Photo From the September 24, 1971 issue of LIFE

THE ROCK FAMILY AFFAIR

Photography by JOHN OLSON

ELTON JOHN

Elton John who has became an overnight superstar as singer and composer last year, has been working towards a musical career most of his 24 years , with the active encouragement of his mother. "He started banging away at the piano when he was a 3," She remembers. "When he was 4 he used to put him to bed in the day and get him up to play at night for parties."

Elton John's real name is Reg Dwight. His stepfather, Fred Fairebrother, is a decorator, and his mother, Sheila, is a government clerical worker. The couple live in this suburban apartment northwest of London. Elton moved to London last year, but stays in constant touch. "My mother introduced me to rock and roll," he says. "One day she came home with ABC Boogie by Bill Haley, and Heartbreak Hotel by Elvis Presley. She has always been well up on what's going on."

"We've helped all we could," says Sheila Fairbrother. "It's been our whole life . I did used to nag him about his clothes and his hair. But then I had been living in this suburban place. Now I go up to town and meet his friends and he looks fine . He looks fine. He could have been far worse off mixing with some of the people around here."

Click on a name below and see these rock legends with their parents back in 1971

FRANK ZAPPA      ELTON JOHN      ERIC CLAPTON

THE JACKSON FIVE      GINGER BAKER      JOE COCKER

GRACE SLICK      DAVID CROSBY      RICHIE HAVENS




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