The Rocket Man singer admitted there was an unanticipated downside to ditching his birth name. Elton, 77, was born Reginald Kenneth Dwight in 1947 but legally changed his name to Elton Hercules John on 7 January 1972. "Reginald is a really old-fashioned name," Elton told Good Morning America in a new interview airing this week. "It's shortened to Reggie, which I hated. I just didn't like it, and as soon as I could, I changed my name.". However, the singer-songwriter revealed his decision "caught up" to him just as he was about to go on stage for a now-historic show at LA's Dodger Stadium in 1975.
