Elton John says he was “just a void” after changing his name

nme.com:

Elton John has opened up about feeling like he was “just a void” after changing his name in favour of his stage moniker.During an interview with Good Morning America, the ‘Rocket Man’ icon was asked about his real name, Reginald Dwight, while talking about his new documentary film Never Too Late.Host Robin Roberts brought up John’s past claim that he “would never make it as Reg”, adding: “You hated being called Reg. [You said], ‘Reg never would have made it, but Elton John could’.”In response, the musician explained that “Reginald is a really old-fashioned name” and said he “hated” the shortened version, Reggie. “But in America, it’s quite a popular name – Reggie Jackson… whatever.”John continued: “But I just didn’t like it.

And as soon as I could, I changed my name. I was very clever. I thought, ‘No one’s really called Elton, so I’ll be Elton and I’ll be the only Elton’.”He went on to explain that this “was a good decision to make” in the end.“I wanted to leave my childhood and that persona behind, and that caught up with me,” John said, recalling how this came at his historic show at LA’s Dodger Stadium in 1975.“I realised I put everything into my work and my art, my recording, and there was nothing underneath there,” he remembered. “I was just a void.

I’d left little Reggie behind, but little Reggie was still inside of me.”You can watch the conversation in the video above.In a previous clip of the interview, John revealed that he was struggling to make new music due to his ongoing eye condition. “I can’t see a lyric for a start,” he said.

The ‘Tiny Dancer’ artist has since shared more details on his health, saying he has “lost [his] eyesight”.The Never Too Late film follows the legendary singer-songwriter as he.