Sheila Eileen Dwight gained recognition as the mother of the acclaimed musician Elton John, who achieved success as a singer, pianist, and composer. Elton has been honored with inductions into both the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Sheila Eileen Dwight’s Family
Sheila Eileen Dwight, born on 12 March 1925 in Camberwell, London Borough of Southwark, England, was a private individual. She was the daughter of Frederick George Harris and Ivy White. Sheila married Stanley Dwight, and their son Elton, was born soon after.
Sir Elton Hercules John, formerly known as Reginald Kenneth Dwight, was born on 25 March 1947 in Pinner, Middlesex, England. He is the eldest child of Stanley and Sheila. Stanley, a member of the Royal Air Force, taught Elton how to play the piano. Elton was raised in a council house in Pinner by his maternal grandparents. His parents divorced when he was 14, and Sheila later married a local painter named Fred Farebrother. Elton fondly referred to him as “Derf” (“Fred” spelled backward). Sheila Eileen Dwight passed away at the age of 92 on December 4, 2017.
Elton attended Pinner Wood Junior School, Reddiford School, and Pinner County Grammar School until he left at 17, just before his A-Level examinations, to pursue a music career. In 1976, Elton publicly announced that he was bisexual, and in 1984, he married Renate Blauel. The marriage lasted four years before Elton came to terms with his homosexuality. After the legalization of same-sex marriage in the United Kingdom in March 2014, Elton married David Furnish, a former advertising executive turned filmmaker from Toronto, on 21 December 2014, in Windsor, Berkshire. They have two sons, Zachary Jackson and Elijah Joseph, born via surrogacy.
Sheila Eileen Dwight’s Net Worth
Sheila Eileen was widely recognized as the mother of the renowned singer and songwriter, Elton John. Elton, a music icon, was estimated to possess a wealth of £320 million according to the 2019 Sunday Times Rich List, securing a place among the top 10 wealthiest individuals in the British music industry. Besides his primary residence, Woodside, located in Old Windsor, Berkshire, Elton owns homes in Atlanta, London, Los Angeles, Nice, and Venice. In addition to his musical success, Elton is an avid art collector, boasting one of the largest private photography collections globally.
Elton John, a legendary figure in the music industry, needs no introduction. His songs, such as “Rocket Man,” “Tiny Dancer,” and “The Bitch Is Back,” have become iconic anthems of an entire generation. As the most successful solo artist in the history of the US Billboard charts, Elton achieved numerous accolades. His final tour, Farewell Yellow Brick Road, holds the record as the highest-grossing concert tour of all time. Elton’s life and career were portrayed in the 2019 biopic Rocketman. Among his extensive list of awards are five Grammy Awards, five Brit Awards (including Outstanding Contribution to Music), two Academy Awards, two Golden Globes, a Tony Award, a Laurence Olivier Award, a Disney Legend Award, and the Kennedy Center Honor.