Me: Elton John Official Autobiography - Hardcover

John, Elton

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1250147603 ISBN 13: 9781250147608

Publisher: Henry Holt and Co., 2019

Synopsis

INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

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 to 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.

About this title

About the Author

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.

Review

“[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.”
―The 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].”
―The Independent

“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.”
―The Guardian

“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

About this edition

• Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.
• Publication date: 2019
• ISBN 10: 1250147603
• ISBN 13: 9781250147608
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 384