Sir Elton John is undeniably one of the biggest pop stars of all time. His seemingly effortless musical skill and flamboyant style propelled him to superstardom in the '70s, and he has managed to retain his overwhelming popularity--producing top 40 singles yearly from 1970 to 1996. Somewhat of a piano prodigy, John started playing at four and won a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music at the age of 11. After six years of formal training, he left the Academy to write and perform popular music.