Elton John

Elton John was born Reginald Kenneth Dwight on March 25, 1947, in Pinner, Middlesex, the oldest child of Stanley Dwight (1925–1991) and the only child of Sheila Eileen, and was reared by his maternal grandparents in a council house in Pinner. When his parents married in 1945, the family relocated to a neighboring semi-detached house. He attended Pinner Wood Junior School, Reddiford School, and Pinner County Grammar School until he was 17 when he quit soon before his A-Level exams to pursue a musical career.

Elton John is the world's best-selling non-American music artist, having sold over 300 million recordings. The British singer and songwriter rose to prominence in the 1960s and has remained popular to this day. His 1997 hit 'Candle in the Wind,' written as an homage to Lady Diana, who died tragically in a car accident that year, is the fourth best-selling single in music history.

Detailed information:
Active years: 1964 – present
Main genre: Pop
Best-selling album: Greatest Hits (1974)
Best-selling single: Candle in the Wind (1997)