"Music has healing power. It has the ability to take people out of themselves for a few hours."

• Born Elton Hercules John on March 25, 1947, in Middlesex, England
   
• Elton John's self-titled 1970 debut reached No. 4 on the Billboard 200 and spawned his first Top 10, "Your Song."
   
• John scored his first three GRAMMY nominations for the 13th GRAMMY Awards for 1970, including Album Of The Year and Best New Artist. He won his first career GRAMMY for Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal for 1986 for "That's What Friends Are For," with Gladys Knight, Dionne Warwick and Stevie Wonder.
   
• At the 42nd GRAMMY Awards, John made his GRAMMY performance debut, performing "Philadelphia Freedom" with the Backstreet Boys.
   
• John was honored as the MusiCares Person of the Year in 2000. The annual gala raises funds for MusiCares, which provides services and resources that cover a wide range of financial, medical and personal emergencies for music people.
   
• Formed in 1992, the Elton John AIDS Foundation hosts an annual Academy Awards viewing to raise funds for direct patient care services and AIDS prevention education.