Five-time Grammy winner Elton John and his husband David Furnish are the proud parents of two boys.
The “Rocket Man” singer and the former advertising executive, who have been together for three decades, became fathers for the first time when they welcomed older son Zachary, 13, via surrogate in 2010. Son Elijah, 11, joined the family in 2013 through the same surrogate.
When same-sex marriage became legal in the United Kingdom in 2014, John and Furnish were officially married in Windsor, England, with Zachary and Elijah serving as ring bearers. “Our little ring bearers are fast asleep and their shoes are polished and ready for tomorrow’s celebration,” John wrote on Instagram ahead of the big day.
During the appearance at the 2016 The Ellen DeGeneres Show, the “Tiny Dancer” singer described his children with Furnish as “the biggest thing in our lives.”
“If you had told me 10 years ago that I would be sitting on your show married to the man I love and have two beautiful children, I would have said, ‘You put acid in my drink.’ But life throws you challenges and life throws you curveballs – great curveballs – and these two kids came at a time when I didn’t think I’d have kids,” he said. “There are no words to describe how much we love these guys. They are simply amazing.”
A timeline of Elton John and David Furnish’s relationship
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On his 75th birthday, John wrote a letter to his boys sharing life lessons and expressing his love for them.
“Zachary and Elijah, you two are the greatest gift I have ever received,” he wrote in a letter published in TIME. “You have filled my heart with love and my life with purpose and meaning in ways I never thought possible. You are my proudest accomplishments and I love you both so, so much… Whoever you grow up to be, just be you – completely and totally you.”
Keep reading to learn more about Elton John and David Furnish’s sons.
Zachary Jackson Levon Furnish-John, 13
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John and Furnish welcomed their first son, Zachary Jackson Levon, who was born via surrogate, on December 25, 2010, in California.
“We are overwhelmed with happiness and joy at this special moment,” the couple said in a statement. “Zachary is healthy and doing well, and we are very proud and happy parents.”
In an interview with Canada’s 2011 eTalk, John called fatherhood “the best decision we’ve ever made”.
“We’re still pretty happy. We’ve been together for 17 years, both of our careers are going great. But this … everyone said, ‘You’re not going to believe what’s going to happen to you,'” he said of his life with Furnish, adding of their then-little son: “You can’t put into words how much we love this little boy.”
These days, Zachary is a big football fan. He and John often attend matches of their favorite team, Watford FC, of which John was chairman from 1976 to 2002. In September 2018, he shared a photo of the father-son duo cheering on the team from the stands. In the shot, Zachary is all smiles as he raises his arms above his head.
Elton John says he and David Furnish will ‘fully support’ sons whether they pursue music or not
As for whether he will pursue music like his famous father, John said Hey! News that his sons are “still so young, so they’re not quite sure,” but that he and Furnish will encourage it.
“Of course, whatever their dreams and ambitions are, my husband David and I will fully support them,” he said.
Elijah Joseph Daniel Furnish-John, 11
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Dave Bennett/Elton John AIDS Foundation/WireImage
On January 11, 2013, John and Furnish welcomed their second son, Elijah Joseph Daniel, in Los Angeles via the same surrogate.
“We both longed to have children, but the reality that we now have two sons is almost unbelievable. The birth of our second son completes our family in the most precious and perfect way,” the couple said in a statement. “It’s hard to fully express how we feel at this moment; we are simply overwhelmed with happiness and excitement.”
John and Furnish intend to be open with their sons about their birth stories. “We kept a scrapbook for Zachary with all of his scans, emails with the surrogate mother, and key surrogacy moments, and we’re doing the same for Elijah,” Furnish explained to PEOPLE shortly after Elijah was born. “We want the guys to understand the spirit and love that was at the heart of the process.”
The cutest family photos of Elton John and David Furnish
Before becoming a father of two, John was vocal about his desire to expand their family. In an interview with S. in 2012 Guardthe singer revealed that he and Furnish wanted more children, partly because he’s an only child and partly because of his celebrity status.
“I used it up [his childhood] in my room, listening to music if my parents rowed. I think it’s hard to be an only child and to be the only child of someone famous,” he said. “I want to [Zachary] to have a brother or sister to have someone to be with. I know that when he starts school he will be under a lot of pressure and I know that people will tell him: ‘You don’t have a mummy.’ That will happen. We talked about it before we had it. I want someone to be with him and support him. We’ll see.”
Like his brother, Elijah is also interested in football. In July 2021, John shared a photo of himself and both of his boys cheering on the England national team at Euro 2020 from their home.
The boys are also quite fashionable. In August 2021, the entire Furnish-John family wore matching custom Versace robes with their name printed on the back while on vacation in Nice, France.
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