New dad Elton John made his decision to start a family after the sudden death of a musician pal, the Sunday Mirror can reveal.

The pop star and his partner David celebrated the birth of their surrogate son Zachary on Christmas Day. But before making their news public, he called widow Kathy Babylon - whose husband Guy's death aged 52 inspired his change of heart.

Elton had resisted David's pleas for them to adopt or have a baby with a surrogate mother until keyboard player Guy's sudden death of a heart attack in September 2009. Mother-of-three Kathy, 52, said: ""Elton was there for us right away. He came to the house and said, 'What can I do? Can I help with anything?' He was really devastated, but he wanted above all to make sure we were okay. He was worried about me and the kids. He said nothing else in his life had really hit him like that. He told me then that Guy and our family had inspired him to start a family of his own."

Kathy, a singer-songwriter who lives in California, said: "Elton told me it wasn't working out with the Ukrainian adoption, but he wasn't giving up hope of having a child. I am just really happy for him. I think it's fabulous that his baby was born on Christmas Day - Guy's birthday was on December 20. It was a top secret. Elton called me before it came out in the media. He was so excited and happy. The baby was born on Christmas Day and he called me the next day. He and David will be such great parents. Elton has such a big heart. He has been so important to us and he has always been there for us during a really tough time."

After Guy died from a heart attack, Elton described him as "one of the most brilliant musicians I ever knew". Guy played more than 1,000 concerts as a key member of Elton's band and worked on many of his albums and theatrical projects in the late Eighties.

He left three children, Ben, 13 - also a musician - Max, 19, and Jessica, 29. Kathy said: "My husband and Elton were really close. It was such a shock when Guy died. He was really a very fit man. "He would swim at least three times a week and he looked after himself. He had a heart attack just like that. The doctors said afterwards that his heart looked fine. It was just one of those things that nobody could predict. We were together for more than 25 years and then suddenly that happened. It was the shock of a lifetime."

Elton has always been great to our family. He is still close to us and he has taken a great interest in the music of our son, Ben. "Ben has been trying to follow in his dad's footsteps and he has been very influenced by Elton's music. He adores him, we all do. Elton is a lovely man and really caring. He thought so much of Guy. Guy touched so many lives in so many ways."

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