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, first became fathers when they welcomed their older son, Zachary, 14, in 2010 via surrogate. Son Elijah, 11, joined the family in 2013 via the same surrogate.
During a 2016 appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, the “Tiny Dancer” singer described his kids with Furnish as “the greatest thing in our lives.”
“If you’d had said to me 10 years ago I’d 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 children have come along at a time I never thought I’d have children,” he said. “There’s no words to describe how much we love these boys. They’re just amazing.”
In his documentary Elton John: Never Too Late, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in September 2024, the singer shared that his sons have expressed worry about his morality.
John said, they “love their daddy, so they want me to be around forever, [and] I would love to be around forever,” before adding, “I want to see them have children and get married. I don’t think I’m going to be around for that … So that’s why I want to use the best of my time while I’m around. Time together is so wonderful and so precious.”
Here’s everything to know about Elton John and David Furnish’s sons: Zachary and Elijah.
Zachary Jackson Levon Furnish-John, 14
John and Furnish welcomed their first son, Zachary Jackson Levon, who was delivered via surrogate, on Dec. 25, 2010, in California.
“We are overwhelmed with happiness and joy at this very special moment,” the couple said in a statement. “Zachary is healthy and doing really well, and we are very proud and happy parents.”
In a 2011 interview with Canada’s eTalk, John called fatherhood “the best decision we’ve made.”
“We’re pretty happy anyway. We’ve been together 17 years, our careers are both going brilliantly. But this … everyone said, ‘You won’t believe what will happen to you,’ ” he said of his life with Furnish, adding of their then-infant son: “You can’t put into words how much love we have for this little boy.”
These days, Zachary is a huge soccer fan. He and John often attend the games of their favorite team, Watford FC, which John acted as the chair of 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.
As for whether or not he will pursue music like his famous dad, John told E! News that his sons are “still so young, so not entirely sure” but that he and Furnish will encourage it.
“But of course, whatever their dreams and ambitions are, my husband David and I will fully support them,” he said.
On his 75th birthday, John penned a letter to his boys in which he shared life lessons and expressed his love for them.
“Zachary and Elijah, you two are the greatest gifts I have ever been given,” he wrote in the letter published in TIME. “You have filled my heart with love and my life with purpose and meaning in ways I didn’t think were possible. You are my proudest achievements, and I love you both so, so much … Whoever you grow up to be, just be you — fully and completely you.”
Elijah Joseph Daniel Furnish-John, 11
On Jan. 11, 2013, John and Furnish welcomed their second son, Elijah Joseph Daniel, in Los Angeles via the same surrogate.
“Both of us have 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 a most precious and perfect way,” the couple said in a statement. “It is difficult to fully express how we are feeling at this time; we are just overwhelmed with happiness and excitement.”
John and Furnish intend to be open with both their boys about their birth stories. “We kept a scrapbook for Zachary with all his scans, emails with the surrogate, and key moments from the surrogacy, and we are doing the same for Elijah,” Furnish explained to PEOPLE shortly after Elijah’s birth. “We want the boys to understand the spirit and love that was at the heart of the process.”
Prior to becoming a father of two, John had been vocal about his desire to expand their family. In a 2012 interview with The Guardian, the singer revealed that he and Furnish wanted more children, partly because he was an only child and partly because of his celebrity status.
“I spent it [his childhood] in my room, listening to music if my parents were rowing. I think it’s difficult to be an only child, and to be an only child of someone famous,” he said. “I want [Zachary] to have a sibling so he has someone to be with. I know when he goes to school there’s going to be an awful lot of pressure, and I know he’s going to have people saying, ‘You don’t have a mummy.’ It’s going to happen. We talked about it before we had him. I want someone to be at his side and back him up. We shall see.”
Like his brother, Elijah is also interested in soccer. In July 2021, John shared a photo of him and both his boys cheering on England’s national team in the Euro 2020 game from their home.
The boys are also quite fashionable. In August 2021, the entire Furnish-John family donned matching custom Versace robes with their first names printed on the back while on vacation in Nice, France.
When Elijah turned 11, Furnish shared a photo of his birthday cake on Instagram, along with a sweet message. “Happy Birthday to our beautiful son Elijah,” he wrote. “Can’t believe you’re 11! You fill our hearts with so much love and laughter. We love you. Papa and Daddy xo.”
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