First published 2023
Bernie Taupin opens his long-guarded memoir with characteristic honesty. The lyricist behind Elton John's greatest hits finally tells his own story after decades of privacy. Taupin traces his journey from childhood in England's East Midlands, where American country music and cowboy culture fired his imagination, to the glittering excess of Beverly Hills in the 1970s and 1980s. He chronicles the creative partnership that produced "Tiny Dancer," "Candle in the Wind," and "Bennie and The Jets" while navigating global fame alongside John. The memoir moves through Los Angeles recording studios, Australian hotels thick with drugs, and late night encounters with John Lennon, Bob Marley, and Frank Sinatra. Taupin describes meetings with Graham Greene, Andy Warhol, and Salvador Dali, revealing how these figures shaped his legendary lyrics. Written in vivid songwriter's prose, this candid account spans multiple decades and continents, offering readers access to one of music's most private creative minds.
Genres: 20th-century, autobiography, biography-memoir, music, 21st-century, musicians
Vibes: candid, emotional, intimate, lyrical
Tropes: creative-duo, memoir, rags-to-riches
Setting: Australia, Beverly Hills, East Midlands, England, Los Angeles
Period: 1970s, 1980s
416 pages · Hardcover · Da Capo