Sir Elton John reveals he felt a ‘void’ when he changed his ‘old fashioned’ birthname to boost his career – after admitting he hated it because it reminded him of ‘unhappy memories’
Sir Elton John has revealed he felt a ‘void’ open after he changed his name to further his career.
The singer, 77, dropped his birth name, Reginald Kenneth Dwight, in his 20s in an effort to help his career.
The veteran pop star explained that he made the decision to reinvent himself because he hated his original name, but also admitted that he came to regret his decision.
He revealed, “I realized I was going to put everything into my work, my art, my recording. There was nothing underneath, I was just a void.
“So I left little Reggie behind, but little Reggie was still inside me.”
Sir Elton was speaking on Good Morning America on Tuesday when he made the surprising confession.
Sir Elton John, 77, revealed he felt a “void” opening up after he changed his name to help his career during an interview on Good Morning America on Tuesday
The singer abandoned his birth name, Reginald Kenneth Dwight, in his 20s in an attempt to help his career (pictured in 1974)
The veteran pop star explained that he made the decision to reinvent himself because he hated his original name, but also admitted that he came to regret his decision (pictured with King Charles III, November 24, 2024)
The Rocketman singer revealed he had always hated his birth name and chose Elton to stand out from the crowd.
He said: ‘Reginald is a very old-fashioned name, shortened to Reggie, which I hated. But in America it’s quite a popular name.’
He continued, “But I just didn’t like it. As soon as I could, I changed my name.
“I was very clever, I thought no one is really called Elton, so I’ll be Elton and I’ll be the only Elton.”
The Tiny Dancer singer further revealed that he had also wanted to leave his childhood behind and opted for a completely different name to adopt a new persona.
He told the US show: ‘I wanted to leave my youth and that personality behind, but that caught up with me.’
But Sir Elton explained that he came to regret the decision as he felt there was nothing underneath his new personality and that he hadn’t really left little Reggie behind.
The star initially performed under his birth name Reggie in the 1960s, but decided to leave the ‘old-fashioned’ stage name behind and was inspired by his bandmates.
The Tiny Dancer singer explained that he had also wanted to leave his childhood behind and opted for a completely different name to adopt a new personality and block out unhappy memories (pictured with Bernie Taupin 1970)
But Sir Elton explained that he came to regret the decision as he felt there was nothing underneath his new personality and that he hadn’t really left little Reggie behind.
The star’s admission comes after he recently revealed that he lost the sight in his right eye over the summer in France and as a result can no longer see, read or view anything
His now famous name was a combination of Bluesology bandmate Elton Dean and Long John Baldry, with Hercules being a nod to the name of a horse in the TV show Steptoe and Son.
Speaking about his name change in 1987, Sir Elton previously said that his name change gave him a whole new personality, according to Subway.
“I became Elton John, it was like a new lease on life,” he said.
‘I didn’t really like being Reg Dwight. It had too many unhappy memories.
“I hated the word Reg, by the way. It was just a terrible name. Once I was Elton it was just amazing. It was like a new personality.”
The star’s admission comes after he recently revealed that he lost the sight in his right eye over the summer in France and as a result can no longer see, read or view anything.
The hitmaker, who played his final shows last summer, revealed his vision problems in September.
He posted a lengthy post on his Instagram, explaining how he has been “recovering at home” for the past few months.
The hitmaker, who played his final shows last summer, revealed his facial problems in September (pictured performing at Glastonbury 2023)
When Elton spoke to ABC News last month about his new documentary Never Too Late, he admitted that he was unsure of his ability to record new music as he puts all his focus on his health.
Elton wrote: ‘Over the summer I suffered a serious eye infection which unfortunately leaves me with limited vision in one eye.
‘I am healing, but it is an extremely slow process and it will take some time for vision to return to the affected eye.
‘I am so grateful for the excellent team of doctors and nurses and my family who have looked after me so well over the past few weeks.’
Elton concluded: ‘I have spent the summer quietly recuperating at home, and I am positive about the progress I have made in my healing and recovery so far.’
And his health problems undermined any new music from the star.
When Elton spoke to ABC News last month about his new documentary Never Too Late, he admitted he was unsure of his ability to record new music as he focuses all his attention on his health.
He said, “It’s been a while since I’ve done anything. I just need to get off my butt. Unfortunately, I lost my sight in my right eye in July because I had an infection in the South of France.
‘It’s been four months since I’ve been unable to see. And my left eye isn’t the best. So there is hope and encouragement that things will work out, but I’m a bit stuck at the moment.
“Because I can do something like this, but going into the studio and recording, I don’t know, because I can’t see any lyrics to begin with.
“We’re taking an initiative to get it better, but right now we’re really focusing on that.”