A great companion to ME, Elton's official autobiography!
Elton John is as big as they come…
the albums • the songs • the concerts • the musicals • the charities • the accolades • the costumes • the glasses • the music!We can count on one hand the musical legends equal to Elton John (the Beatles and the Rolling Stones each get a finger).
Elton John: Fifty Years On looks at the impact songwriting partners Elton John and Bernie Taupin have had on popular music and culture, and also discusses every song on all thirty albums, plus his work on Broadway, in movies, and elsewhere.
- Part 1 is a collection of essays and interviews with musicians and music writers chatting about Elton and Bernie.
- Part 2 is a bullet-pointed look at every released song, complete with insights, trivia, and meanings, including musical insights—like Elton’s favorite chord progressions, or the most notable melodies in his discography.
Did you know? - Elton and Bernie’s revision of “Candle in the Wind” (known as “Goodbye England’s Rose”), a tribute to Princess Diana after her untimely death, is the biggest-selling single in the UK and the second-biggest selling single in music history (after Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas”).
- “Tiny Dancer” may or may not be about Bernie Taupin’s wife, Maxine…quotes from Elton and Bernie contradict each other.
- The biggest music stars in the world routinely show up at Elton John concerts to sing duets with the Rocket Man, including Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus, George Michael, Bruce Hornsby, Lionel Richie, Mary J. Blige, Bryan Adams, Demi Lovato, Shawn Mendes, and many more, as well as Elton’s legendary “dual” shows with Billy Joel!
- The background vocals for the song “White Powder White Lady” on the 21 at 33 album are sung by the Eagles.
- The background vocals for the song “Cage the Songbird” on the Blue Moves album are sung by Graham Nash and David Crosby. (Stephen Stills must have been busy?)
Elton John: Fifty Years On was written for ultimate Elton John fans. A browsing book, a reading book, a treasure trove of facts, trivia, insights, and commentary, it’s the perfect companion to Elton leaving the Yellow Brick Road.
Stephen Spignesi is a lecturer, bestselling author of more than sixty books, and world authority on the work of Stephen King, The Beatles, the Titanic and the US presidents. He is a retired Practitioner in Residence from the University of New Haven and his biography of John F. Kennedy Jr., J.F.K. Jr., was a New York Times bestseller. Spignesi appeared in the A&E Biography of Stephen King, the ITV biography of Robin Williams, and the E! biography of the Kennedys. He lives in New Haven, Connecticut, USA.
Michael Lewis is a long-time book editor, and author of twelve books including The 100 Best Beatles Songs (with Stephen Spignesi), A Guy Walks Into a Bar, and Outdated Advertising. He lives in Westwood, New Jersey, USA.
