Me: Elton John Official Biography
Elton John, 2019
Henry Holt Co.
384 pp.
ISBN-13: 9781250147608
Summary
In his first and only official autobiography, music icon Elton John reveals the truth about his extraordinary life, from his rollercoaster lifestyle as shown in the film Rocketman, to becoming a living legend.
Christened Reginald Dwight, he was a shy boy with Buddy Holly glasses who grew up in the London suburb of Pinner and dreamed of becoming a pop star. By the age of twenty-three he was performing his first gig in America, facing an astonished audience in his bright yellow dungarees, a star-spangled T-shirt, and boots with wings.
Elton John had arrived and the music world would never be the same again.
His life has been full of drama…
• From the early rejection of his work with song-writing partner Bernie Taupin to spinning out of control as a chart-topping superstar…
• From half-heartedly trying to drown himself in his LA swimming pool to disco-dancing with Princess Diana and Queen Elizabeth…
• From friendships with John Lennon, Freddie Mercury, and George Michael to setting up his AIDS Foundation and conquering Broadway with Aida, The Lion King, and Billy Elliot the Musical.
All the while Elton was hiding a drug addiction that would grip him for over a decade.
In Me, Elton also writes powerfully about getting clean and changing his life, about finding love with David Furnish and becoming a father.
In a voice that is warm, humble, and open, this is Elton on his music and his relationships, his passions and his mistakes. This is a story that will stay with you by a living legend. (From the publisher.)
Author Bio
• Birth—March 25, 1947
• Where—Pinner, Middlesex, England, UK
• Education—N/A
• Awards—Musical (see below)
• Currently—lives in London, England
Sir Elton John, CBE, is a multi-award winning solo artist who has achieved 38 gold and 31 platinum or multi-platinum albums, has sold more than 300 million records worldwide, and holds the record for the biggest-selling single of all time, "Candle in the Wind 1997."
In August 2018 Elton was named the most successful male solo artist in the Billboard Hot 100 chart history, having logged 67 entries, including nine Number 1s and 27 Top 10s. Elton launched his first tour in 1970 and since then has performed over 4,000 times in more than 80 countries.
When not recording or touring, Elton devotes his time to a number of charities, including his own Elton John AIDS Foundation, which has raised over $300 million and funded programmes across four continents in the twenty-four years it has existed. He is married to David Furnish, and they have two sons.
Me is his first and only official autobiography. (From the publisher.)
Book Reviews
[Me] pushes the envelope.… The movie Rocketman gave a reasonably accurate overview of the Elton John story—but it barely scratched the surface of what’s in this memoir. The lurid parts will get all the headlines. But [it is really about] the man’s hard-won self-knowledge.
New York Times
Thought you got all of Elton John's story in the rollicking biopic, Rocketman? Well, consider that merely a tasty appetizer ahead of this ultra-rich and heavy dinner.
NBC News
Magnificent…. While Me is as colorful as you’d expect from an artist famous for his outlandish stage costumes and outsize temper tantrums, it is also so much more…. Fans who think seeing Rocketman was enough and can "eventually" read his memoir, we can tell you: do not wait a long, long time. Me is a riveting, laugh-til-you-cry, heartfelt page-turner.
Entertainment Weekly
[Elton] proves himself an engrossing, fluid and alarmingly forthcoming writer…. Like [his] songs, Me overflows with whimsical characters, twisted humor, winking self-aggrandizement and stark pathos…. An absorbing and unfettered joy.
Time
By turn hilarious, touching, and surprising…. In between the countless anecdotes with stars from across the decades, John’s enthusiasm for music continues to shine through…. It's wonderful to read [and] compelling evidence that Elton John was born to be [a star].
Independent (UK)
Outrageously enjoyable…. [Elton] is utterly, astonishingly, hilariously self-lacerating…. His clear-eyed honesty and his ear for the comic line make him a deeply appealing memoirist.
Guardian (UK)
Excellent…. [Me] mines a rich seam of salacious and self-deprecating anecdote, heady scandal, personal struggle, and ultimate redemption, all delivered with a total lack of self-consciousness.
Wall Street Journal
A uniquely revealing pop star autobiography…. Me is essential reading for anyone who wants to know the difficult road that [Elton has] walked.
Rolling Stone
(Starred review) John keeps his good humor throughout, treating even his suicide attempts as farces and poking fun at his own vanity. [His] fans will love this funny, down-to-earth, and openhearted self-portrait. Photos included.
Publishers Weekly
(Starred review) [A]self-aware, revealing memoir.… Intimate, with brushes of gossip and hard-won wisdom, this compelling work joins the ranks of other masterly rock memoirs. A must-read for John's many devotees, it will also make fans out of those new to his music. —James Collins, Morristown-Morris Twp. P.L., NJ
Library Journal
(Starred review) The legendary piano master tells all, and delightfully.… Sir Elton looks back at it all with grace and good humor.… [H]is memoir is a terrific read. One of the best rock memoirs of recent years and a revelation for fans.
Kirkus Reviews
Discussion Questions
We'll add publisher questions if and when they're available; in the meantime, use our LitLovers talking points to help start a discussion for ME: ELTON JOHN'S OFFICIAL AUTOBIOGRAPHY … then take off on your own:
1. What role did Elton John's upbringing play in the adult—and the star—he became? How would you describe his parents? Talk about his family, especially his parents and their foul temper. How did it all affect him?
2. Despite his family and the suburb he grew up in—also that it was the rebellious 1960s—John liked his life, continuing to live with his extended family into young adulthood. What do you think made him stay?
3. (Follow-up to Question 2) It has been said by a reviewer that despite his wild, profligate behavior as a rock star, deep down Elston John had the heart of a bourgeois. Do you see that? Or not.
4. Talk about John's relationship, personal and professional, with Bernie Taupin—and the influence the two had on one another.
5.As he climbed his way to fame, what was John's relationship with other rock stars—Brian Wilson, Keith Richards, or David Bowie? Consider, too, his particular friendships with Freddie Mercury and Rod Stewart.
6. Talk about John's love life—his path toward coming out as a gay man, as well as his tendency toward jealousy and possessiveness.
7. How does John believe he kept from contracting AIDs?
8. There's a great deal of humor in this book. What in particular do you find funny in John's account of his life?
9. Did you find the book satisfying in terms of getting to know Elton John? Did you wish for more, for instance, his inspiration for some of his songs?
10. Overall, what do you think of Elton John—not the music but the man? What does John reveal about himself in this autobiography? In what way does he surprise you? What episodes in the book do you find most remarkable, most sensational, most intimate, or most off-putting?
(Questions by LitLovers. Please feel free to use them, online and off, with attribution. Thanks.)