Meet Elton John’s sons, Zachary and Elijah: Lady Gaga is their godmother and David Beckham was once asked to give them football tips, but will they follow in dad’s showbiz footsteps after he retires?
In an illustrious career spanning six decades, Elton John has topped charts and sold more than 300 million records worldwide. But the time has finally come for the 75-year-old to hang up his sparkly platforms.
On the opening night of his latest UK tour in the city of Norwich, the multimillionaire announced that his performance there would be his last, saying he’d already accumulated enough memories to tell his children when he’s “old and decrepit”. The Rocket Man singer is due to retire from touring in July 2023.
As the legendary musician gets ready to retire, we take a closer look at his sons – whom he’ll soon get to spend more time with – and his close relationship with them.
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Their mother’s identity is a secret
Zachary was born on December 25, 2010, and his younger brother, Elijah, was born on January 11, 2013. Both share the same surrogate mother, whose identity has been kept a secret.
Aside from being curious about the boys’ mum, many fans have also been eager to know who Zachary and Elijah’s biological father is. Commenting on Zachary’s birth, John and Furnish said they both “contributed” to the process of conception, according to British media, and had no interest in discovering which one of them is the biological father.
Elton John chose Lady Gaga to be their godmother
According to the Crocodile Rock star, Lady Gaga once bathed a young Zachary in Las Vegas before going on stage. She was ready to go, all dressed up like Audrey Hepburn, but was prepared to do it. “We’re all bonkers in this business, but we’re human beings at the same time,” John said of the special moment.
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The kids are “boyish” and “girl-mad”
Describing his boys in an interview in 2019, John said: “My boys are so boyish. They are real boys. They’re flirts – girl-mad.”
It also seems that John has passed on his love of football, rather than music, to his boys so far. Elder son Zachary plays for Watford FC Academy, the youth team of English professional football club Watford FC, where John acted as the chair from 1976 to 2002.
They live a normal life in Old Windsor
John opened up to The Guardian about his parenting style in 2016, saying that the kids “are spoilt in the way they live and how they’re living, but not spoilt when it comes to the rules they have to live by”. The singer explained how the two boys, who were five and three at the time of the interview, get £3 (just under US$4) pocket money each, with each £1 allocated to charity, saving and spending.
John also said that his sons “live a very local life in Old Windsor”, explaining that they’re “not stuck behind the gates of their mansion”, and on “Saturdays when I’m home, we go to Pizza Hut with them, we go to Waterstones, we go to the cinema”.
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They’re not going to inherit their dad’s wealth
John currently has an estimated net worth of around US$500 million, according Celebrity Net Worth – but his kids won’t be inheriting his fortune. In 2016, he told British media that, although he wants to see his children be financially secure, it is “terrible to give kids a silver spoon” because “it ruins their life”.
But given John and Furnish’s immense talents and successful careers, it’s more than likely Zachary and Elijah will be fine on their own.
- Their surrogate mum’s identity is a secret, as is whether John or husband David Furnish is the biological dad – but what happens after John’s retirement from touring in July 2023?
- The family lives a surprisingly normal life despite John’s US$500 million fortune, going to Pizza Hut on weekends; and Zachary plays football for England’s Watford FC Academy