Elton John before he was famous

The nobody years

1. 

   1962 A hat for tips

   He played a Northwood Hills pub, passing a hat round for tips.

   Played piano in the Northwood Hills Hotel pub, passing a hat round for tips. Source

2. 

   1965 Errand boy

   He left school before final exams to run errands for a publisher.

   Left school before his final exams and worked as an errand boy for a music publisher. Source

3. 

   1966 Behind other names

   A whole year backing Long John Baldry on the cabaret circuit.

   Spent 1966 backing Long John Baldry on the English cabaret circuit. Source

4. 

   1967 Rejected, handed lyrics

   Liberty Records turned him down, then handed him a stranger's lyrics.

   Failed an audition at Liberty Records, and was handed a packet of a stranger's lyrics. Source

5. 1947

   Was born Reginald Kenneth Dwight in Pinner, Middlesex. Source

6. 1951

   Was playing the family piano by ear at the age of four. Source

7. 1958

   Won a junior place at the Royal Academy of Music at eleven, attending on Saturdays. Source

8. 1962

   Joined the band Bluesology, playing organ behind other people's names. Source

9. 1965

   Bluesology became the backing band for touring American soul acts. Source

10. 1967

    Took a new name from two bandmates: saxophonist Elton Dean and Long John Baldry. Source

11. 1968

    Wrote songs on staff at a publisher for two years without a hit of his own. Source

Reconstructions of documented moments, generated with AI. Not archive photographs, and not depictions of real people. © The Nobody Years