Me: Elton John Official Autobiography

This book is about the evolution of Elton John. You may like periods of his work, you may hate periods of his work, but what is absolutely fascinating about him is his ability to evolve and change. In fact, unlike a lot of artists, Elton himself still keeps up with current music and what's popular in the charts, just like he did when he was a kid, with intense fascination and appreciation for the ongoing evolution of music. Elton was before my time; I've only discovered his music in the past year. I find that I tend to listen to an Elton John song on two levels. I listen to Bernie's lyrics and I listen to Elton's music. Sometimes Elton is strong and Bernie is weak, sometimes the reverse. Sometimes they are both strong or both weak. Above all, though, there's a brotherhood and a love of the craft of music underneath it all and this is reflected in the book. It's hard not to respect them both for taking risks and embracing evolutionary change. Elton has a way of being nostalgic, candid, yet also respectful with his evolution. He has a very fresh approach to fleshing out characters we know from Rocketman into three-dimensional, real people. The movie was the Hollywood version of his life with many chance coincidences, people omitted, and things "cleaned up" to make a better movie. In reality, Elton worked very hard for his successes and the people in his life were not simple, cartoonish two-dimensional people. Success is very messy and there is always give and take. John Reid, the main antagonist of Rocketman, is portrayed in a much more positive light, for example. The audiobook was perhaps my favorite audiobook of the year because some Elton stories are hilarious and they need to be told right. I found myself laughing loudly and nodding along with Taron Egerton, who played Elton in Rocketman, as he gives a very dynamic performance. Listening to the audiobook is very much like sitting with "Elton" at the recovery meeting from Rocketman. Taron doesn't just read the text with a flat voice, like a lot of audiobooks. He reads it with the enthusiasm and passion that make it seem like he was there, really creating a wonderful experience as a listener. Elton, Taron, and team -- thanks for putting this out, you really did a great job with it.

I don't usual read celeb memoirs, but I made an exception because I've been a fan since I was 9 years old, I was looking for any escape from my predilection for non-fiction I could find, and the ebook was $1.99. The memoir was a delight to read. Even as he was explaining the darkest times in his life, Elton kept an edge of humor in his storytelling, not taking himself too seriously. There were uncomfortable stories, sad stories, lots of very blunt observations, and plenty of laugh out loud tales. I'm really glad I read it. Thoroughly enjoyable.

As a long-time Elton John fan I wondered what he would have to say in a book that I hadn’t either heard or read about already, especially since Elton had been very candid about his personal life for many years. What I quickly realized, however, is that Elton never fails to entertain or inspire, and his story never grows old. Like his recent Rocketman movie, the book focuses heavily on Elton’s addictions and struggles with his sexuality. Unlike Rocketman, however, the movie’s fantasies and inaccuracies were replaced by Elton’s wit and humor that were practically absent from the film. While painstakingly honest, the book reveals a more well-rounded Elton John and not just the dark and unhappy side of him. It provides more insight to his reasoning and shows his true legacy as someone who not only survived but gave his life purpose through his AIDS foundation and by being a role-model for other recovering addicts. While not self-praising, it displays Elton’s stronger points – his respect for fellow singers and songwriters, his support of new artists, his sincerity in befriending children with AIDS, his determination to stand up to false journalism, his honesty, and his ability to laugh at himself. It also focuses on his friendships with everyone from Lady Diana to Lady Gaga. Therefore, his story is much more personal rather than a detailed account of his career. Yet he briefly takes you through each album and different facets of his musical history. And as he questions the upcoming stages of his life, he leaves his readers also wondering what’s next.

In his only official autobiography, music icon Elton John writes about his extraordinary life, which is also the subject of the film Rocketman. 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 on his first tour of America, facing an astonished audience in his tight silver hotpants, bare legs and a T-shirt with ROCK AND ROLL emblazoned across it in sequins. 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 the Queen; from friendships with John Lennon, Freddie Mercury and George Michael to setting up his AIDS Foundation. All the while, Elton was hiding a drug addiction that would grip him for over a decade. In Me Elton also writes about getting clean and changing his life, about finding love with David Furnish and becoming a father. I have long adored the music of Elton John. In a world of music that often feels so trite and the lyrics so simple-minded the music of Elton John has always felt like the finest of art. One of my favorite memories is seeing Elton John perform in Vegas. So when I saw his autobiography out on shelves I requested it immediately for Christmas and was over-joyed to receive it. Like many books in the genre of autobiography and biography, the book doesn't read quickly. That is not to say it is a poorly written book. In fact, I really applaud Elton John and his editors for how this book was written. The details are there and enjoyable but not so much that you get bogged down reading one year of his life at a time. But the book reads slowly because for the casual fan of Elton John's music it is unreal the experiences he has had during his career. You think you know about his music, but there is really so much to learn and digest. Another wonderful aspect of this book is that Elton John does not hide how broken he became. He does not sugar coat the issues or try to disguise how sick he was. Because of this, the story of his recovery and the help he has brought to others is even more powerful. In a world that needs more helpers, Elton John is the prime example of how one can realize their own weakness and turn it into a strength for themselves and others. The last thing I will note about how long it takes to read this book is that I could not help the desire to stop reading and listen to whichever album he was discussing at that moment. Just sitting and listening to the music, soaking up the spirit of it, and then returning back to his words. What a tremendous enjoyment this book was to read.

I've always been a fan of Elton John's music. I started listening to him in the early 70s and loved his early work. I lost my interest in him when he came onstage as a duck. That was too much. I saw him live in the early 90s and it was a good show but didn't blow me away. Recently, my friend came up with last minute tickets to the farewell Yellow Brick Road show and I went. It was in a huge outdoor baseball stadium in Detroit and it was packed!! That show changed my opinion of Elton John. I literally had tears in my eyes when the show ended. He was so genuine and humble and gave 1,000 percent. I immediately went home and downloaded ME. This autobiography is real. I felt his honesty come right off the page. From a childhood that was not formed in a loving home, to parents who put him at the bottom of their list, to finding out his sexuality was not what he expected, it all tugged at my heart and opened my mind. I always thought of him as superficial with a diva ego and temper to match. And - he owns all of that and more! I came away from the concert and this book with a new appreciation for this man's life, his challenges, his losses, his successes and his immense talent. Bottom line, I discovered a man with a sensitive soul (duck suit not withstanding), a caring nature and a giving heart. I am very glad that I met this Elton John. Note: There are graphic depictions of sexual promiscuity and drug use. But - that's life.

I've read other music stars biographies and autobiographies prior to this one. Mostly they were either pro-forma, self-serving or over the top, or a blend. Pro-forma (ex. Iron Maiden related ones...) are those that go through the motions, without exploring too much the personal, polemical or excessive moments. Self-serving are kinda obvious... they put the star's as the best, truest, geniusest, etcest of the world. And over the top (ex. Led Zeppelin, Slash, glam bands...) are the ones that overfocus on the polemical aspects and shock factors... drugs, orgies, hotel destructions, groupies, etc. But Elton John's biography brought to my mind other adjectives... human, honest and matter of fact. The way he explores all the topics usually associated with music stardom (and there is a lot of it: childhood issues, booze, drugs, sex, offensive behavior, word fights, press, etc.) is so balanced that it could have been from notes taken during AA meetings or sessions with his shrink. He assumes the thigs he has done, offers no feeble excuses, apologize and recognizes that he could have been better. Points about sex, booze and drugs are told openly, but without trying to make it shock the audience by going overboard. There is no religious campaigning for LGBTQ rights, but there is an openly gay man talking about his homosexuality and inner feelings about himself. If you're a professional musician or a die hard music fan, you'd probably like a higher level of detail into the makings of his albums and songs. But for the average reader, I think he strikes a good balance between not being too shallow or excessively detailed. One interesting aspect is when you compare the movies Bohemian Rhapsody and Rocketman, the latter distinguishes itself as a much better movie (in my opinion at least) exactly because it was not watered down to a corny PG-13 Hollywood story, not making Elton's homossexuality, drug abuse, suicide attempt, etc. something implicit. It shows "as it was". But when you compare this book with the other biographies, it distinguishes itself a by more or less the opposite, that it does not focus beyond what is needed on these themes. I cannot attest to the veracity of the book, after all I'm not an Elton John's fan (far from it). However, as it is, it was a great read and one I'd recommend to anyone minimally interested in music and in biographies.

I originally rated this book four stars and a month or so later, decided it was without a doubt a five star read. I kept recommending it and thinking about it and loving on Elton’s infectious and unique personality. I watched the movie "Rocketman" and kept adding details where I thought they glossed over and narrated to my husband as we watched (haha sorry husband!) and it made me realize how much his book stuck with me. Then we saw his concert which was phenomenal and now I just can’t get enough Elton in my life which tells me this book deserves ALL THE STARS!!!! Read the official autobiography: ✅ Watch ‘Rocketman’: ✅ See Elton John LIVE on his official farewell tour!: ✅ “When you reminisce about the good old days, you naturally see it all through rose-tinted spectacles. In my case in particular, I think that’s forgivable, because I probably was literally wearing rose-tinted spectacles at the time, with flashing lights and ostrich feathers attached to them. But if you end up convincing yourself that everything in the past was better than it is now, you might as well give up writing music and retire.” This was marvelous. What an unapologetic, authentic, entertaining autobiography. I literally laughed out loud on more than a few occasions and even shed a few tears. I only wish I was more familiar with artists from the 1960s and 1970s so I could have had more context. I think for anyone who grew up listening to Elton and his peers, and even if you didn’t, this book will blow you away. Here’s hoping our show isn’t a “very occasional” one ☺️ “I’ve played with my childhood heroes and some of the greatest artists in the history of music; I’ve played with people who were so hopeless they had no business being onstage and I’ve played with a group of male strippers dressed as Cub Scouts. I’ve done gigs dressed as a woman, a cat, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, a Ruritanian general, a musketeer, a pantomime dame and, very occasionally, I’ve played gigs dressed like a normal human being.

I grew up listening to his music, and reading about him in the tabloids. I saw him in concert twice. First time in Hollywood Bowl in 1995, and second time somewhere close to Orange County in 1998. I loved his music, but didn't know too much about him at all. Then flying back from Europe recently, I watched the movie about him, the Rocket-man so decided to read his book as well. (Good well made movie, but I didn't care too much about the musical part...) What I loved about it, is his brutal honesty about everything. It feels like an AA meeting, where he tells everything that happened to him, without sugarcoating it, just as it happened. He has a good sense of humor, so it is very enjoyable. Reading about his friendship with Diana and stories about famous people or events, that I knew but from a different angle, was very interesting. I read it on Kindle, and since I don't know his songs from the titles, I had to go on YouTube and listen his albums that he talked about. Doing that I realized, that a lot of songs I knew, I just didn't know they were his. I got to like him so much after reading his book, that I bought two tickets for the Dallas concert next year in June 2020 which is a big deal, since we live in California, and we are not big on traveling. Highly recommended.

Excelente libro. Llegó antes de lo esperado y en perfecto estado.

Très bon livre. Je l’ai lu en deux soirs. Quelle belle histoire, on reconnaît bien le style d’Elton John et même si on connaît déjà son histoire, on apprend des détails qu’on aurait pas eu sur Google ! J’adore !

とても気に入りましたが、英語が得意ではないので読めません。

Uma auto-biografia faz muita diferença. É fantástico saber em detalhes como tudo aconteceu. A parceria de sucesso com Bernie Taupin e a escalada rumo ao sucesso e todos os percalços. Atrás do gênio musical, percebe-se um ser humano sensível, bem humorado, simpático, daqueles que podemos convidar pra tomar chá em casa sempre. Uma dica legal é a cada citação de um canção ou álbum, colocar pra tocar durante a leitura. Faz todo sentido imaginar as letras e o contexto em que elas foram feitas e vividas. Pra quem é fã, um livro muito interessante! Ps: li o original em inglês, mas creio que a versão em português deva estar ok!

Amazing ❤️