic Troubadour in LA, and the concert was a huge success. While in LA, John had another first, but this one was intensely private.
Gary Minnaert (Minnaert)), Wikimedia Commons
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16. He Got Two In One
John Reid was a Tamla Motown label manager, and while John was in California, the two started a romantic relationship. This, of course, might explain John’s rather abrupt ending to his engagement to Woodrow. The great thing about Reid was that he could be John’s lover and also his manager.
These two were ready to take on the world of pop music.
Evening Standard, Getty Images
17. He Got Upstaged
John continued to wow listeners with songs like “Tiny Dancer”, “Rocket Man”, and “Honky Cat”. But something happened in 1972 that altered John’s career. While performing at the Royal Variety Performance, he noticed a man’s dancing was upstaging his own moves. Instead of getting angry, John just wanted to know more about this interesting man.
18. He Wanted To Stand Out
The dancing man was Larry Smith, and John took him on for tour number two of the US. Smith had outrageous ideas about elaborate sets and even more elaborate costumes. John was completely on board, and his appearance on stage dramatically changed. He was becoming someone increasingly unique, and audiences were going wild for him.
19. He Did Two In One Year
In 1973, John released Don’t Shoot Me I’m Only The Piano Player which included super hits “Daniel” and "Crocodile Rock”. But 1973 would end with an even bigger album. This was the double album Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, which got him critical acclaim and worldwide attention.
John would next encounter a British music icon.
20. They Made A Friendly Bet
Elton John and John Lennon had become friends, and they made a friendly bet. John was sure that Lennon’s song, “Whatever Gets You Through The Night,” would hit number one, and Lennon was a little skeptical. When the song did hit the number one spot, Lennon had to pay up.
21. He Dragged Him Up On Stage
When John won the bet against Lennon, he made Lennon pay big time. Lennon’s punishment was to go to New York’s Madison Square Gardens and get up on stage with John. Lennon sang three songs with John, and the surprised crowd went crazy. Sadly, this was the last time Lennon appeared on stage before his tragic passing.
John liked to work with people, and this desire got him into a new business.
Tony Barnard, Los Angeles Times, Wikimedia Commons
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22. He Got Into The Business
In 1974, John created The Rocket Record Company and signed on musicians like Neil Sedaka and Kiki Dee. Instead of recording on his own label, John did something strange. He continued to record for MCA. His contract was worth an astounding $8 million.
MCA knew that John was a huge money maker, and they made sure they would get every last cent.
23. He Found Out What He Was Worth
MCA knew they had a hitmaker on their hands, and they were leaving nothing to chance. To guarantee a profitable relationship with John, they took out an insurance policy on his life. It was for a whopping $25 million. The pressure was on. John had to keep pumping out the hit songs.
24. He Was Worth It
John certainly didn’t hold back on showing the world that he was worth that huge insurance policy. Between 1972 and 1975, John hit the top of the charts with no fewer than seven albums. Six of these made “The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time” in Rolling Stone magazine. He also had six singles at the top spot on the Billboard 100.
As it turned out, the stress was taking its toll.
Silvia Elizabeth Pangaro, Shutterstock
25. He Was Naturally Shy
The truth was that John could certainly entertain a huge crowd, but this was not his natural way of being. The real John was shy and introverted. To combat this, John turned to substance use to help him maintain a concert-worthy personality. But turning to substances to enhance one's work could only lead to problems.
And he had them big time.
Heinrich Klaffs, Wikimedia Commons
26. He Made An Unreasonable Request
On one occasion, John was so high that he called the office of his management team with a strange complaint. He was at a London hotel, and he wanted the company to do something about the weather. He said it was far too windy and he wanted them to fix it. John had to do something about this spiraling problem.
His solution was to quit.
Richard Mushet on Flickr, Wikimedia Commons
27. He Broke It Off
In 1977, John told the world that he was going to retire from performing. He also decided to end his partnership with Taupin. With a new lyricist, Gary Osborne, John made the album A Single Man. This album had no hit singles in the US, but did gain some traction in the UK. Still, it received mixed reviews from critics. Maybe John had made a mistake parting ways with Taupin.
Well, he was about to make another really big mistake.
Gareth Cattermole, Getty Images
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28. He Popped The Question
In 1976, John came clean as a man interested in both men and women. Then, in 1983, he met German sound engineer Renate Blaul. The two became close friends, and John invited her to join him on his Australian tour. While eating Indian food, Blaul got the shock of her life. John asked her to marry him. They didn’t waste any time and tied the knot three days later.
The marriage was all glamor, but the honeymoon was a disaster.
Ernst Vikne, Wikimedia Commons
29. It Had To End
The alleged story goes that during their honeymoon, John said he wanted to end their just days-old marriage. Blaul's response was to attempt to take her own life in St Tropez. The marriage did end, but it took four years to do it. Afterwards, John continued to call her "the classiest woman I've ever met."
John was single again, but his career would soon be in jeopardy.
30. His Career Came Under Threat
In 1987, John had a health scare that hit close to home. He found out that he was at risk of losing his singing voice due to nodules in his vocal cords. He had the surgery to remove the nodules while performing in Australia. He later blamed his use of marijuana for this near end to his career.
But there were more serious health risks happening to his friends.
31. They Were Very Close Friends
John was a good friend of another UK musician: Queen’s Freddie Mercury. The two were so close that John was one of the first people to know that Mercury had health issues related to HIV. Fans would not know about Mercury’s diagnosis until the day before he passed. John was deeply troubled by Mercury's sad end and decided to do something about it.
32. He Gave Back To The Community
In 1992, John did something selfless. He made the decision to donate all proceeds from his singles to charities fighting against AIDS. He then started the Elton John AIDS Foundation, which became huge. In fact, it was the largest not-for-profit AIDS organization in the world.
But sometimes John’s help didn’t get such a friendly reception.
33. He Handed Out Advice
In 1991, John and George Michael had worked together on a duet of John’s 1973 song “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me". When John noticed that Michael was acting strangely, he advised him about his substance misuse. Michael went to Heat magazine and basically told John to shut up and mind his own business.
Next, a surprising tragedy would lead to an iconic performance.
Christopher Polk, Getty Images
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34. He Used The Same Song Twice
When John and Taupin wrote “Candle in the Wind”, it was a tribute to Marilyn Monroe. When Princess Diana’s life tragically ended in a car accident, John knew he already had a song for her. With a few tweaks, “Candle in the Wind” became “Goodbye England’s Rose”, and John did a legendary performance of it at her funeral.
Something else that’s a legend is John's performance at an airport.
Daniel Berehulak, Getty Images
35. He Lost His Cool
When John arrived in Taipei, Taiwan, for a concert, he didn’t even get out of the airport before trouble started. John was trying to get through customs when the media descended on him. John lost his cool with some very loud yelling and some vicious language. He later had to apologize to fans at the concert.
Luckily, things in John‘s personal life were going so much better than this.
AndersNelsson, Wikimedia Commons
36. He Popped It Again
Back in 1993, John had met David Furnish, who was an advertising executive. They had an instant connection—but this was only the beginning. In 2005, John did something unbelievably romantic, proposing to Furnish with his family and friends looking on. But there was one big problem with his proposal.
37. He Had A Royal Affair
At this time, two men could not legally marry in Britain, so the two had to settle for a civil partnership. They had a ceremony at Windsor Guildhall, which has since been used by royal family members. For instance, King Charles and Queen Camilla had their wedding there as well.
Now that they were legal partners, there was the inevitable next step.
38. He’s A Dad
John and Furnish later had a son in 2010 and another in 2013. Both came into this world by way of a surrogate whose identity remains a secret. These two boys would later come in handy as ring bearers for their dads’ wedding. While John hadn’t felt a real need to walk down the aisle, when the UK made it legal, the couple felt they had to do it.
Apparently, John was a great father, and some very famous people wanted a piece of that.
Eva Rinaldi, Wikimedia Commons
39. He’s A Father Figure
Once people saw how good a father John was, they lined up in droves to give him the job of godfather. He is currently the godfather of 10 children. These include John Lennon’s son Sean, David and Victoria Beckham’s kids Brooklyn Peltz and Romeo, and Elizabeth Hurley’s son Damian. John’s sons have Lady Gaga as a godmother.
But John’s generosity wasn't just for the kids in his life.
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40. He Gave A Helping Hand
In 2006, the band Scissor Sisters came out with their hit song, "I Don't Feel Like Dancing”. It took no time for some listeners to think that the band was channeling John’s sound just a little too closely. As it turned out, John had helped them write the music and even provided his ivory-tinkling hands for the recording.
But there may have been a dark side to John’s lifestyle.
Michael Loccisano, Getty Images
41. He Got Accused
In 2002, John hired LAPD member Jeffrey Wenninger as part of his security team. After working for John for 12 years, Wenninger accused his boss of inappropriate comments and touching. John denied the allegations, and Wenninger eventually dropped the case. If you think this incident would be bad for John’s popularity, think again.
42. They Voted For Their Favorite
In 2017, the British went to the polls. This was not to vote on Brexit, but on what their favorite Elton John song was. ITV Network organized the vote, and the results were no surprise to anyone. It was 1970’s “Your Song”. John cheekily said that it took him only 15 minutes to write the music for this iconic song.
He may be quick to write songs, but there is one thing he’s not so good at.
43. He’s No Wizard
While John may have sung about a pinball wizard, he’s no wizard with technology. He’s so bad with gadgets, that he doesn’t even own a smartphone. The one thing he has learned to use is an iPad. He needed to learn to use this in order to stay in touch with his boys.
Sadly, John was not always able to keep in touch with some of his family members.
44. They Kept Their Distance
While John is certainly a family man, his parents have, for some reason, kept their distance. His father never saw his son perform. Stranger still, his mother never met John’s sons, even though she lived for seven more years after the first one was born. One reason may be that she did not care for John’s husband, Furnish.
Well, Mom certainly had her own issues to deal with.
45. She Hired A Replacement
When John’s mother, Sheila Dwight, turned 90, she and John were not speaking. No matter, Sheila just hired an Elton John impersonator to attend her birthday party instead of her son. She later put the blame for her troubles with John on Furnish’s shoulders, telling the Daily Mail, “He had always been very kind to me until he got with David Furnish”. The estrangement between mother and son lasted eight long years.
Their eventual reunion was nothing short of dramatic.
Dimitrios Kambouris, Getty Images
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46. He Lost Her
John did eventually reconcile with his mother shortly after her 90th birthday, but it wasn't going to last. Just one year later, Sheila passed and left John devastated. But he was still in for a shock. Shortly before her passing, Sheila had changed her will and left almost nothing to her son, and most everything to John’s personal assistant Bob Halley.
As it turned out, it wasn’t always easy being the mother of Elton John.
47. He’d Had Enough
John’s mother had been cold to her son for much of his childhood. Even still, John helped her out financially. One way was to hire her to watch over one of his mansions while he was away. But later, John allegedly lost control of his temper and fired his mother. This wasn’t from her house-sitting job, but from being his mother.
Scandal was about to rock John’s idyllic life.
48. They Fought The Media And Won
When rumors of Furnish having an affair surfaced, both John and Furnish went to the highest court to stop the media from writing about it. They won the case, and so the English media couldn’t divulge this juicy gossip. The rest of us have access to a story about Furnish, two other men, a kiddie pool, and several vats of olive oil.
Thankfully, John has a very impressive win to deflect this negative attention.
Kevin Payravi, Wikimedia Commons
49. He Joined An Esteemed Group
John is no stranger to receiving awards. He’s obviously won Grammys, but he’s also picked up Oscars for The Lion King and Rocketman, and a Tony Award for Aida. In 2024, John received an Emmy for Elton John: Farewell from Dodger Stadium. With this award, John joined 19 other performers who had already achieved EGOT status.
John's lived a blessed life, but he has faced and overcome many challenges.
50. He Has Suffered
While John seems to have lived an exciting life, he’s had his share of problems as well. In addition to being epileptic, John admits he has suffered from substance addiction, drinking problems, and bulimia. In 2019, he used Instagram to announce that he had been dry for 29 years.
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