I . John
(1167–1216)
the king of England from 1199 to 1216. He was the youngest son of Henry II and became king after the death of his brother Richard I , having previously tried to take power from him. He was not a popular or successful king. He lost most of the English land in France, quarrelled with the Church, and was forced by his barons in 1215 to sign the Magna Carta , which limited his royal powers. He is the subject of King John , an early play by Shakespeare .
II . Augustus John
(1878–1961)
a Welsh painter. He worked as an official war artist during World War I and later became famous for his pictures of women (especially his wife Dorelia). He also painted many of the leading writers of the time, including George Bernard Shaw , Thomas Hardy and W B Yeats . He was the brother of Gwen John .
III . Elton John
(1947– )
an English pop singer and piano player, known for wearing unusual clothes and large colourful glasses. He has been popular since the 1970s and his most successful songs have included Your Song (1970), Rocket Man (1972), Don’t Go Breaking My Heart (1976) and Sacrifice (1989). He was a friend of Diana, Princess of Wales , and played and sang a special version of his song Candle in the Wind at her funeral service. This immediately became the most successful record of all time, with all the profits going to a special charity set up in memory of Princess Diana. He won an Oscar in 1994 for the song Can You Feel the Love Tonight? which he wrote for the film The Lion King . Elton John was made a knight in 1998.
IV . Gwen John
(1876–1939)
a Welsh painter who lived in France for most of her life. She began as a pupil of James McNeill Whistler and showed his influence by often painting single figures (especially girls) in quiet rooms. Augustus John was her brother, and he is said to have predicted correctly that in the future she would be considered the better painter of the two.