Me by Elton John
(Format used for this read: Print–hardback from the library….how I miss yooouuuuuuuuu 😭😭😭😭😭)
Reading autobiographies and memoirs has become one of my new favorite things.
Especially when the author is extremely vulnerable and painfully honest.
Sir Elton was ALL THAT AND THEN SOME in these pages.
Here is the official summary:
“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.”
Confession: all I knew about Elton John before reading this were the following things:
-he wears amazingly outrageous clothing on stage
-lyrics to some of his hit songs (Rocketman, Bennie and the Jets, Daniel, Tiny Dancer, Lion King soundtrack, I’m Still Standing, Crocodile Rock)
-he is British, gay, has two adopted sons, and a husband named David
-he was knighted by the Queen of England
-he was close friends with Princess Di and rewrote Candle In The Wind for her funeral (my mother was OBSESSED with her during my formative years so I am WELL INFORMED on all kinds of minute details about her life 🤣)
Annndddd that is about it, yall.
That was the extent of my knowledge.
AND THERE IS SOOOOOO MUCH MORE TO KNOW!!!!!
I intentionally held off on watching the movie “Rocketman” until I read this book because I wanted to hear his story from HIS mouth and in HIS words first before I saw it “Hollywood-ized”. (he does say in the book he had TONS of input in the creation of it though and he LOOOVES how it all came together onscreen)
I went into this book not as a super fan…
I mean, I really LIKE Elton John for what I know of him and consider myself a BASIC fan…
I think the music I have heard is great and I love his fun style…
and I think he does tremendous good in the world with his fame…
But I wasn’t like “OMGGGG ELTON IS THE BEST EVVVEEERRR I HAVE TO READ EVERYTHING I CAN ABOUT HIM”
Let me tell yall something though…after reading his book, I will identify myself as an OFFICIAL FAN 😊
If yall don’t know, his musical talent is THRU THE ROOF…I found it extremely interesting to read about the early start to his music career.
I learned that as a kid he could just hear a song, then sit down at the piano and play it note for note!
He is super talented but you know what…he is also SUPER LUCKY.
Elton is very candid about this fact…he knows that there were many break thrus that happened for him because he just so happened to be in the right place at the right time with the right people.
The way his partnership began with his lyricist Bernie happened because a slip of paper was handed to him at an audition rejection.
And that unique pairing has been a thing for 50+ YEARS and they’ve earned NUMEROUS awards and created even MORE hits!
Talk about LUCK!
The only thing I did NOT enjoy about while reading thru all the chapters on his career was all the NAMES.
I mean..every. single. person. he came in contact with professionally since the 60s was named, identified and described…I kept having to flip back pages because I was like “Wait…who is that again and why are they relevant?”
But while I didn’t ENJOY reading all those names, I did APPRECIATE it.
Because Elton ALWAYS ALWAYS gives credit where credit is due in his life.
Not just for the lovely and wonderful things…
He also does that with the yucky and awful things too.
and that applies to HIMSELF as well.
He is STRAIGHT UP honest about what an asshole he can be when his temper gets the best of him (I TOTALLY CAN RELATE, ELTON) and also what awfulness transpired over the years when he was deep into his drug addiction.
He was extremely raw about his addiction and recovery journey…which I find admirable.
It can not be easy to put into writing all the grossness, ugliness and straight up MESS that was all over your life (and in turn other people’s lives too) when you were at your absolute WORST.
But he does…because he knows that is a very important part of what made him who he is today.
This book has plenty of hard moments to read thru (his “pain in the arse” mom is just cringe inducing) …but there is also a whole lot of fun and humor too.
I freaking SO ADORE hearing about his love for crazy fashion statements…he loves big, bold, crazy outfits not because he wants attention, but because he feels like the most HIMSELF in them.
As someone who is CRAYCRAY about all things animal print, glitter and sequins, and large ass earrings I GET IT on a deep level…I feel at home in myself the more I get to sparkle 🤣
Another fun thing to hear about was his unique friendships with celebrities….they each have special “drag names” they address each other with which is FABULOUS.
One of his very best friends is Rod Stewart….I mean WHO KNEW?!?
That is NOT a pairing of celebs I would think would be besties!
And the good humored bitchiness between them thru the years (they intentionally find creative ways to sabotage each other’s public performances 🤣) had me CRACKING UP.
I really enjoyed this book and I really enjoyed learning about Elton as a person.
(Should I be calling him Sir Elton? I don’t know…I feel like I know him on an intimate level now so I don’t think he would want formalities between us at this point 🤣)
I am downloading all of greatest hits as I type this and plan to watch the movie “Rocketman” this weekend…because now I am thinking about Elton John 24/7. 😀
(This reminds me of what I did when I watched the movie “Bohemian Rhapsody”…I wasn’t officially a Queen fan before but afterwards I BECAME OBSESSED!!!)
If you are already an Elton fan, you absolutely need to read this even if you think you already know a whole lot about his life and career.
If you aren’t an Elton fan and read this, you probably will become one.
I LOVED IT, yall.