Talking about the career of Sir Elton John, one of the biggest stars in music worldwide, might even be redundant. After all, everyone knows the artist, has heard at least a dozen of his immediate hit songs, and even if it’s not their cup of tea, they still know exactly who we’re talking about.
A life of success after success that brought fame, fortune, and recognition for the astounding talent of such a remarkable human being as Sir Elton John makes us think that life for some is as easy as waking up and having a lovely breakfast somewhere with a beautiful and pleasant view. But, it’s not quite like that.
Not always was Elton Hercules John, Sir. In fact, he wasn’t even born as Elton, and much less John; the great star we know today came into the world on March 25, 1947, as Reginald Kenneth Dwight, in the town of Pinner, Middlesex, England. When he ventured into the artistic world, he changed his name to Elton John, which already caused some strangeness, as Elton is actually a surname for them “from abroad.”
Having a seemingly accidental start to his career, Elton John had to deal with everything at once: his sexuality, his talent, which combined with the talent of another legend, the spectacular lyricist Bernie Taupin, often seemed too much for the novice Elton. But things were just beginning when he performed his first show in the United States, as the poise he had acquired in his teenage years, when he was still part of the band Bluesology, made the Americans kickstart the success of what would become one of the biggest stars in music worldwide.
For those who prefer to read autobiographies instead of biographies, I can say that Me, Elton John is quite informative, brave, and very entertaining. Elton also has a great comedic flair for telling his own story and leaves nothing aside, no matter how embarrassing it may have been for him. In fact, he turns embarrassment into comedy in the way he recounts events.
A close friend of stars like Freddie Mercury, George Michael, Gianni Versace, and also Princess Diana, he narrates with great delicacy and affection his time with each of them before their respective deaths. Without being sensationalist at any moment, Elton often manages to draw some tears from us as we read.
There are also several curiosities, such as one of his best friends, Rod Stewart, where over the years, they always try to prank each other, and believe me, there are hilarious moments between these two crazies who clearly love each other like brothers.
But not everything was rosy for Sir Elton John, as during his rise to success, he became heavily involved with drugs, which put him in situations ranging from curious to very, very disastrous. But what truly astonishes us is his spontaneity and sincerity in sharing these delicate and dangerous experiences.
Obviously, Elton could not leave out his journey of coming out, which, let’s say, was more problematic for him than for anyone else, be it family or friends. Elton had support from his mother and grandmother from an early age, and even though his father was never the figure Elton desired, he had his moments, but discrimination was not one of them. What happened between them was a lack of paternal love.
Elton John has always been a bit problematic in his romances. But he was no different from anyone like us, mere mortals, who also make mistakes and suffer until we find the right person, in this case, the great love of his life, David Furnish. But, as I said, Elton faced significant setbacks and a colossal mistake, which I’ll leave for you to discover what it was.
Me, Elton John is a book that will entertain you a lot, as I said, the autobiographer’s writing flair is very good. So, get ready to cry, hate, be astonished, but mainly, laugh a lot. There’s no way not to say it… so I’ll say it anyway… Me, Elton John, published by Planeta, is absolutely I-M-P-E-R-D-I-V-E-L.
The career of Sir Elton John is unparalleled in the showbiz world. He is one of the most successful artists with 26 gold albums, 38 platinum albums, and one diamond album. He has won 6 GRAMMYs, among numerous other awards. In 2018, he was named the most successful solo male artist in the world by Billboard Hot 100, Chart History. His foundation for AIDS has raised over 450 million dollars to combat the disease. He is married to David Furnish and has 2 children.
Jeffa Koontz
Literary Critic
www.sagaliteraria.com.br