For more than five decades, Elton John has been one of the most recognisable names in music. But the name that made him a global superstar isn’t the one he was born with.
Long before he was a knighted legend with countless hits, Elton John was Reginald Kenneth Dwight – a name that, by his own admission, never suited him.
Speaking in a recent interview on Good Morning America, the 77-year-old music icon reflected on his decision to change his name and the unexpected emotional impact it had on him over the years.
While it was a necessary step in his rise to fame, Elton admitted that the transformation left him feeling strangely disconnected from himself.
“I wanted to leave my childhood and that persona behind,” he shared. “But that caught up with me. I realised I put everything into my work and my art, my recording, and there was nothing underneath there. I was just a void. I left little Reggie behind, but little Reggie was still inside of me.”
Elton first began using his stage name in 1967, at the age of 20. At the time, he was performing as a member of the band Bluesology, but he had aspirations of becoming a solo artist. He decided he needed a name that would help him stand out.
The name “Elton John” wasn’t an invention out of thin air. He took “Elton” from Bluesology saxophonist Elton Dean and “John” from the band’s singer, Long John Baldry.
A few years later, on January 7, 1972, he made it official, legally changing his name to Elton Hercules John.
The middle name, contrary to what some might assume, wasn’t inspired by the mythological hero but rather a horse from the British sitcom Steptoe and Son.
Elton has been open about his dissatisfaction with his birth name. In a 1987 interview, he explained that his childhood was filled with “unhappy memories” and that he had grown to dislike the name Reginald.
“I didn’t particularly like being Reg Dwight,” he said. “It had too many unhappy memories. I hated the word ‘Reg,’ anyway. It was just a horrible name.”
The change proved to be a turning point, helping him carve out a new identity. “As soon as I was Elton, it was just great,” he said. “It was like a new personality. It was like a new lease on life.”