Why did Reginald Dwight change his name?

In Rocketman, Elton John is shown picking his stage persona via a bandmate's first name and looking at a John Lennon poster. But is this really what happened?

Before he was Elton John, he was known as Reggie Dwight. Not quite the popstar name.

So, Reg went about picking a new onstage persona that kicked off a new era of his flamboyant and hugely successful life.

But was what happened in Rocketman really what happened?

Why did Elton John pick his name?

In 1962, Reg and his friends formed a band named Bluesology.

A few years later, Bluesology was backing American soul and R&B musicians such as the Isley Brothers, Major Lance and Patti LaBelle and the Bluebelles.

In 1966, they became Long John Baldry's supporting band, and played 16 times at the Marquee Club.

By 1967, Reg was going by the name 'Elton John'. This was a homage to two members of Bluesology: saxophonist Elton Dean and singer Long John Baldry. His name was legally changed to Elton Hercules John on January 7, 1972.

So, it wasn't a photo of John Lennon that gave him the inspiration, like the film suggests.

Saying that, Elton was a huge fan of The Beatles, and later collaborated with Lennon on a few occasions.

Why did he pick Hercules?

As for his new middle name, he didn't choose the middle name 'Hercules' after the hero of mythology, but actually after a horse named Hercules from British sitcom Steptoe and Son!

Six months later, John began going by the name Elton John in homage to two members of Bluesology: saxophonist Elton Dean and vocalist Long John Baldry. He legally changed his name to Elton Hercules John on 7 January 1972. ... For two years they wrote easy-listening tunes for James to peddle to singers.

Does anyone call Elton Reggie?

But “The award-winning composer of The Lion King, Reginald Dwight” doesn't really have the best ring to it, so it's clear why Elton John decided to change his name when he was just starting out in the music industry (no offense to anyone named Reginald or Dwight).

Does Elton John or Reggie go Elton?

Reginald Kenneth Dwight legally changed his name to Elton Hercules John in 1972, explains Smooth Radio. "When I became Elton John, it was like a new lease on life," John said in a 1987 interview.

Who's real name is Reginald Dwight?

Elton John, in full Sir Elton Hercules John, original name Reginald Kenneth Dwight, (born Ma, Pinner, Middlesex, England), British singer, composer, and pianist who was one of the most popular entertainers of the late 20th century.

Was Elton John friends with John Lennon?

Sir Elton John has confirmed what many would have expected - he and John Lennon were indeed friends. In fact, in an interview with John's son Sean Ono Lennon, Sir Elton has said they had a 'whirlwind romance' which lasted two to three years.

Did Elton John take his last name from John Lennon?

Elton John did not get his last name from John Lennon. See below for John's entire statement regarding his stage name.

Elton John is one of the biggest names in music, but of course, Elton John’s name wasn’t always Elton John. He was born Reginald Dwight, and the biopic “Rocketman” suggests that Dwight got his stage name from his bandmate Elton Dean and Beatles singer John Lennon.

Unfortunately, that’s not quite the case. In an interview for his CD box set “To Be Continued…” (1990), John explained where he got the idea for his stage name.

“I was in Bluesology, and we were coming back from a Long John Baldry gig somewhere, and we got a bus from London airport to London and someone said, ‘We’ve made it now, so what are you going to call yourself?'” he explained. “The saxophone player in the band was called Elton Dean, a very good jazz sax player, and the only other Elton I could think of was Elton Hayes, who recorded the song ‘The Owl and the Pussycat.’ So I took ‘Elton’ from Elton Dean and ‘John’ from Long John Baldry. I wanted to choose a name that nobody had, and it was as quick as that.”

Also Read: 'Rocketman' Film Review: Elton John Gets a Musical Fantasy That Sometimes Achieves Liftoff

In the film, John (played by Taron Egerton) is in a small bus following a gig when, indeed, he asks Elton Dean how he would feel if he took his first name. There’s some reluctance, but John doesn’t care. Later, when he’s in a music producer’s office, he’s asked for his last name, at which point John looks up to a Beatles record on the wall and zeroes in on John Lennon — hence, Elton John is born.

“I really became Elton John at the Troubadour club (in Los Angeles) that first night,” John continued in the interview for his box set. “I was Elton John before that, but that was when I really launched into Elton John. After that, there was no holding me back, in a lot of senses.”

When did Reginald Dwight change his name?

Why did he change his name to Elton John?

Is Elton John's name Reggie?

Did Elton John actually get his name from John Lennon?