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    Me: Elton John Official Autobiography
    Unavailable
    Me: Elton John Official Autobiography
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    Me: Elton John Official Autobiography
    Ebook543 pages11 hours

    Me: Elton John Official Autobiography

    By Elton John

    4.5/5

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    About this ebook

    In his first and only official autobiography, music icon Elton John reveals the truth about his extraordinary life. Me is the joyously funny, honest and moving story of the most enduringly successful singer/songwriter of all time.

    The Sunday Times bestseller with a new chapter bringing the story up to date.

    'The rock memoir of the decade' – Daily Mail

    'The rock star's gloriously entertaining and candid memoir is a gift to the reader' – Sunday Times

    ______________

    Christened Reginald Dwight 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.

    ______________

    'Self-deprecating, funny . . . You cannot help but enjoy his company throughout, temper tantrums and all' – The Times

    'Racy, pacy and crammed with scurrilous anecdotes - what more could you ask from the rocket man' – Guardian (Book of the Week)

    'Chatty, gossipy, amusing and at times brutally candid' – Telegraph

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPan Macmillan
    Release dateOct 15, 2019
    ISBN9781509853335
    Author

    Elton John

    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.

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    Reviews for Me

    4.5/5

    280 ratings18 reviews

    What did you think?

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    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 4/5
      I enjoyed reading Elton John's autobiography which is a great companion piece to the movie Rocketman. It was interesting to learn about his friendships with Rod Stewart and John Lennon, his road to sobriety, and his lifelong collaboration with and deep affection for lyricist Bernie Taupin.
    • 5/5
      I read the book and listened to the audio at the same time. The book was outstanding, the audio exceptional. The audio read by Taron Egerton was well worth listening to. The story of Elton John does not hold back. He shares the good, the bad AND the ugly. You don't need to know, or like his music to appreciate the extraordinary life this man has led.
    • 4/5
      This is a fun autobiography by an extremely interesting fellow. Its frank, bawdy, and unflinchingly entertaining. The best measure of a music book, in my estimation, is does it make you want to go back and listen to the records? "Me" most assuredly does, even those I've previously dismissed.Do yourself a favor. Pick this one up and savor it.
    • 5/5
      Elton John's own story about his life, from his childhood as Reginald Dwight to today's Elton John. I picked this up after watching Rocketman. I have enjoyed Elton John's music since I was little, but have never been a superfan, so I didn't know very much about his life and the movie made me interested in finding out how much of the movie was true and what happened after the movie ended. Turns out, a lot and a lot. :) I was very much surprised and pleased at his willingness to confess to some craziness and stupidity without making any excuses and was impressed with his journey, both on and off drugs. Of course, the fact that he is very funny helps enormously - I have a hard time not liking a person who makes me laugh, no matter what else their personality holds. I've recommended this book to many people, Elton John fans or no, and will continue to do so, it's just that good.
    • 4/5
      This is exactly what a celebrity memoir should be. It's honest without sharing things that other people may want to keep private (see: how he handles his brief marriage to a woman), its funny without glossing over really bad behavior, and you understand how the past has informed the man he is today. Even if you aren't a huge Elton John fan I would still recommend this as an exploration of how fame can change a person for good and for bad.
    • 5/5
      Me Elton John clearly was written from the heart. It truly took a lot of guts to publish a book that goes so deeply into one's own life. Elton said at the end he did it for his sons. One laughs and cries along with Elton John. He recalls incidents like the first time that he and Bernie come to America and landed at LAX in Los Angeles. He talks about that he and Bernie thought that a Cadillac limo will be waiting for them. How excited they were. To their surprise their promoters decided to promote Elton as soon as he put a foot on American soil. It is a remarkable life that Reg has led. This book received five stars in this review. Excellent and highly recommended.
    • 4/5
      A great read about a wild life. I love reading people's stories and this one did not disappoint. it is candid, reads quickly, and gave me a new appreciation of his talent.
    • 4/5
      Me by Sir Elton John was indeed a pure please to read and a good follow-up to the movie. I know of Elton and his music which I have listened to all my life and I did attend a concert of his many years ago but this book allowed me to really get to really know him in a manner like never before. He is frank about his story - Worts and all which I appreciate. It was great learning about his younger days and how his talent developed and the chance encounter with Bernie that has changed the world of music. This man really has lived life to the fullest and then some. Enjoyed him sharing some of his experiences and relationships with other stars such as Freddie Mercury, John Lennon, George Michael and Gianni Versace as well as his telling of how Candle in the Wind was played at Diana's funeral. Was great to hear about his family and how he is living a fulfilled and fabulous life.
    • 5/5
      This was an amazing listen. I knew of him and had listened to his hits before, but I didn't know much about him. I have many actual laugh out loud moments which then brought the strange looks my way from my neighboring people. Totally recommend.
    • 4/5
      I was 17 when I saw Elton John perform in Chicago, opening with "Funeral For A Friend", wearing bright yellow feathers. I have always loved his music, loved watching him play the piano. I have seen him in concert three times total. And now I feel like I know him as a person. I listened to the audio version, read by Elton himself. What a lovely ability to make himself vulnerable, to poke fun at himself, and to share his strengths and foibles with the public. I could hardly put this down! He shares his ups and downs, his playfulness and his temper, his impulsive loves and his sorrows. I highly recommend listening to this book!
    • 5/5
      Listened to the audio book:Sir Elton doesn't mince words... he tells it like it was. If you are easily offended by colorful language you might want to skip this book, otherwise it is a very personal look into the life of this great musician. Taron Egerton (Elton in "Rocket Man") was a perfect choice to read this audio book!
    • 5/5
      What an incredible story of an incredible life. Told with self deprecating humor,Sir Elton doesn’t hold anything back when he looks back at his life. He recounts the highs and lows of his life with equal honesty. There are a lot of laugh out loud moments and a lot of amazed wonder at how he survived some of the escapades he found himself in. This is an absolute must read for any Elton John fan.
    • 4/5
      This book holds the record for the most dropped names for a memoir. Sir Elton loves to list the people he parties with, dines with, argues with. And it’s an eclectic bunch to be sure. The drug use in his life is epic, and as he lists his maladies at the end of the book (cancer, heart trouble, life-threatening diseases along the way), it’s a minor miracle that he is approaching his mid 70s and is still kicking. One endearing part of the book is the fact that no one pokes more fun at Elton John than Elton John, and that’s refreshing. I haven’t seen the biopic “Rocketman,” but I can’t imagine that it is any better than this autobiography. Although not for the faint of heart, you’ll learn an awful lot about the last five decades of rock and roll along with finding out what it’s like to live inside the entertainment world of the same time period. Well worth the read.
    • 5/5
      A very candid autobiography; Elton knows his lifestyle is not “normal” but most people’s standards, he knows he has a dreadful temper that contributes to his “diva” reputation, and he sends himself up throughout the book - the anecdote about demanding an hotel stop the wind blowing because it was annoying him being just one example.

      This is the autobiography of a man who has been to some dark places mentally and physically, but got the help he needed, and now is in a much better place. Having read Demi Moore’s memoir last year, there is a striking contrast between hers, where there was an overwhelming air of a huge amount being held back, and this open and candid book.
    • 4/5
      A really enjoyable read, which as you would expect from Elton John, is frank and refreshing.I didn't get into Elton John's music until the eighties (Too Low for Zero), but his string of seventies hits were always around as I was growing up, and I have explored the early albums since. This autobiography is fascinating in filling in about Elton up to stardom, that was probably the most interesting part for me, but he has done so much of which I was aware at the time, but had forgotten.
    • 5/5
      Candid and from the heart. Ther's no sugar coating here. Very enjoyable.
    • 4/5
      This book holds the record for the most dropped names for a memoir. Sir Elton loves to list the people he parties with, dines with, argues with. And it’s an eclectic bunch to be sure. The drug use in his life is epic, and as he lists his maladies at the end of the book (cancer, heart trouble, life-threatening diseases along the way), it’s a minor miracle that he is approaching his mid 70s and is still kicking. One endearing part of the book is the fact that no one pokes more fun at Elton John than Elton John, and that’s refreshing. I haven’t seen the biopic “Rocketman,” but I can’t imagine that it is any better than this autobiography. Although not for the faint of heart, you’ll learn an awful lot about the last five decades of rock and roll along with finding out what it’s like to live inside the entertainment world of the same time period. Well worth the read.
    • 4/5
      The autobiography by Elton John is an easy and enjoyable read. It has it all - sex, drugs and rock and roll - and a self deprecating humour that on several occasions made me laugh out loud.Not being a great Elton fan, or particularly well acquainted with the British music scene of the period, the movie about Elton John, Rocket man, provided some context. The book is so well written I assume Elton had help, but the voice seems to be all his own, wry and funny, factual and to the point even when recounting the absurd.At times the deluge of names and places and records that only a connoisseur of 60-70 rock and roll will recognize can be a bit overwhelming, but if you can let it roll off your back instead of haring down rabbit holes to research and map all the characters and their relations, the flow of the narrative will keep you moving through to more entertaining passages.Elton (or his helper) has a bad habit of introducing characters in the flow, and then only later provide their background and relation to Elton. There is also a lot of foreshadowing which both contribute to an occasional sense of messiness and jumping around. On the other hand, the meta commenting Elton provides is very endearing and gives a sense of getting to know him on a deeper level.