Sir Elton John, born Reginald Kenneth Dwight in 1947, is an English singer, songwriter, composer, and pianist who has sold over 250 million records over his decades-long career. He studied piano at the Royal Academy of Music and began performing in pubs as a teenager. In 1970, he met lyricist Bernie Taupin and together they composed many hit songs that launched Elton's success, including "Your Song". Elton and Bernie wrote numerous popular songs throughout the 1970s and he was named a Knight in 1998. Elton has also been a prominent advocate for AIDS research through his foundation since the 1980s.