Elton John in 10 dates

=NEW YORK: Here are 10 key dates in the life of British musician Elton John:

— March 25, 1947: Reginald Kenneth Dwight is born in Pinner, northwest London.

— 1967: Changes his name to Elton Hercules John. Meets lyricist Bernie Taupin.

— 1970: “Your Song,” from his second album “Elton John,” propels him onto the international stage.

— 1976: Announces he is bisexual, a rare coming-out for the time.

— 1984-1988: Is married to German sound engineer Renate Blauel.

— 1990: His meeting with a young haemophiliac suffering from Aids marks the start of his commitment to the fight against the virus.

— 1997: Sings “Candle In The Wind 1997” at the funeral of his friend Diana, princess of Wales. The studio version sells 33 million copies, second only to Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas”.

— 1998: Becomes Sir Elton John when he is knighted by Queen Elizabeth II.

— December 21, 2005: Enters a civil partnership with long-term companion David Furnish, on the first day such unions are allowed in England. The pair marry in 2014 after the legalisation of gay marriage in Britain.

— 2010: Birth of the couple’s first son, Zachary, through a surrogate mother. Their second son, Elijah, is born in 2013. — AFP