15 Vintage Photos of Elton John as a Young & Unstoppable Superstar
The Rocket Man's remarkable music career dates back to his 20s.
Sir Elton John has been regarded as one of music’s biggest stars since he was in his 20s. The British singer, songwriter, pianist, and overall dynamite performer has a career that spans nearly six decades and includes more than 30 albums. And it’s a reality he never dreamed of achieving as a shy kid who simply wanted to make music.
“Never in a million years could I have expected what’s happened to me in my lifetime,” John told Jimmy Fallon during an interview on The Tonight Show in 2021. “I was a very shy child when I started playing the piano.”
John, who was born with the name Reginald Kenneth Dwight, said entertainers like Jerry Lee Lewis and Little Richard inspired him. “When they started jumping up and down and playing [piano] standing up, then that changed my whole life completely, and that’s what I wanted to do,” he told Fallon. “I wanted to make music. I didn’t ever intend to become Elton John, I just wanted to be involved in music and play it. And I got gratification from that and love from doing that. So I thought, ‘Yeah, I like this.’”
RELATED: Miley Cyrus and Elton John's Voices Blend with Ease Singing "Tiny Dancer"
When he was just 11 years old, John’s talents were already recognized when he was awarded a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music. By the 1960s, he had formed a band called Bluesology and met his longtime songwriting partner, lyricist Bernie Taupin, who he’s described as his “soul mate.” The two have worked together ever since and John once wrote on Facebook that their “friendship changed my life.”
The Rocket Man might be in his 70s today, but he’s shown no signs of slowing down, from releasing new music in 2025 to appearing as a Musical Guest with Brandi Carlile on April 5's Saturday Night Live.
RELATED: The Sweet Story Behind How Elton John and Brandi Carlile First Met
It’s clear that John was born to become the iconic artist he is today as the early days of his career were full of pivotal moments, dazzling fashion, including plenty of playful glasses, and packed stadiums. Read on to see nostalgic photos of the music legend, dating back to 1969.
Elton John skyrocketed to fame in the early 1970s
Not long after joining forces with Taupin, John found success with several hit singles including “Lady Samantha” and “I’ve Been Loving You.”
By 1970, he released Elton John — his second studio album and his first released in the U.S. — and it quickly solidified him as a rising star to watch.
RELATED: Watch Jack Black's Saturday Night Live Monologue & Sketches from April 5, 2025
He was unstoppable. From 1970 to 1975, John would go on to release a whopping 13 chart-topping albums, featuring timeless hits like “Your Song,” “Tiny Dancer,” “Rocket Man,” “Candle in the Wind,” and “Bennie and the Jets.”
“I always believed if you’ve got enough ambition, you can make it anywhere,” the EGOT winner said in Elton John: Never Too Late, the 2024 documentary about his life and career. “When I was very young, my life was all-consumed by music. I just wanted to become a songwriter."
RELATED: Mike Myers' Elon Musk Sells Self-Vandalizing Teslas in SNL's "Trump Tariff Cold Open"
Elton John received his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1975
On October 23, 1975, John’s remarkable journey to stardom was recognized when he received his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. “There has never been a performer who has had so much popularity that we have had to close Hollywood Boulevard for this ceremony,” an announcer said in archival footage from the historic day.
Wearing colorful star glasses and a gold silk suit adorned with rhinestones and the names of other honorees, John, just 28 at the time, thanked the massive crowd for their support. “I’m very, very honored, being British, to have my star on Hollywood Boulevard,” he said at the 1975 ceremony. “That’s all I can say, thank you very, very much.”
That same year — just days later, in fact — John performed two historic sold-out concerts at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. Over 100,000 people attended the legendary, career-defining shows, including John’s parents.
“Dodgers Stadium at that point was the pinnacle of my career,” John told Good Morning America. “It wasn’t the happiest time of my life, but I bounced back pretty quickly. I was the biggest I could possibly be.”
In November 2022, John returned to the same stadium for his final American concert on his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour.
“We wanted to go out with a bang,” John told Deadline. “We wanted to end in Los Angeles because my career started in America at The Troubadour in 1970. And then we did the the wonderful concert in ‘75 at Dodger Stadium. … I thought it would be a wonderful thing to close the circle to play Dodger Stadium as the last show in Los Angeles."
Elton John collaborated with many music legends through the years, including John Lennon
Throughout the '70s and '80s, John shared the stage with several other music legends from Kiki Dee to Aretha Franklin to George Michael and John Lennon.
In 1974, Lennon made a surprise appearance at one of John’s shows at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Lennon’s performance with John was actually the last time the founding member of The Beatles played for a live audience.
During an interview on The Tonight Show in 2021, the superstar revealed that he and Lennon had made a bet that if a song they collaborated on — “Whatever Gets You thru the Night” — reached number-one on the charts, Lennon would join John live on stage. “And by jove it did get to number one,” John recalled. “It was one of the most magical moments of my life … the memory of him coming onstage and getting so much applause, I think all the band and myself were moved to tears. It was such a wonderful occasion.”
In 1975, John also appeared with Cher and Diana Ross at the Rock Music Awards, where he won Rock Personality of the Year.
In the following decades, John would go on to perform at countless historic events, including Princess Diana’s funeral in 1997. He’s also continued to collaborate with more artists including Britney Spears, Stevie Nicks, Dua Lipa, and Ed Sheeran.
While he’s retired from touring, John joined forces in 2025 with his longtime friend Brandi Carlile, on their album, Who Believes In Angels. John told Billboard he hopes audiences receive his latest work with Carlile as a collection of songs “that’s really ripe for these times.”
The day after the release of their new album, the duo will take the SNL stage on April 5 to perform together, marking John’s fourth time on the show and Carlile’s third.
RELATED: Rock Out While Watching Brandi Carlile's Showstopping SNL Performances
“I wanted a new start. I wanted a fresh start,” John told CBS Sunday Morning about creating new music with Carlile. “And she gave it to me.”
