AceShowbiz - Sir Elton John has spoken of his joy at becoming a first-time father, insisting the arrival of his baby son has fulfilled his longtime wish to become a parent. The 63-year-old singer and his partner David Furnish welcomed little Zachary Jackson Levon on Christmas Day via a surrogate mother.

The "Rocket Man" reveals he began making plans to start a family after the couple was denied the chance to adopt a child called Lev and his brother Artyom from the Ukraine in 2009. And he is delighted to have finally achieved the dream of becoming a dad following the birth of baby Zachary.

He tells Us Weekly, "For many years we have talked about fulfilling one of our greatest wishes by becoming parents. And now this wish has been granted to us, we feel so blessed and lucky." While Furnish insists the new arrival doesn't mean they will cut contact with the Ukrainian boys, revealing they have been working hard to help the youngsters find a loving home.

He adds, "Although Ukranian law does not permit Elton and I to adopt Lev and Artyom, we are determined to give them the best chance of living a happy and healthy life with a loving Ukranian family. The arrival of our son has done nothing but strengthen our resolve to help these two wonderful children. We are, however, constrained by Ukranian policy and legal procedure, and this is why for the past 12 months we have retained a leading Ukranian law firm to assist us in this process."