Sir Elton John was born Reginald Kenneth Dwight. He began his musical career as a pianist for the soul band Bluesology in the mid-1960s. When he decided to go solo and reinvent himself, he felt his birth name was too 'ordinary' for a star. He created his stage name by combining the names of two of his Bluesology bandmates: saxophonist Elton Dean and lead singer Long John Baldry. He legally changed his name to Elton Hercules John in 1972, choosing 'Hercules' not after the mythical hero, but after a horse in the British sitcom 'Steptoe and Son.' Along with his songwriting partner Bernie Taupin, Elton John went on to become one of the most successful artists in history, selling over 300 million records and having the best-selling physical single of all time with 'Candle in the Wind 1997.'