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 songwriting 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 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.
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I was onstage at the Latino club in South Shields when I realised I couldn't take it anymore. PROLOGUE
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(@HenryHolt, 15 October 2019, 376 pages, ebook, borrowed from @GlasgowLib via @OverDriveLibs)
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I'm a huge fan of Elton John. I've been listening to his music since I was kid. My family love him as well. I know most of his songs by heart. In fact, his songs were in my head as I was reading this. I loved this book. A lot of Me is what I expected from the autobiography of a legendary rock star; drugs, insane shopping trips and epic temper tantrums. You also find out how he met his husband David which is very sweet and teared me up. I loved reading about the early days of his career, the events that gradually let to his fame and the career-defining moments such as having lunch with the Queen Mother or Princess Margaret, a famous band flying hundreds of miles in a private jet just to see his concert and the celebrities he's recorded and clashed with over the years. What surprised me about this is how much Elton John is still an insecure, self-conscious little boy called Reggie Dwight. His persona is larger than life, oozing confident and glamour. I was surprised to learn how insecure he still feels at times, like he's having a lovely dream that could end any second. This is an amazing book.
